Sulzer Powers Forward With EDF Contract

Sulzer has been awarded a contract for availability (CFA) for the maintenance and continued support of the boiler feed pumps at the Heysham 2 plant near Morecambe by EDF Energy. EDF operates eight nuclear power stations across the UK, which play an important role in an increasingly demanding UK electricity supply market.

The contract for availability concentrates on minimising downtime for the boiler feed pumps, which were manufactured by Sulzer. Applying a preventative maintenance strategy to the equipment reduces the risk of service issues and promotes continued productivity, which is beneficial to both EDF Energy and Sulzer.

Sulzer has an engineer permanently on-site to manage the day-to-day operation of the contract and to work with the site maintenance team, as well as offering expert advice on other pumping assets. In addition, the facility has access to technical support from the Sulzer pump manufacturing facility, which can also mobilise field service engineers at very short notice to assist with any immediate issues outside of the contract.

Sulzer was originally awarded a maintenance contract in 2006 to support the boiler feed pumps. Since then the contract has been reviewed and the scope has been expanded to include additional pumps, replicating the operational improvements that have been delivered so far. The renewed contract was signed in 2016 and is expected to run for the next five years, with a review every 12 months.

“The boiler feed pumps have a direct impact on the amount of energy generated by the power station. Therefore, if the pumps perform to expectation and annual energy output is on target, then there is a benefit for both sides of the partnership,” explains Jerry Wood, power sales manager UK and Ireland for Sulzer.

“The benefit of this contract for the generating plant is reliability. From our perspective, Sulzer maintains a constant presence on-site, ensuring that other influences do not impact on the performance of the boiler feed pumps. At the same time, we uphold the highest standards of health and safety in every aspect of our work, as expected on any work site, but especially in a nuclear power facility.”

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