PROJECTS
Project: Project SHOWPLACE (Storing Hydrogen from Offshore Wind Power for Load-Balancing and Carbon Elimination). Member of Collaborative. University of Houston (UH)
Location: USA
Project SHOWPLACE Texas Gulf Coast is an industry-government-public-academia collaborative demonstration project that aims to establish the commercial feasibility of synergies between offshore wind power and hydrogen generation and storage. Key concept elements include re-purposing existing offshore Gulf of Mexico oil and gas platforms and pipelines into green hydrogen hubs. The SHOWPLACE concept envisions installing floating or fixed (to platform) wind turbines to generate electric power that will be connected to the onshore electric grid. Any excess wind power will be utilized to generate freshwater via desalination and hydrogen via freshwater electrolysis. Grid Advisors is a founding member of the SHOWPLACE Collaborative (SPC). Initially, the SPC will advise UH as it refines the concept and develops plans for the engineering design phases for the six modules of the project. SPC will also guide UH in developing proposals for federal and state funding for this and other hydrogen projects (2022-Ongoing).
Project: Advisory Support for the Financing of Power Delivery Projects
Customer: Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
Location: Guyana
Technical assistance to the IDB in relation to the financing of several 69 kV power transmission projects in Guyana. The engagement involves the following activities: (i) review of the design basis of the projects, as prepared by GPL (the Guyana Power & Light) the country’s main electric power utility, (ii) review the indicative cost estimates as prepared and submitted by GPL and advise whether these are in alignment with international EPC contract costs for similar works, (iii) advise on indicative EPC contract timelines based on international experience with similar transmission line construction projects, (iv) provide a general technical assessment of the proposed main construction materials including conductor type, circuit configuration, and pole materials, (v) accompany the IDB team throughout the modification of the operation, analyzing and providing meaningful inputs to all technical studies presented by GPL related to the operation, (vi) identify and value the direct and indirect economic benefits of the projects, (vii) calculate the Net Present Value and Internal Rate of Return for this new project, and (viii) perform sensitivity analysis of the results for changes in the most relevant variables (2022-Ongoing).
Project: Gas to Power Feasibility Study
Customer: FortisTCI Limited
Location: Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI)
As part of a team led by K&M Advisors, assisting in the performance of a power system impact study for the incorporation of gas as a generation fuel in the energy matrix of TCI. This involves conducting power system simulation studies and developing Class 5 estimates of the capital expenditures (CapEx) that would be required to feasibly integrate the gas-powered generation to the power network of both the Providenciales and Grand Turk island groups (2022-Ongoing).
Project: Technical Due Diligence Review of the Champlain Hudson Power Express (“CHPE”) HVDC Project
Customer: Confidential
Location: United States
As part of a team led by Lummus Consultants, was engaged by a confidential customer to perform a due diligence review of this 1,250 MW fully buried, high voltage direct current (“HVDC”) power transmission project. The ultimate purpose of the review was to secure financing for the project. We reviewed the project design with a focus on the technical aspects and risks, including but not limited to the basis of design, cost, incentives and penalties/liquidated damages provisions, commissioning and testing procedures, performance requirements, parameters, and availability and other guarantees. Further, reviewed the overall capital cost estimates of the projects and based on comparative analysis (benchmarking), opined on the reasonableness and sufficiency of such estimates. Finally, reviewing the operations and maintenance agreements and other relevant contracts, including the Long-Term Service Agreements (LTSA) and various other agreements with the regional transmission owners and operators (2022-Ongoing).
Project: Development of a Framework for Private Sector Participation in Uganda’s Electricity Transmission
Customer: Government of Uganda (represented by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development)
Location: Uganda
As part of a team led by Castalia Ltd., assisting in the development of an exhaustive framework for private sector participation in the electricity transmission sector in Uganda. The scope of work includes: (1) review of the current legal framework to establish the requirements for implementation of the proposed private sector investments, (2) development of a regulatory framework (technical/operational, legal, economic and financial) that allows for private sector investments in transmission, (3) drafting of relevant agreements, (4) development of a cost –benefit methodology to guide decision making of private participation in the transmission sector of Uganda, (5) assessment and strengthening of the capacity of the relevant sector agencies to regulate and implement the proposed investments under the new regulatory/investment framework, (6) proposal of improvements to be considered to attract private sector investments to the transmission sector, (7) assistance with the identification of candidate projects, and (8) assistance with contract negotiations through identifying options for the obligations on both sides of the contract and determining a preferred approach (2022-Ongoing).
