March Meeting: “Overview of the HELCO Gas Turbine Power Plant Project Upgrade for Hawaii Electric Light Co, Inc., Keahole Plant”

General Topic Synopsis

Mustang Automation and Control (MAC), a business unit of Wood Group Mustang, Inc. is the largest control systems integrator company in the world.  Their project history began in 1996 focusing on refining, chemicals and oil and gas.  They have successfully completed some of the largest automation projects in the world.  MAC has expanded their execution centers globally into five countries in South America as well as the U.K and Saudi Arabia.  The Greenville, SC office, which was opened five years ago, employs approximately fifty people in the Automation business sector.  The office is focused on power, pulp and paper, fine chemicals and other “non-traditional Mustang clients/industries”.  Bud Blankenship will discuss improving reliability through an automation upgrade of the Hawaii Electric Light Co. gas turbine power plant.

Bud Blankenship - Manager of Business Development at Wood Group Mustang Inc.  Bud has spent the last twelve years at Wood Group Mustang in the Mustang Automation and Control business unit.  Prior to joining Wood Group Mustang, Bud began his career with Ashland Oil spanning twenty one years in various roles from central engineering through refinery management.  Following his work at Ashland, Bud joined Litwin Engineering in Houston as Manager of Litwin’s Refinery Consulting Group.  He also spent five years with ABB as global Director of Refining.  Bud received his education at Marshall University.