Question 1

The challenge

Accepted Answer

A major power plant in West Virginia required a solution to cool discharge water and maintain required discharge temperature limits during operations.

The facility needed to ensure discharged water remained less than 5 °F above the receiving water temperature, which required approximately 7,000 tons of cooling across a 21,000 gallons-per-minute (GPM) header flow to achieve an 8 °F temperature differential. Cooling such a large volume of water presented a significant engineering challenge. The site’s remote mountain location, extreme winter conditions, and limited footprint made traditional solutions impractical. Equipment had to be transported via narrow mountain roads and installed in an environment subject to heavy snow, high winds, and sub-zero temperatures.

The project also required flexibility to adapt to evolving site conditions, including a last-minute relocation of the system footprint by 350 feet, while integrating with the customer’s control systems. Without a viable solution, the plant faced significantly reduced operations or potential shutdown.

Question 2

The solution

Accepted Answer

Aggreko partnered closely with the customer to engineer a complex cooling solution capable of reducing the temperature of discharge water while maintaining plant operations. The system was designed to deliver 7,000 tons of cooling capacity and manage 21,000 GPM of water flow, making it the largest and most complex cooling project Aggreko has deployed to date. The engineered solution included 18 × 410- ton chillers, high-capacity pumps with VFD drives, automated strainers, extensive piping and hose infrastructure, heat tracing for winter operation, compressed air systems, and supporting electrical equipment. Advanced controls were integrated through individual chiller HMI panels and a centralized main HMI interface, allowing operators to monitor temperatures, pressures, and system status while controlling chillers, pumps, and bypass valves through the customer’s DCS system.

Deploying the system required installing tens of thousands of feet of cabling, piping, and heat trace, all configured to operate reliably in harsh winter conditions. Installation took two months, with Aggreko specialists, engineers, technicians, and high-voltage teams working together to design, deploy, and commission the solution.

Aggreko has remained closely involved with the site for nearly four years, continuing to support the operation while refining and optimizing the cooling approach to meet the customer’s evolving requirements.

Question 3

The impact

Accepted Answer

Aggreko’s engineered cooling solution enabled the plant to maintain discharge temperature limits while continuing reliable operations in one of the most demanding environments in the region. The project was delivered on schedule with zero recordable safety incidents, despite extreme weather conditions and logistical challenges associated with the remote location. Most importantly, by successfully cooling the discharge water, Aggreko’s solution helped prevent a potential plant shutdown and extended the facility’s operational life by an estimated 25–30 years.

Through long-term collaboration and continuous engineering support, Aggreko has become a trusted partner in helping the customer sustain operations in a highly challenging environment.

Key facts:

7000 tons of cooling capacity
25-30 years of estimated additional operational life added to the facility

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Preventing a plant shutdown with an engineered cooling solution

Overview

The challenge

The solution

The impact

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