Custom Transportable Buildings (CTB), along with alliance partner Alstom Grid have been commissioned to design, build and install 11 state of the art electrical switchrooms and substations for the Gorgon Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Project on Barrow Island. This project further instils the exemplary reputation of CTB as a world leader when it comes to the engineering, design and manufacture of transportable buildings.

The Gorgon Project is one of the world’s largest natural gas projects.It will produce 15 million tonnes of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) per year for an international market and have the capacity to provide 300 terajoulesof gas per day to Western Australia. CTB is proud to have an excellent working relationship with Alstom Grid, Schneider Electric and Kellogg Joint Venture Gorgon (KJVG) and to be involved in Australia’s largest single resource project that will provide a cleaner energy for the next 40 years.

All 11 of CTB’s buildings for the Gorgon Project are designed, engineered and manufactured to comfortably exist in category 5 cyclonic area as well as handle relevant earthquake loads. They all have floor deflections parameters of no more than 1mm within any one meter in any direction to protect the electrical equipment housed within the rooms. To accommodate the customer’s requirements and meet strict guidelines regarding the category 5 cyclones CTB had roll formers manufactured specifically for the project to rollform the cladding to be produced from 1.2mm thick  sheet to ensure the prevention of airborne projectile penetration during a cyclone. Effectively this means that CTB’s Electrical Switchrooms and Substations can be hit directly by a category 5 cyclone and the building including the equipment inside will continue to operate ensuring production is maintained and the safety of both equipment and personnel within is assured.

CTB hold their customer’s requirements in the absolute highest regard and as their name suggests every job is ‘Custom’ designed and based around these requirements. Standard Procedures include Quality Assurance of all incoming steel including dimensional checks, constant Quality Assurance checks throughout the fabrication process, material traceability, personnel traceability, Document and Quality Control, factory acceptance testing and client hand over, ITP’s with client sign off and extensive MDR’s on all projects.

The first of the buildings due for delivery in March, 2013 is B8300. Designed to house Alstoms 132kV Gas Insulated Switch Gear the building is 46m long, 9m wide, 7.5m tall and weighs 300 tonne. This building will be delivered as a single module and features an overhead travelling crane within the structure.

Also due for delivery in March, 2013 is B8309. The longest of the 11 buildings, B8309 measures in at 55.5m long, 7.7m wide, 4.6m tall and weighs approximately 220 tonne.

The final building for the contract is currently under construction at CTB’s Kooragang Island facility in conjunction with Schneider Electric. B8308 a two storey Electrical Switchroom, measuring 37m long, 10m wide, 12m high and weighing approximately 450 tonne. The building features four specially designed, removable roof hatches to allow for the possible extraction of Electric Power Control Units for maintenance or replacement.

Once the buildings are ready for dispatch they will be picked up by a Self-Propelled Motor Transporter (SPMT) moved across the yard and onto a barge at CTB’s yard which is on the North arm of the Hunter River which feeds into the port of Newcastle. They will then be transported to Mayfield Number Four Dock in Newcastle where a water to water transfer will be undertaken from the barge onto the ship ‘Rolldock Sun’. CTB are then responsible for sea fastening the buildings into the ship for DB Shenker and readying them for the 6 day northbound voyage to Barrow Island. This will be the first time CTB has attempted a move of this magnitude and diversity, therefore they have enlisted the expertise of local companies Megalift (Lampson), BCTQ (Marine Design, Architecture and Engineering Services) and Paul Clarke and associates (Structural Engineering) to ensure the move is carried out safely and without incident.

CTB is confident that their reputation for the strictest quality control measures was paramount in securing the contract for the Gorgon Project. Barrow Island is a Class A Nature Reserve meaning that strict quarantine measures are imperative for maintaining the natural ecosystem. At CTB’s site In preparation for the project a Quarantine Management Plan was developed for the site. This included the removal of all feral animals and pests on the site as well as the eradication of all noxious and non-native weeds and plants.

Prior to the project commencing all rafters and purlins within the factory were vacuumed and cleaned then fumigation took place and the site since then has been audited to ensure there was nor is any chance of contamination of the buildings bound for Barrow Island. Weekly monitoring of pest and rodent baits in the workshop and yard are ongoing and audits including documentation are carried out and presented to the customer for their assessment.

Prior to dispatch all buildings are required to be fumigated, pest baits are placed within and they are Double Layer Plastic Shrink Wrapped to avoid contamination of any kind.

At all times CTB has maintained an excellent working relationship with their alliance partner Alstom Grid this relationship and the investment from Chevron Oil in the Gorgon Project has created an additional 80 positions at the Kooragang Island Facility. These additional positions range from carpenters, boiler makers and electricians to Engineers, Drafts people and Quality Control and Traceability personnel all of which have been integral to the project’s success.

Due to the impressive nature of the project and CTB’s commitment to the customer’s satisfaction CTB were commissioned to supply two additional buildings outside of the original order (for nine buildings), one for Schneider Electric and one direct for the principal Kellogg Joint Venture Gorgon (KJVG).

CTB also would like to thank Chevron for their investment in the futures of Australians and the opportunity for CTB to be involved with such an outstanding project.

For more information on Custom Transportable Buildings involvement in the Gorgon Project please call Projects Manager on (02) 4928 2211