| Work is nearing completion on a $300-million power generating plant expected to be in operation by early 2000 in Batesville, Mississippi. LS Power LLC of East Brunswick, New Jersey, leads the LSP Energy Limited Partnership that owns the project.
The facility is an 837-megawatt, natural-gas-fired, combined-cycle plant. It will provide electricity through the Tennessee Valley Authority and Entergy Power Grids. LS Power is an independent producer that develops, finances, owns, and manages non-utility power projects. The Batesville plant will sit on 20 acres of a 60-acre site. The Fairhope, Alabama, office of Kansas City-based Garney Companies was the general contractor for the water supply and wastewater pipelines serving the new facility. AMERICAN provided 13.3 miles of 24-inch Fastite® pipe, 1,240 feet of 24-inch Flex-Ring®, and a number of 24-inch fittings for the main process water supply line. The pipelines were built on a "fast-track" basis and took only five months to complete. Garney overcame several challenges to complete the design/build job within the tight schedule. Numerous regulatory agencies, property owners, and design challenges contributed to the complexity of the project, according to Garney Project Manager Mike Heitmann. "A tremendous amount of coordination between Garney and AMERICAN was necessary to make this happen," Heitmann said. "AMERICAN's service was excellent as usual." Water for the facility comes from Lake Enid, about 13 miles south of Batesville. The pipeline path traversed a U.S. Corps of Engineers channel, two major creeks, a bluff that included a 55-foot vertical drop, and numerous roads, including Interstate 55. "AMERICAN pipe and fittings are especially ideal for a water supply line such as this one," Heitmann said. "We had to install the pipe in a lot of different conditions over a wide area and in a short amount of time. The Fastite® and Flex-Ring® joints were both very easy to assemble, so no time was wasted during the pipe installation. "The strength and durability of the pipe was a major plus during the construction process, and now its longevity will be a major plus for the owner. It was the perfect pipe for this situation." Youral Winegeart, project superintendent for Garney, notes that the water supply line included the installation of 3,640 pipe joints. Tested at 250 psi for two hours, there was less than one pound of pressure drop. "I think that is a strong statement about the integrity of the piping material as well as the performance of the contractor," Winegeart said. The Batesville plant is the fifth project for LS Power, now in its ninth year. The company also has developed plants in Cottage Grove, Minnesota; Whitewater, Wisconsin; Denver City, Texas; and Lockport, New York. |
The pipeline path for the Power Generation Facility in Batesville traversed a U.S. Corps of Engineers channel, two major creeks, a bluff that included a 55-foot vertical drop, and numerous roads, including Interstate 55.
Laid out and ready for installation as far as the eye can see... More than 13 miles of AMERICAN pipe were used for the Batesville project. LS Power LLC of East Brunswick, New Jersey, leads the LSP Energy Limited Partnership that owns the project. PHOTOS BY
Garney Companies' Batesville work required the installation of some 3,640 pipe joints along a 72,000-foot ductile iron pipe waterline. Tested for two hours at 250 psi, the pressure drop was less than a pound. "I think that is a strong statement about the integrity of the piping material as well as the performance of the contractor," Garney's Youral Winegeart said. PHOTO BY |
| Owner: | LSP Energy Limited Partnership, Batesville, Mississippi |
| Project: | Water Supply Pipeline -- Power Generation Facility, Batesville, Mississippi |
| Design/Build Contractor: | Garney Companies' Fairhope, Alabama, Office |
| Material: | 71,565 feet of 24-inch Fastite®, 1,240 feet of 24-inch Flex-Ring® and 42,000 pounds of 24-inch fittings |
| Sales Representative: | Jim Watterson, James Ballintine |
| Customer Service Representative: | April Cox |
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