The prospect of adding wireless devices to the process automation architecture is a compelling one from the perspective of tangible business benefits and incremental operational improvements. Availability of robust industrial wireless network protocols, such as WirelessHART and ISA100.11a, for use with IEEE standard technology makes the prospect even more attractive relative to past proprietary, often standalone wireless implementations. This potential is somewhat offset, however, by competition between these standards that leads customers to fear that wireless is emerging as the next platform for the automation fieldbus wars.

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Technip was awarded by Petrobras a highly technological lump sum contract for the Guara & Lula Nordeste pre-salt field development located in the Santos Basin, offshore Brazil, at a water depth of 2,250 meters.

The contract covers the manufacture of 24 kilometers of 6’’ gas injection flexible lines rated for 552 bars (7,850 pound-force per square inch) design pressure:

- 2 x 200 meters top risers(1) designed with Technip’s innovative Teta-Clip pressure vault technology,

- 4 x 1,400 meters of intermediate and bottom risers,

- 18 kilometers of flowlines(2).

The gas injection lines will be used to re-inject produced gas into the reservoir to respect new Brazilian environmental regulation.  Frédéric Delormel, Technip Executive Vice President and COO Subsea, stated: “This very innovative solution developed by our French & Brazilian R&D teams takes Technip further to meet corrosion & fatigue requirements, which increased with pre-salt field developments. Our success in this first pre-salt tender for gas injection flexible risers demonstrates the leading edge position of our Teta-Clip pressure vault technology to meet such high internal pressure and high tension requirements, and comfort us in our investment to build our new flexible plant in Açu, Brazil, which will be capable to manufacture this type of high-end products.”

SNC-Lavalin (TSX: SNC) is pleased to announce that its joint venture with Aecon Industrial has been awarded a major contract by Ontario Power Generation (OPG) to carry out the Definition Phase for the Darlington Retube and Feeder Replacement (RFR) Project.

The overall RFR Project consists of two phases – a Definition Phase from 2012 to 2016 and an Execution Phase from 2016 to 2023. The Definition Phase includes the construction of a full-scale reactor mock-up to simulate key elements of the refurbishment work, and the development, procurement and testing of specialized tooling required for the Project. It further includes the development of a detailed scope, schedule and budget for the Execution Phase, as well as procurement of reactor components for the first unit to be refurbished.

The total value of the Definition Phase is estimated at over $600 million. The value of the Execution Phase will be determined once the Definition Phase is completed.The Execution Phase, which will occur after the OPG Board and the Joint Venture agree to transition from the Definition Phase, will involve the refurbishment of all four reactor cores on a sequential basis using the tools and methods that were developed and tested during the Project’s Definition Phase.

“We are pleased to once again be partnered with Aecon. We have a great history of working together and successfully delivering projects,” said Patrick Lamarre, Executive Vice-President, SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. “This award demonstrates OPG’s confidence in this team and our capabilities in the nuclear industry. The decision by OPG to approach this project in two phases is consistent with SNC-Lavalin’s best practices on project execution for large scale projects. Having an in-depth Definition Phase validates and supports the planning of the Execution Phase.”

While large project orders helped maintain the Medium Voltage AC Drives market size in 2009, it also resulted in low growth in 2010 compared to other automation product markets. However, 2010 was still not a disappointing year for the medium voltage AC drives market. The market is expected to experience higher growth in 2011 compared to sluggish growth in 2010, according to a new ARC Advisory Group study.

Medium Voltage AC Drives BusinessThe impact of the extraordinary amount of policy stimulus in 2009 bode well for the high power AC drives market in 2009 and 2010. Monetary policy had been highly expansionary, with interest rates down to record lows in most advanced and in many emerging economies. “Growth in power and automation solutions for all regions of the world is expected to continue in 2011 and beyond with increasing market demand for building new and upgrading existing power infrastructure and improving industrial efficiency and productivity,” according to Senior Analyst Himanshu Shah, the principal author of ARC’s “Medium Voltage AC Drives Worldwide Outlook”.