Construction update at Pioneer Generation Station Phase IV

Construction is wrapping up at Pioneer Generation Station Phase IV (PGSIV). Located near the existing Pioneer Generation Station northwest of Williston, North Dakota, it will be Basin Electric’s largest generation project built in North Dakota since the 1980s. 

Recent milestones include putting the reciprocating internal combustion engine into commercial operation on Friday, April 11; first fire of the Unit 5 combustion turbine generator on Monday, April 14; turnover of the administration building and control room to Pioneer Generating Station Operations team on Friday, April 18; and completing the 345-kilovolt back feed to both combustion turbines for commissioning and first fire support.  

Jim Lund, Basin Electric senior project engineer, says teamwork is critical on a project like this. “We're very fortunate to have strong engineering and contracts teams to address issues in a timely manner and experienced site management to keep things moving in the right direction.” 

Construction may not have gone as smoothly without a coordinated team effort. In the case of PGSIV, the talented individuals who worked throughout the project made all the difference. “We've had to attract craft and subcontractors from all over the country,” Lund said. “I think we peaked out at the upper four hundreds for onsite workforce and over 1.2 million man-hours.” 

Upcoming project activities include Unit 5 carbon monoxide catalyst installation and performance testing and getting the Unit 4 turbine on “turning gear,” which means while the turbine isn’t generating power, it’s slowly rotating. 

Current in-service date projections are:

• Combustion Turbine Unit 5 – May 2025
• Combustion Turbine Unit 4 – August 2025

When complete, PGSIV will provide 580 megawatts of natural gas generation, addressing near-term load growth and long-term grid stability in the Bakken region.