PacifiCorp
Wyoming
Engineering & Design
Right-of-Way Acquisition
Environmental Planning, Permitting & Management
Material Procurement & Management
Safety Management
Quality Management
Project Controls & Scheduling
The Gateway West Transmission Line Project is part of PacifiCorp’s $3.5 billion Energy Vision 2020 plan to add more than 1,000 MW of wind generation and upgrade existing wind generation facilities in Wyoming.
The project consisted of 145 miles of 500kV lattice tower construction and 5 miles of 345kV steel pole construction, 50 miles of 230kV and 4 substation upgrades.
QISG procured all the material internally, which included international vendors from Turkey, Bahrain, and Mexico, as well as domestic suppliers. Material procurement and management in the field was a critical step in ensuring the right material was onsite at the right time to support the construction operations, which were conducted in a non-linear fashion from start to finish on the project. Ultimately over 21.8 million pounds of steel, roughly 7 million feet of conductor, 33 steel H-frames, and three pole dead-ends were successfully procured and delivered ahead of construction to the yard in Wamsutter, Wyoming.
Safety, construction coordination and environmental management were high priorities during the execution of the project. Construction crews had to work in a non-linear fashion that were dictated by biological and seasonal restrictions. QISG coordinated with two Bureau of Land Management (BLM) offices in Rawlins and Rock Springs to process variance requests which allowed construction to progress. Our strategic partner HDR provided environmental management and onsite survey support ahead of field construction. At its peak, a total of 450 personnel were on-site to support and construct the project. QISG utilized system for document management, construction tracking, and QA/QC reporting to track production and ensure quality records were being completed and approved accordingly to QISG’s Quality Management Plan. This system was also used to process and track variances, transmittals and RFIs, and distribute updated construction documentation to the field through iPads issued to crew foremen and other field management.
The project is a great success story of the capabilities of QISG. It was was completed on schedule and well under budget, while achieving the highest standard of safety, quality, and environmental performance.
Despite a delayed start due to an extremely long winter and having to overcome challenges associated with the impacts of COVID-19, the project was delivered to PacifiCorp on schedule and on budget.
