Location: UK wide
Client: AMP Clean Energy
Services: ICP, Engineering, Procurement and Construction services

Project details

The purpose of the project was to help support the growth of renewables by providing energy on-demand when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine. This helps to balance the electricity grid ensuring that enough power is generated whilst supporting the transition to a low carbon economy. Green Frog Connect were appointed to act as the ICP for grid connections and as EPC for the construction of the six gas peaking power plants as part of AMP Clean Energy’s Urban Reserve project.

We faced a challenge in that all of the sites were located on brownfield industrial estates. Using our expertise we saved space and ensured that all sites were built to the highest safety standard whilst accommodating multiple activities. The first project began in late 2020 with each following mobilisation taking place on a weekly basis. The first site became fully energised in March 2021.

All six sites were up and running simultaneously and throughout the project Green Frog Connect demonstrated the depth and flexibility of our construction teams to ensure that AMP Clean Energy was confident in our delivery promises.

Our initial appointment was to undertake the contestable design and place orders for long lead time equipment. The client’s gas engines and HV switch room had already been ordered which helped to reduce construction activities to 20 weeks per project. We had full responsibility for the contestable works, site civil construction, the electrical balance of plant installation and co-ordination of the full site commissioning through to client handover.

Green Frog Connect managed to maintain momentum across the project and ensured all sites were connected on time and within the budget set by the client. We worked closely with the client’s Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), co-ordinating all activity with the Distribution Network Operator to ensure that the client’s route to market was achieved at the earliest opportunity.

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Location: Preston, Lancashire
Capacity: 90MW
Services: ICP, Principal Contractor, EPC, design, civil works, traffic management

Project details

With the cable route from outside the business park to the substation at over 1km long, and being the main feeder to the M6, the local highways team deemed this a highly traffic sensitive network and a critical emergency route in the event of any motorway congestion. Detailed discussions with local highways and businesses were required to ensure that traffic flow was maintained with any potential disruption minimised.

At the same time, and adjacent to the Gas Plant being constructed by Green Frog Connect, a 50MW Battery Energy Storage Plant was in development. In collaboration with this site, Green Frog Connect extended their contract to facilitate the off-site cable route for both developments which subsequently consisted of 4No 33kV circuits and corresponding pilot circuits. Working to extremely challenging timescales, an intricate program and complex traffic management plan was devised and agreed with all stakeholders. By operating continuous shift patterns, a 30% program improvement was achieved, enabling the successful energisation of the BESS site ahead of the Winter Triad trading period and ensuring essential balancing services to the National Grid during high usage periods, mitigating potential power outages.

On site as the Principal Contractor, Green Frog Connect provided full turnkey services for this gas project. Our scope of work included the design and construction of the balance of plant, including switchgear, transformers, power and control cabling for the client’s SCADA
system, security control systems and auxiliary power supplies, along with the design and construction of the civil works including ground works, reinforced concrete structures, fencing and access roads.

Following the successful sign off of the revised G99 commissioning procedure for the site’s 27 GE Jenbacher gas engines, the site was available for the client to trade and meet its Capacity Market obligations.

Our project management resulted in a 30% program improvement for the off-site grid connection cable works ensuring supplies were available ahead of the Winter Triad trading period.

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The UK’s leading independent connection provider, Green Frog Connect has completed our full turnkey offering by launching an Operations and Maintenance service for voltages above 1 kV and up to, and including 132 kV. As a multi-disciplinary principal and main contractor, focused on power generation and energy projects, we support clients across the UK and Ireland and are now able to carry on our client care further into the project lifecycle, maintaining equipment and efficiency right up to project strip out.

“Our independence means we are able to support existing networks, not just those we have constructed and commissioned,” said Richard Shearer, Managing Director. “With an already assembled expert team including DNO trained senior authorised personnel, we have the skill set that will minimise breakdowns, maximise efficiency and increase equipment life. It’s another step forward for us to offer 24-hour support facilities to any site for urgent maintenance, covering all voltages anywhere in the UK.”

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Location: Gateshead
Project length: Three months
Client: M. H. Southern & Company
Services: Independent Connection Provider (ICP)

As an Independent Connection Provider (ICP) we were able to go out to market to negotiate a significant cost saving from the client’s incumbent Distribution Network Operator (DNO) enabling a 25% reduction in grid connection costs.

Project details

Redeveloping and enlarging an existing site provided an opportunity for M. H. Southern to merge their production sites into one facility in Gateshead. With the full project taking less than a year, the move was completed by December 2019, including the relocation of over 4,000m3 of stock. We became involved in the project in June 2019, and finished on site in September 2019, following the installation of an 11kV, 500KVA, substation with a single point, low voltage, 800 amp supply to the sawmill. We collaborated with the client to understand the historical energy usage and proposed an INDO adopted solution, significantly reducing their connection costs., as well as cutting the project timescale from 7 to 3 months.

The site was operational during the build of a new production facility and sawmill, creation of fully covered storage space and the installation of new preservative treatment tanks. We enabled this to happen through the provision of an alternative feed throughout the works.

