Cargo delivery to the Ingula
Pumped Storage Scheme
is set to pick up pace, with
Eskom aiming to complete the
project by no later than 2014.
At least 41% of the work for
the nearly R9-billion project –
comprising the construction of two
dams – is already complete, with all
the milestones for 2012 achieved.
Both dams have capacity of
approximately 22 million cubic
metres water, some 4.6 km apart,
and are connected by underground
waterways through an underground
powerhouse which houses four
333MW pump turbines.
Thomas Sage of Interlogix,
which is the logistics arm of the
project, says cargo volumes for
the project have not been high,
but are increasing.
“Few shipments have been
moved to date due to delays in the
civil works on the site. Together
with our partners at source, we are
handling the forwarding, clearing
into South Africa, warehousing
and delivery to site. Delivery on
the smaller items is to a laydown
and staging area but the larger
items will involve delivery into
the machine hall, which requires
a vehicle to go down the tunnel to
offload,” said Sage.
The project is still in the early
stages when it comes to the
specialised cargo that will be
brought in, but various items are
already in storage waiting for
installation.
“We have already delivered four
complete draft tubes in knockeddown
form, and various other
embedded parts,” said Sage.
Interlogix has been involved in
the project since 2010. It will see
water released from the upper dam
through the pump turbines to the
lower dam to generate electricity
during times of peak energy
consumption. When there is low
energy demand the pump turbines
will be used to pump water from
the lower dam back to the upper
dam.
“To date the biggest challenge
is delivery into the machine
hall,” says Sage. The tunnel
was excavated to be 8.3m wide,
however various installations for
power and water control have
restricted this access to below 6m
in some places – and the widest
pieces are 7.5m wide,” said Sage.
“Many of the loads are in excess of
4.8 m which require police escorts.
Despite this being a very short
route, the handovers between police
in the different areas are slow and
difficult to get right which makes
offloading arrangements hard to
prearrange – but that’s transport
and we work around this as best we
can.”
Sage, who along with his team
has been involved with projects
including the likes of the Arnot
Power Station rehabilitation, the
Mondi Digester in Richards Bay,
the Columbus Stainless cold rolling
mills to Middelburg and brewery
tanks to Midvaal, believes that
communication is the foundation of
any good project.
“Understanding the requirements
on site and the limitations on
suppliers, and communicating this
to the supply chain to have the
cargo delivered when required is
what makes the difference.”
Also having the ability to adapt
and work around massive delays
experienced on projects gives one
the leading edge, he said.
CAPTION
One of the large pit liners moved for the Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme by Interlogix.
