Customer: Threemile Canyon Farms, LLC
Location: Boardman, Oregon
Customer Requirement: Agricultural
Emergency Prime Power, 6 MW
Scope of Supply: Equipment –
4 x Cat XQ2000 Power Modules
4 x 2,500 kva Transformers
1,300 ft. of 5 kV Cable
6,000 ft. of 4/0 Cable
Services –
Emergency Response
Cat® Rental Power Dealer: The Halton Company Power Division
Portland, Oregon
Power Need
Threemile Canyon Farms was in dire need of emergency prime power when the 5,000v utility feeder supplying the farm’s pumping station lost power.
The pumping station pumps enough water to irrigate 35,000 acres of potato, wheat and mint crops. The loss of utility power could have had an even more devastating effect due to the farm’s remote location along the Columbia River, as well as the area’s hot summer temperatures — at times in excess of 100 F.
"Water is the lifeblood of our crops," explains Farm Manager Jim Brewer. "If our pump station loses power and our crops go without water for more than two days, it’s devastating. Damages can be astronomical."
Total Solutions
As soon as utility power went offline, Brewer took a proactive approach and contacted Halton’s Power Division. The Cat dealer quickly mobilized a team of two technicians, four trucking companies and a tow truck to deliver six MW of power, along with all the necessary cable and transformers to fully power the farm’s pumping station.
It was no small feat, recalls Brewer. "The size of this rental, combined with the quick turnaround (20 hours from phone call to final installation) by The Halton Power Division was very impressive." Also impressive, he notes, was the synchronization of the power modules to provide enough power to start the pumps from a stopped position. Once running, the generators could be taken offline one at a time for routine service, while remaining capable of providing enough power to run the pump station.
Results
The Halton Power Division provided an on-call technician throughout the five-week rental. A Threemile Canyon Farms technician was also on site monitoring the system and fuel supply. "If we had questions or concerns, we called The Halton Power Division immediately," says Brewer. "The on-call Cat technician was here within a few hours."
The quick response by the Cat dealer allowed the crops at Threemile Canyon Farms to receive the water they needed to thrive. The pump station was also able to resume and maintain maximum operation throughout the rental.
"The Halton Power Division supplied us with the power we needed very quickly," notes Brewer. "I would certainly rely on them for emergency power in the future."
