Burns & McDonnell completes Quenett Creek substation construction

US-based engineering, architecture and construction firm Burns & McDonnell has completed the construction of the new 230kV electrical substation in Oregon.

Completion of the Quenett Creek substation will enable Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to meet the growing demand for electricity in the east of Portland, Oregon, as well as in several other areas.

Located near the Columbia River in Oregon, Quenett Creek greenfield project is expected to increase electricity access to rural and growing communities along and near the Oregon-Washington border.

The communities include The Dalles, Cascade Locks and Tygh Valley in Oregon, along with Dallesport, Goldendale, Lyle and others in southern Washington.

BPA is a non-profit federal power marketer, which sells wholesale electricity from 31 federal dams and one nuclear plant to 142 Northwest electric utilities.

The power is distributed to consumers and businesses across the Western States of the US, including Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

Burns & McDonnell Denver, Colorado, and Portland, Oregon senior vice-president and general manager Mark Lichtwardt said: “We were honoured to join forces with the BPA and our subcontractors to deliver a reliable energy system that will power businesses and homes within the community for years to come.

“From the early design phases to the final construction stages, the team worked around the clock to deliver a successful project on time and under budget, optimising BPA’s electrical infrastructure system.”

Burns & McDonnell commenced work on the project in January 2018. It partnered with BPA, Henkels & McCoy, Cougar Construction and K&E Excavating to provide engineer-procure-construct (EPC) services and a new customer-owned data centre.

Additionally, Burns & McDonnell also upgraded Big Eddy substation near Columbia View Heights and the Chenoweth substation near Chenoweth Creek to interconnect with the grid.