Project Info
- Construction Date: October 2021
- Location: Baltimore, MD
- Category: District Heating
Project Details
In October of 2021, TST was contracted by Vicinity Energy to measure, design, fabricate and install custom-made Removable Insulation Covers (RICs) for all steam piping and fittings in five (5) steam distribution manholes in the City of Baltimore. We are proud to say that we have been providing Vicinity Energy (formerly Trigen Energy, JCI & Veolia Energy)with custom-made RICs in their manholes for nearly 25 years.
More Project Details
TST’s turnkey service for this project consisted of measurement, design, fabrication and installation. All measurement of bare piping and the installation of RICs was carried out while the steam piping remained in service which results in a hot, rigorous work environment. Our experienced team of field technicians is confined space trained and will only enter a manhole after the client’s support team conducts gas detection and sets up safe and cool ventilation measures. Once the measurement phase was completed, the RICs were designed and fabricated over a 3-4 week period. TST then returned to the site to install the custom RICs with full support from Vicinity Energy’s distribution maintenance team. Wearing proper PPE and using confined space entry equipment allowed our field technicians to work safely and efficiently at all times. As we do on all Vicinity projects, TST fabricated it’s 2110PYRO RICs with a 13.5 oz. PTFE (Teflon®) outer jacketing and a hydrophobic Pyrogel® XTE core insulation. Pyrogel ® XTE insulation is highly recommended for use inside removable insulation blankets that are fabricated for pipe and fittings in flood-prone manholes, pits, vaults, tunnels and other confined spaces.
After more than 12 years of installing these waterproof insulation blankets for customers like Vicinity, we now believe that XTE’s hydrophobic characteristics are unmatched in the insulation industry. Aside from its ability to resist water, the insulation is thinner and lighter than all other conventional insulations making removal and replacement of our RIC-2110PYRO insulation blankets much easier and safer for Vicinity personnel.
On behalf of myself (Toby Leach, VP Business Development) and others here at PCS|TST, I would like to thank and recognize the efforts of Darron Landry and Chad Ronkartz of ACS. Darron and Chad have personally measured and installed tens of thousands of insulation blankets for us over the last two decades and they are both instrumental in managing and coordinating the measurement and installation efforts on most of TST’s RIC projects throughout the U.S.. They are a very reliable partner and they get the job done right every time. Vicinity Energy’s district energy network serves the central business district and Harbor East in Baltimore by delivering 99.99% reliable steam, hot water and chilled water to over 250 customer buildings. Over 50% of the steam delivered to Baltimore customers is green steam—steam generated through zero carbon, non-fossil fuel-based renewables— resulting in reductions in greenhouse gas emissions annually. In addition to reducing the city’s carbon footprint, individual buildings do not require onsite boilers or chillers which frees up space for building amenities, eliminating the risk of onsite combustion, and reducing upfront capital and ongoing O&M costs. As of 2022, Vicinity currently owns and operates over 28 miles of underground distribution piping in Baltimore City.
