Replacement of the main 115 kV/13.8 kV substation at a large refinery — Justification, design, and implementation

This paper discusses a large electrical infrastructure project which replaced two main 115 kV switchyards and main 13.8 kV substations at a large petroleum refinery over a period of seven years. It details the project from conceptual development through to construction, commissioning, and cutover of existing loads to the new substations. It highlights the successful efforts the project team took to win support of refinery management and the local electric utility in order to realize the team´s vision for a “world class substation”. The paper will also cover details of the cutover process which was executed safely, incident free, and without refinery plant shutdowns or slowdowns.