Case Study: Barlow Projects WTE slashes retrofit time and costs with SEL-300G generator relays

Relay’s “Intelligence” Slashes Time and Costs on Retrofit of Generator for Advanced Waste-to-Energy System

Barlow Projects WTE needed to retrofit an old trash-burning facility in Perham, Minnesota into a modern waste-to-energy plant while using a used turbine generator purchased from Bermuda. The project faced unusual protection, monitoring, and interconnection challenges because the generator had been cut apart, documentation was limited, and the CTs and wiring did not match the new system requirements. Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) was brought in through Exponential Engineering to provide generator protection with the SEL-300G Generator Relay.

SEL’s SEL-300G helped the team diagnose wiring and CT issues during startup through metering, reporting, and protection features, making it easier to identify connection problems and get the refurbished generator operating correctly. The relay’s intelligence cut troubleshooting from what might have taken a week to a single day, saving significant time and cost, and the rebuilt generator ultimately reached full-rated power. The Perham site was later engineered to operate in island mode as well, reducing the risk of shutdowns if the grid went down.