As one of National Grid’s key suppliers in its infrastructure development programme, ABB is currently helping to trial a more collaborative way of working - Joint Activity Solutions, or JAS for short. National Grid network design manager Andy Stevenson explains how this new initiative is helping to deliver the optimum, cost-effective solution for major substation projects
Over the next five years, National Grid is planning a huge increase in investment in network infrastructure. Inevitably, this programme will make even greater demands on the service, support and technical capabilities of key suppliers such as ABB. So we are exploring a new collaborative approach to project definition and delivery - our Joint Activity Solutions (JAS) initiative.
Traditionally, National Grid has issued contracts on the basis of competitive tenders against a predefined design concept. However, we felt that this does not always give us the best value from our suppliers and a new approach was needed - one that enabled suppliers to become involved in projects much earlier in their development.
The result was the JAS initiative, a framework for a completely open team-based relationship between National Grid and its main substation project partners (including ABB, Areva, Siemens and VA Tech) that enables them to take a full role in the initial design work, costing and solution selection processes.
When we select a supplier for a specific JAS project, we ensure that they are fully briefed to work as an integral part of our own project team. The aim is to create a seamless National Grid - supplier interface, so that the team can bring all its combined knowledge, experience and technical innovation to bear to develop the optimum lifetime solution. By taking more time and spending more money at this stage, we believe that we are actually removing risk and cost from the delivery phase, where the big money is spent (and sometimes lost!). There is even some possibility that the project timescale might be shortened, although the major emphasis is on achieving a safe, efficient, cost-effective and smooth-running project with a predictable outcome.
During the definition stage, the supplier is contracted for that part of the project on a ‘cost-plus’ basis. Once the appropriate solution has been developed, costed, agreed and sanctioned, it then passes into the delivery stage, during which more detailed development work will be carried out, the contract for the delivery phase of the project let and construction carried out.
The requirement of the JAS initiative for a new level of openness between National Grid and its suppliers poses some major cultural challenges for both parties. For example, during the option selection phase, we ask the supplier to put budget prices on the table to enable comparison of different solutions. This requires a degree of trust that the prices are not set in stone before the chosen option is worked up in more detail.
JAS PILOT AT STALYBRIDGE SUBSTATION
The ABB pilot for the JAS initiative is the replacement of Stalybridge 275kV substation. This 11-bay Air Insulated Switchgear (AIS) substation in Greater Manchester, originally constructed between 1957 and 1961, is in need of substantial works as the existing circuit breakers are almost life-expired while the concrete infrastructure is reaching the end of its useful life.
Instead of following the traditional design, tender and approval, a core National Grid - ABB team was established at an early stage of the project to work together in carrying out a detailed analysis of the available options. The team is evaluating two main options for replacement of the substation which are:
- Using AIS equipment - demolishing and replacing the substation on the existing equipment footprint.
- Using Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) - constructing a compact indoor GIS substation adjacent to the existing equipment.
The JAS team was asked to review any potential network reinforcements that could be achieved at Stalybridge. This generated a number of options for the adjacent 400kV substation and ABB has costed, for sanction, a single 400kV circuit breaker arrangement involving additional extensive reconfiguration and rationalisation of overhead lines around the site.
We have found that ABB is extending a similar approach to its own key suppliers for the Stalybridge project, broadening the expertise and knowledge base available for consideration when assessing the best option to be taken forward within the JAS process.