Recently, Transportation Partners and Logistics was awarded a major project from PacifiCorp involving the installation of 19 wind turbines in Rock River, Wyoming.
It’s a huge project, and it comes on the heels of an adjacent project TP&L is working on from PacifiCorp – the Foote Creek North project, in McFadden Wyoming.
After winning the bid for the Foote Creek North project, and proving themselves to be safe, efficient, and dependable, TP&L won the bid for this project as well, beating out multiple other firms.
“From my understanding, we were awarded Foote Creek North, which happened before I joined the company,” said Nate Evans, the Senior Estimator of this project for TP&L. “And then, we got the opportunity to bid on this project that is adjacent to it. We did have the advantage of familiarity with PacifiCorp – already being here and working next door.”
Evans stated that it wasn’t just the familiarity with PacifiCorp that won them the bid, however.
“There is that familiarity,” he stated. “But we’re also one of the only contractors that can offer a true turnkey solution to these sites. We can do the BOP construction, but we can also store the components and deliver them to the site, and I don’t think a lot of other firms can offer all of that, under the same umbrella.”
That’s been one of the biggest benefits of TP&L, Global Specialized Services, RENEW Energy, and Airway Services all coming together under the TAKKION banner – the collaboration between the companies offers a start-to-finish project line, resulting in easier, and more cost-effective solutions for clients. This project is a perfect example of that, as is the Foote Creek project.
Previously, TP&L began working on the Foote Creek project in the summer of 2022, splitting the roads and foundations. This summer, they will complete the erection portion and mechanical completion. Likewise, TP&L is splitting up this project as well.
“It’s a split schedule,” Evans stated. “Meaning, a portion of the scope will be complete in 2023 and the remaining portion is going to be complete in 2024. This year, we will do the MV collection system and Civil scope. Civil consists of Cut and Fill, foundations, site survey, SWPPP (StormWater Pollution Prevention Plan), access roads, crane pads and laydown areas. Next year, we will perform the Mechanical and Electrical scopes, Offload, Erection of the towers, the tower wiring and the mechanical completion or MCC.”
Like the Foote Creek project, because of Wyoming’s notorious elements – rain, snow and, especially, wind – TP&L will perform the majority of the work in the summer.
Evans, himself, has been pivotal to this project, since before it even started, though he would never say so himself.
“I’ve played a little bit of a dual role with this project,” he stated. “I was here for the reverse auction, just before the award. That was right when I came on board with the company and then I took that and ultimately built the project budget. We have a rather complicated estimating software, which allowed me to reverse engineer our bid and build a detailed project budget. I’ve also set up the tracking portion of that, we track against the budget in real time out in the field. That not only helps us stay on budget, but gives data-driven historical information for future estimates. I’ve also helped with the procurement of the Medium Voltage Cable for the collection system.”
Evans also helped hire a subcontractor for a different portion of the project. While relatively new to TP&L, Evans has proven himself, already, to be indispensable.
Evans was quick to note that, out of all the different aspects of this project, as with any project, safety is the most important of all.
“It’s essential,” he stated. “From the first time we hear about a project and start looking at it, it’s one of the very first things that we talk about. It’s ‘What does the safety element look like? What are the requirements, not only for the management onsite, but the safety materials, and the PPE, and the crew safety?’ We’re figuring out how many crews and how many hours and such that they’re going to work, trying to make sure that the guys aren’t too fatigued. We don’t want to work people to the point that could cause something bad to happen.”
In fact, this project alone will employ between 70 to 75 people, including technicians, drivers, managers, and more. It’s a big project, and it’s one that the entire TP&L team is proud to have won.
“I’m proud to see our company be able to take this on,” Evans said. “I think, especially for a division in its infancy, so to speak, this is a pretty big undertaking. I’m proud that we’re at that point and that we have an exceptionally talented team, and we have the competency and the people to do this. From the start of this division, taking on a project this size happened at a rather rapid pace. I’m proud of the team, our progression, and that we continue to attract the talent necessary to build these projects”.
