California-based GRAIL, Inc. is a healthcare research laboratory that is in the process of developing a revolutionary single blood test that can reveal early-stage evidence of more than 50 types of cancers.
With several branch locations in the US and one in the UK, GRAIL is expanding its research operations with the construction of a new laboratory facility in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina. This is a significant addition to the region, not only because of the mission of the 200,000 SF FDA-regulated, $35 million facility, but also because the company estimates that the economic contribution to North Carolina’s economy over a 12-year period will be $1.2 billion.
Partners on a Fast-track, Technically Complex Project
Code Electric, Inc. is a commercial and industrial electrical contractor based in Raleigh, NC, serving healthcare, commercial, and institutional customers in the Carolinas and Virginia.
Code Electric selected Curtis Power Solutions as a partner in this low-level Design-Assist project. The team gave constructability input to ensure the project could be constructed in the time allotted, while meeting the design team’s ultimate goals for the design and redundancy that the owners required. The team has worked together during all phases of this project, from procurement, timing, design, construction, through commissioning.
Curtis Power Solutions has provided expertise, Design-Assist integration, local service, and support to this project, which is scheduled to be completed in March 2021. Curtis Power Solutions also specified MTU (A Rolls-Royce Solution) onsite energy power generation for the project. MTU offered competitive lead-time and world-class power generation equipment for this fast-track project.
Project Challenges and Solutions
Project Manager Jay Poulos with Code Electric, Inc. said of this mission-critical project, “This is a fast-paced project to allow a cutting-edge pharmaceutical manufacturer to start production and begin to aid in its life-saving processes. All pharmaceutical facilities are designed with reliability and redundancy to ensure their processes are not interrupted. This allows them to research and produce lifesaving, life-altering treatments.”
Added Poulos, “The project timeline was the largest hurdle. We had to procure vendors to provide our materials based on their availability to provide quality products within the tight timeline of this project.”
When asked how Curtis Power Solutions was an asset to the project challenges, Poulos responded, “They were a great asset, offering their knowledge and ability to offer a product that can meet our project timeline.”
According to Curtis Power Solutions Project Manager Wesley Wolfe, “The complex paralleling scheme with load shedding, load adding, and generator demand management have been major challenges. Fortunately, our company has the best technical experts in power generation to rely on for programming and integration. We have also partnered with strategic vendors to meet and exceed the requirements and expectations for the end-user customer.”