We’re proud to have contributed to the smooth running of the business throughout the project. Delivering a connection on time and on budget was crucial to the client’s requirements to ensure they could meet customer orders, and we’re pleased to have supported another UK business in achieving their goals.

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Since 2004, Air Liquide has provided bulk gases to the manufacturing, pharmaceutical, food and beverage industries. They recently moved their UK production plant to the Midlands, so their existing manufacturing facility required an increased power supply. Green Frog Connect successfully installed a new 20MW 132kV connection, enabling the business-critical factory upgrade to go ahead.

Location: Birmingham
Client: Air Liquide
Services: ICP, Engineering, Procurement, and Construction services, Customer balance of plant construction and commissioning.

Project details

Bounded tightly by a railway line, existing on-site industrial operations and a working car park, the site for our latest HV installation presented our project team with some interesting challenges. From contract award successful energisation was achieved within the targeted twelve months program.

Once work began on site, several unexpected and unmarked and significant Victorian culverts were discovered running beneath the planned cable route and throughout the client’s site which created additional design challenges. Local network fault levels also presented the opportunity for an innovative earth design solution to mitigate against any resultant imported Hot Zone contours across the adjacent Network Rail track. Our technological approach prevented what would otherwise traditionally have required a disruptive redesign of the client’s site and a significant impact on the overall project delivery.

Throughout the project it was vital that existing production services were able to continue as normal. Our team led the complex logistics required to ensure our client experienced no operational impact from our works. We liaised with all other parties working across the clients site build to ensure all works dovetailed seamlessly with each other to ensure completion ahead of the client’s scheduled on-site plant commissioning.

We’re delighted to have played a central part in delivering this 132kV connection which enabled the upgrade of their manufacturing facility.

Click here to watch the site develop on Youtube.

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Click here to watch the site develop on Youtube.

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Helvellyn will own and operate the new network, constructed by independent connection provider Green Frog Connect at a new plant in Leeds.

Stewart Dawson, the managing director of Vattenfall Networks, said: “The first of anything is always precious so we are of course delighted to partner with Helvellyn and own and operate the new electricity network at its Leeds plant.

“We believe our competence and experience brings customers, such as Helvellyn, peace of mind to get on with their business. Our new team will be focused on delivering the right solution with Green Frog Connect, Helvellyn’s independent connection provider.”

Tom Drake from Green Frog Connect, added: “We’re delighted to have been appointed as the ICP for this project. It’s a first of it’s kind for both Helvellyn – their first alternative fuel production plant in the UK, and for Vattenfall – their first IDNO network in the UK, so we’re looking forward to bringing Green Frog Connect’s experience to the project.”

The scale of the independent distribution network sector has grown considerably since energy regulator Ofgem opened the market for connection and operations more than ten-years ago. Last year the market grew by 26%, from 600,000 to over 750,000 connections.

Helvellyn’s processing plant will see a new 11kV connection, with an import capacity of 5 mega volt amps. The design produced by Green Frog Connect will be adopted by Vattenfall Networks once the connection becomes live.

The post Supporting the UK’s newest independent electricity network provider appeared first on Green Frog Connect.

You can find more details on the project here.

Click here to watch the site develop on Youtube.

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Location: Swansea West
Capacity: 40MW
Project length: Seven months
Client: Green Frog Power

Key client benefits

• We designed and negotiated a simplified connection arrangement which saved the client in excess of £500k compared to their original arrangement.
• We diverted a private overhead line that was originally routed through the site and managed all outages to ensure that the businesses being fed did not lose supply.
• A shared electricity and gas trench for the off-site connections was coordinated to minimise costs and reduce the amount of disruption to the local community.

Time-lapse of site build

Click here to watch the site develop on Youtube.

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Location: Nottingham
Capacity: 40MW
Project length: Two phases, each comprising seven months
Client: Viridis 178 Ltd

Key client benefits

• We completed the highest risk element of the project – a dual directional drill under the A52 in central Nottingham for the electricity connection – on time and under budget. The A52 is critical national infrastructure operated by Highways England. Whilst installing the duct for Phase A, the opportunity was taken to install a second duct for Phase B, despite it being a speculative development at the time, saving the client more than £100,000 on Phase B.
• The project completed on time, ahead of the winter period, allowing the client to earn valuable income during times of high electricity demand and to provide support to the local and national electricity networks.
• Project completed under budget.

Project details

The project was constructed in two phases, each taking seven months. Phase A (20MW) and Phase B (20MW) each have their own 33kV connection to Western Power Distribution, as well as their own connection to the local Intermediate Pressure (IP) gas network. Our services comprised:

• The design and construction of the electricity grid connection contestable works. Two 20MW tee-off connections to the WPD distribution network.
• The design and construction of the balance of plant, including switchgear, transformers, power cabling systems, SCADA/control system, the auxiliary power system and a security system.
• The design and construction of the civil works including ground works, reinforced concrete structures, fencing and access roads.

The installation and commissioning of the 27 GE Jenbacher Generator Sets, and the gas connections, were undertaken by Green Frog Genovate and Green Frog Gas Utilities respectively. Green Frog Trading now dispatch the plant to ensure Capacity Market events are met, and also operates on the open market providing power at times when renewable generation is low, and/or when demand is high.

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