Project: Technical Assistance for Clean Energy Development and Power Sector Governance, Decarbonization, Reliability, Resiliency and Integration in Central America
Customer: U.S. Department of State
Location: Costa Rica
As part of a team led by Deloitte & Touche LLP, providing technical advisory services in the following two tasks: (1) Task 1: Development of an integrated operation center (generation, transmission, distribution), opportunities to incorporate advanced and digital technologies, and best practices of asset performance management technology for preventative maintenance; (2) Task 2: Methodologies and technological tools for planning the expansion and modernization of the electrical transmission and distribution network; (3) Task 3: Leading practices for the operation of hydroelectric power plant management; and (4) Task 4: Costs and benefits of storage options (2022-Ongoing).
Project: Technical Advisory Services. Confidential Energy Storage Project.
Customer: Confidential
Location: United States
Engaged by a confidential customer to provide technical due diligence advisory services in support of the customer’s potential acquisition of an interest in an energy storage project located in Texas, in the United States. The project is a Battery Energy Storage System (“BESS”) nominally rated at 100 MW/2 hr (i.e., 200 MWh) that has been in commercial operation since June of 2021. Performed a high-level independent review of the principal technical aspects and risks of the project. Reviewed documents in a virtual data room as well as relevant data available in the public domain, conducted a limited site visit, assessed the major equipment and condition of the BESS assets, and independently estimated the operating and maintenance costs (“O&M”) and capital expenditures (“CapEx”) on the basis of comparative analysis (i.e., benchmarking). The review was limited primarily to technical issues and the possible impact of those issues on commercial terms and conditions (2022-Ongoing).
Project: Independent Engineer (IE) Services for the Financing of Two Dynamic Reactive Power Compensation Projects
Location: United States
As part of a team led by Lummus Consultants, was engaged by LS Power Grid California to perform a due diligence review of two new STATCOM-based dynamic reactive support projects to be located in the State of California in the USA. The ultimate purpose of the review was to secure financing for the projects. For each project, reviewed the project design and the engineering, procurement, and construction (“EPC”) contract(s) with a focus on the technical aspects and risks, including but not limited to the contract structure, cost, incentives and penalties/liquidated damages provisions, commissioning and testing procedures, performance requirements, parameters, and guarantees. Further, reviewed the warranties under the project contracts as well as the overall capital cost estimates of the projects and based on comparative analysis (benchmarking), opined on the reasonableness and sufficiency of such estimates. Finally, reviewed the operations and maintenance agreements and other relevant contracts, including the various agreements with the regional transmission owners and operators (2021-Ongoing).
Project: Cost-Benefit Analysis of Solar PV Projects (Including Storage)
Customer: Inter-American Development Bank
Location: Guyana
Carrying out a cost-benefit analysis in support of the development of 33 MW of solar PV capacity (including storage) at 10 different locations in three regions of Guyana. The engagement involves the following activities: (i) preliminary design and costing of the specific projects, (ii) determination of expected benefits and impacts, (iii) economic analysis of each of the individual projects and the program as a whole, (iv) sensitivity analysis with respect to the most relevant and impactful variables, (v) design of an ex-post economic evaluation methodology for the operation to be carried out after the execution and conclusion of the program, and (vi) preparation of an Excel model for the performance of the cost-benefit analysis (2021-2022).
Project: Technical Assistance for Electricity Sector Development and Integration
Customer: U.S. Department of State
Location: Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru
As part of a team led by Deloitte & Touche LLP, providing technical advisory services in the following two tasks: (1) Task 1 (Ecuador): providing virtual training and drafting a high-level summary report on run-of-river hydroelectric power and other variable renewable energy (VRE) integration, including wind and solar; and (2) Task 2 (Andean Electrical Interconnection System (SINEA)): drafting a detailed report with the Terms of Reference of a technical study analyzing the impact of the planned Ecuador-Peru 500 kV transmission line on the Peruvian, Colombian, and Ecuadoran national power systems (2021-Ongoing).