The engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for the new 164 MW Buckeye Partners solar project has been awarded to Burns & McDonnell, a full-service engineering, architecture, construction, environmental and consulting solutions firm, based in Kansas City, Missouri.
The 164 MW Buckeye Partners solar project involves the construction of a new 345 kV interconnection substation. Transmission restrictions are a hot topic for utility-scale solar projects in Texas, and the substation’s construction will better prepare electricity for distribution via the utility transmission system.
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The project will also feature around 360,000 First Solar modules and is estimated to provide enough power to power 28,000 households yearly. Construction started in mid-April and is scheduled to be finished in the first quarter of 2023.
Burns & McDonnell will handle the design, construction, starting, and commissioning for the 164 MW Buckeye Partners solar project.
Remarks on the award of the EPC contract for the new 164 MW Buckeye Partners solar project
“We are fortunate to be collaborating with forward-thinking innovators in our sector, such as Buckeye, to exploit market potential in the renewables arena,” said Mark Swanson, vice president of the Oil, Gas & Chemical Group at Burns & McDonnell adding that, “This new solar energy plant highlights Buckeye’s continuous commitment to energy diversification and lower-carbon options to improve our long-term sustainability while fulfilling the changing demands of our consumers.”
Todd Russo, CEO of Buckeye on the hand said that Burns & McDonnell, as a world-class EPC contractor, was the ideal partner to assist Buckeye to progress this “essential endeavour.”
Buckeye has been actively investing in renewable energies as the world continues to migrate away from fossil fuels. It has a section dedicated to alternative energy, which invests in hydrogen, wind, and solar solutions. The company also invested in Swift Current Energy, a renewable energy project development business, in March 2021, representing a 60% ownership position.
