Emerson Wins Contract to Replace Outdated Operator Stations with Ovation® System at Barking Power in the UK


Emerson's Ovation system provides migration path from existing ABB Bailey DCS system, enabling freedom of choice for future automation upgrade

PITTSBURGH (February 25, 2009) - Emerson Process Management has been selected to replace outdated operator interface stations at the Barking Power generating facility in London, UK. Barking Power Station is one of the largest, independently-owned generating plants in the UK, capable of generating 1000MW of electricity - about 2% of the peak electricity demand in England and Wales. The station was constructed between 1992 and 1995 and was the first major generating station in the capital for many years.

Under the contract, Emerson will replace the ABB Bailey Operator Interface Stations that are connected to the existing Bailey INFI 90 system. The Ovation® expert control system will interface directly or via OPC to the existing proprietary controllers and other third-party products. This will provide Barking Power with freedom of choice for future automation upgrades as they will be able to easily integrate other systems and software, enabling tighter control and improved reliability, availability and efficiency.

Emerson will supply an Ovation system with operator workstations and data historian software, as well as perform installation and commissioning services, including graphics and database conversions. The contract also includes Emerson's SureService® customer support. SureService is a program that offers an array of support services designed to help companies achieve their business objectives, reduce or contain operating and maintenance costs, and keep systems running at peak performance.

Emerson's Ovation migration for Bailey systems program offers power generators a flexible and cost-effective alternative to traditional control system replacement. It uses the latest hardware and software to bridge communications between the Ovation expert control system and Bailey Command Series, Network 90 or INFI 90 systems, allowing Bailey users to take advantage of the latest control technology without the initial cost of a full control system replacement.

Ovation's best-in-class technology will provide significant benefits to Barking Power, enabling it to take advantage of FOUNDATION(TM) fieldbus, HART® and other digital bus technologies that are used in Emerson's PlantWeb® digital architecture.

This upgrade path allows parallel operation with no shutdown and offers fully-featured interoperation between the Ovation workstations and the Bailey controllers as well as alignment with other plant IT infrastructures for flexible control monitoring functions. This solution is completely customizable to match plant architecture and needs, giving Barking Power a flexible solution for its aging Bailey technology.

"Following a series of meetings and site visits, Emerson demonstrated its technology leadership, vast experience and excellent service and support," said Ian MacDonald, Senior CS/IT Engineer, Barking Power. "We are confident that Emerson's experience at carrying out this type of project, including their graphics and database conversion tools, will speed the implementation of the upgrade and provide many operational benefits not just for this project but for the future too."

"Emerson has helped power generators all over the world modernize their existing units," said Bob Yeager, president of the Power & Water Solutions division of Emerson. "After upgrading to our leading-edge Ovation technology, other Emerson customers have experienced improvements in availability, reliability and efficiency that come from operating a highly automated plant. We expect Barking Power to experience these same operational advantages."

Emerson's Ovation system is designed specifically for the power industry and has been proven in thousands of installations throughout the world. Ovation, a key component of Emerson's PlantWeb digital plant architecture, uses commercially available hardware platforms, operating systems and network architectures, and boasts a number of industry-leading advanced technologies.

About Emerson Process Management

Emerson Process Management (www.EmersonProcess.com), an Emerson business, is a leader in helping businesses automate their production, processing and distribution in the power, water and wastewater treatment, metals and mining, chemical, oil and gas, refining, pulp and paper, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and other industries. The Emerson Power & Water Solutions division (www.EmersonProcess-powerwater.com) is a global supplier of advanced distributed process control and information systems, a recognised leader in developing plant-wide process control solutions for the power generation, water treatment and wastewater industries. Power & Water Solutions plays a key role in the Emerson mission of combining superior products and technology with industry-specific engineering, consulting, project management and maintenance services. Emerson brands include PlantWeb®, Ovation®, SmartProcessTM, Fisher®, Micro Motion®, Rosemount®, Daniel®, DeltaVTM, and AMS® Suite.

About Emerson

Emerson, based in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, is a global leader in bringing technology and engineering together to create innovative solutions for customers through its network power, process management, industrial automation, climate technologies, and appliance and tools businesses. Sales in fiscal 2008 were $24.8 billion. For more information, visit www.Emerson.com

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