Constructing an Efficient System for a Leading Abrasives Manufacturer

A/Z Corporation

Headquartered in Worcester, Massachusetts, Saint-Gobain Abrasives (SGA) is the world’s leading manufacturer of abrasives. The facility consists of three plants. In recent years, SGA has been working to modernize those plants, where roughly 1,200 team members work to produce superabrasive materials and bonded products like grinding wheels.

As part of the ongoing renovations, SGA awarded A/Z as the design-build partner to replace the existing central steam plant with a new combined cooling, heating, and power system (CCHP). A/Z completed the design services, construction management, and self-performed the civil/ structural/architectural, mechanical, fabrication/insulation, electrical, and telecom scopes of work.

The new system includes a natural gas-fired turbine generator, and a supplemental natural gas-fired heat recovery steam generation (HRSG), enabling it to generate electricity and steam to power the SGA Abrasives Plant. The turbine has a net electrical capacity of 4,600 kW at 13.8 kV.

The CCHP was designed to supply the maximum energy load of the production plant while minimizing purchased power. It also supplies SGA with cleaner, more reliable, and more efficient power and steam for the facility. The team also grid-connected the CCHP to allow for energy export during periods of lowered plant demand but will have the capability to ‘island’ the facility as needed. In addition, a standby generator provides auxiliary startup power allowing the plant to operate with no connection to the utility grid.

“Throughout the project, one of our biggest challenges was supply issues,” says Jason Brown, Project Manager. “However, where it was a design-build, we were able to seek alternatives, which allowed us to keep moving forward. We got it done, and there was a lot of collaboration, which was necessary to see this job through.”