Evergy needed a new 345-kV interconnect switchyard to serve an 800-megawatt (MW) data center customer. Our team provided engineer-procure-construct (EPC) services for the Shale 345-kV Switchyard, helping Evergy meet a demanding power delivery schedule.
The project began with early development of the project and site layout support before moving into a progressive EPC delivery model. Evergy furnished equipment and materials, while our team advanced detailed engineering, construction bid packages, field execution planning, material receiving and construction management.
Close coordination among the engineering, procurement, construction and owner teams helped keep design and field activities aligned. Drawing on experience with Evergy standards and previous EPC projects, the team advanced long-lead and critical-path activities while design work continued.
Construction required careful sequencing across multiple active work fronts as below-grade work began simultaneously among several subcontractors and crews. Through coordinated planning and field execution, the team compressed an approximately -10-month construction schedule into five months.
At peak construction, the site supported up to 60 craft personnel while work progressed across civil, structural, electrical and commissioning-preparation activities. Completion of the first phase allowed Evergy to begin testing and commissioning ahead of the customer’s original power delivery commitment.
The Shale 345-kV Switchyard strengthened Evergy’s ability to execute large-load interconnect projects on accelerated schedules and created a repeatable model for future high-voltage switchyard work supporting data center load growth and other high-demand customers.