Wood Group GTS awarded GE LM6000 controls system contract by Arizona Electric Power Co-Operative

LOVELAND, Colo., Sept. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Arizona Electric Power Co-Operative (AEPCO) has awarded Wood Group GTS a contract to replace a turbine control panel at AEPCO's 615 MW Apache Power Station in Benson, Arizona. The proprietary and aging Mark VI Millennium control panel will be replaced with an open-architecture Rockwell ControlLogix^® platform fitted to a GE LM6000PC dual-fuel enhanced Sprint™ gas turbine.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120426/MM95878LOGO)

Under this turnkey contract, Wood Group GTS is responsible for design, control system equipment, software, site installation, testing and commissioning of the new system.

The Wood Group GTS controls solution will provide enhanced troubleshooting capabilities and simplify personnel training, enabling the Apache Station operators and maintenance personnel to manage the gas turbine and balance of plant more efficiently.

"After we carefully evaluated control system vendors and platforms, we chose Wood Group GTS and their proven ControlLogix platform because of its flexibility, lowest evaluated cost, Rockwell's long product support lifecycle, and for how easily it integrates into the rest of the plant.  Wood Group's solution was clearly the best fit for Apache Station," said Jason Wallace, controls engineer for AEPCO.

"As we build on our proven LM6000 program successes, our open-platform solution continues to provide an easily supported and serviced turbine control system that is flexible enough to adapt to the unique needs of different plant configurations and installations," says Frank Avery of Wood Group GTS. "Our upgrade solutions are designed to improve power plant operational availability and longevity while ensuring a maximum return on their investment."

Note to Editors
Wood Group GTS is a leading independent provider of rotating equipment services and solutions for clients in the power and oil & gas markets. Worldwide, these services include: power plant engineering, procurement and construction; facility operations & maintenance; repair & overhaul, optimisation and upgrades of gas and steam turbines, pumps, compressors and other high-speed rotating equipment. www.woodgroupgts.com

Wood Group is an international energy services company with around $7bn sales, employing around 43,000 people worldwide and operating in 50 countries.  The Group has three businesses – Wood Group Engineering, Wood Group PSN and Wood Group GTS – providing a range of engineering, production support, maintenance management and industrial gas turbine overhaul, repair services to the oil & gas and power generation industries worldwide. www.woodgroup.com

Arizona Electric Power Co-Operative, Inc is a not-for-profit and member-owned generation provider that is part of Arizona's G&T Cooperatives (www.azgt.coop), which provide wholesale electricity generation and transmission services to six member distribution cooperatives in Arizona and California. Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. was founded in 1961 and is based in Benson, Arizona with the Apache Generation Station located east of Benson at Cochise, Arizona.

^® ControlLogix is a registered trademark of Rockwell Automation 
™ Sprint is a trademark of General Electric

SOURCE Wood Group GTS