by Bill Clauss, Fletcher & Associates, Inc.
Everyone knows that oil and water don't mix. The same is true when it comes to an electrical system and water. That's a fact that was driven home with dramatic effect when in September, 1998, Hurricane George swept into Pascagula, Mississippi, inundated Mississippi Phosphate Company and unleashed a surge that no electrical system was designed to withstand.
Mississippi Phosphate, a subsidiary of Mississippi Chemical Company, began operations in Pascagula during the 1950s. Initially built as a mixed fertilizer plant where the necessary nutrients of phosphorous, nitrogen and potassium were merged to create a blended fertilizer, the facility later evolved into a producer of diamonium phosphate (DAP) fertilizers. Mississippi Chemical also maintains facilities in Carlsbad, NM, and Yazoo City, MS, where the other essential nutrients are produced.
In a region familiar with the fury of such massive storm systems, Mississippi Phosphate had implemented an in-plant hurricane task force to maintain an alert preparedness in the eventuality of the next maelstrom.
Bad weather on the horizon
Early on Sunday morning, Sept. 27, Jim Perkins began monitoring weather reports in the area. Another storm was brewing in the Gulf of Mexico. As Mississippi Phosphate's plant manager for the Pascagula facility, it was Perkins' responsibility to determine what conditions warranted the plant's shutdown. Because shutdown of the 24-hour a day, seven day a week operation had to be achieved in stages, this was no small decision.
A day before it hit, weather reports predicted that the storm would land at or near the mouth of the Mississippi River about an hour west of Pascagula. But Jim Perkins, knew well that when it comes to hurricanes, you can't count on anything until the threat had been completely eliminated. True to form, this new storm, named George, changed course over the night and appeared to be bearing down on the eastern coast of the state. It was then that Perkins contacted Mississippi Power to kill all power to the plant and thus, the evacuation and plant shutdown procedures began. All that remained on-site was Perkins and the core group of the plant hurricane task force. But once the winds reached speeds of 50 mph, even this group left.
Due to the duration and direction of the storm, the majority of damage resulted from the 18 inches of rain and an 11-foot storm surge.
Perkins and the advance team were unprepared for what they found upon return. The damage throughout the plant was so wide-spread that, at first, they wondered where they should begin.
The not-so-calm after the storm
The advance team faced nearly five feet of water throughout the facility. Every roof in the facility had sustained damage and insulation was stripped from many pieces of equipment, including the 25,000-gallon atmospheric tank. Every footfall had to be measured lest it land in puddles of crude oil, in seaweed or upon many a poisonous snake that had chosen Mississippi Phosphate as a refuge.
Within the storage building, 50,000 tons of unfinished fertilizer sat in a soupy mess. In the channel rested an ammonia ship unable to unload its raw phosphate. Costs were increasing daily for the company.
Yet, with all the damage that demanded immediate attention, it was the electrical system that screamed loudest. The main sub-station, located at one of the lowest sections in the plant, rested at seven feet above sea level - clearly four feet below the salt water level of the storm surge.
At once, Jim Perkins called Danny Hood at Mississippi Chemical's Yazoo City headquarters. With more than 25 years company experience as an electrical engineer, Hood was the only choice to remedy the power system problem. His suggestion - replace the entire vintage electrical system.
Rumors were erupting within the industry that the electrical catastrophe alone would put the facility out of commission for months. A news release issued by Reuters confirmed the shutdown.
Fearful that he would have to accept the purchase of used electrical gear just to get the company up and running, Hood still pursued the purchase of new equipment on a hunch. Locating the correct used system, he reasoned could take him as long as specifying a new one. His pursuit led to three manufacturers of 4.16kV, 5kV and 15kV switchgear products with one simple request: he needed delivery in two weeks!
A simple solution
After his first two calls, Danny's hopes for electrical salvation were being met with a decided lack of success. Then Hood phoned Dan Bennett, with Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution, and explained his dilemma. Bennett listened carefully and, though he later commented that he saw little likelihood that the Mississippi Phosphate needs could be met, he promised to get back with an answer within 24 hours.
Siemens GM Type Switchgear from its Raleigh, NC, division with standard configuration relays was an excellent choice for the job. More importantly, it certainly could be on-site within the necessary two weeks. Thanks to Siemens, the new switchgear was delivered on time and Mississippi Phosphate was operating again on Oct. 18 - just 21 days after Jim Perkins had killed the power.
Hood enthusiastically admitted that the gear was very similar to what he would have specified if I'd started from scratch. "Today's standardized systems don't worry me at all. In terms of relays, since they are microprocessor based, they can easily be configured or re-configured on installation."
The entire project was completed in September of 1999 - just in time for the next hurricane season. However, when the next George, or Frederick or Elena or Camille bears down - as the eventuality of another hurricane hit is just a matter of time, Mississippi Phosphate, the hurricane task force and its new switchgear, elevated 10 feet off the ground, are prepared to weather the storm!