Seven Years in the Making – Encorus Nears Completion of WIPP Ventilation Fans Project

At Encorus Group, we are proud to be a key contributor to the development of the Safety-Significant Confinement Ventilation System (SSCVS) at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico. Our role in this monumental project is that we have designed and procured six giant fans that are central to the system’s operation.

The SSCVS is designed to pull air through miles of mine tunnels, playing a critical role in the safety and ventilation at the WIPP site. Each of the six centrifugal fans we provided stands an impressive 32 feet tall and is powered by a 1000HP motor. Along with the fans, the system includes 22 semi-trailer-sized HEPA filter banks. When completed, this will be the largest HEPA filter bank in the world, capable of filtering 540,000 cubic feet per minute (CFM) of air continuously—an accomplishment we’re excited to be a part of!

(Left Image) The dark-painted box you see is the 1000HP motor, and the 6-foot diameter fan blades are housed inside the large unit to the left. The air inlet is on the far left, where air is drawn from a plenum on the other side of the wall. Once the air passes through the fan, it exits through the outlet at the top into a plenum on the floor above. From there, the air continues through ducts and eventually exits the building through a 130-foot tall stack. In the foreground, you can spot the blue Rosemount instruments, which are critical in measuring fan flow and pressure to ensure smooth, safe operation.

We’ve been working on this project for almost seven years, and seeing it come to life has been incredibly rewarding. The SSCVS is expected to be completed in October of 2024, and we can’t wait to see it fully operational, setting new standards in ventilation and filtration technology.