Name and Location
Ingula pumped-storage scheme project, on the border between the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, South Africa.

Client
Eskom.

Project Description
The Ingula pumped-storage scheme, located within the Little Drakensberg mountain range, 23 km north-east of Van Reenen’s Pass, will comprise an upper dam (Bedford) and a lower dam (Braamhoek). The upper reservoir site is located in the Free State and the lower reservoir site in KwaZulu-Natal. The escarpment forms the border between the two provinces.

The distance between the upper and lower reservoirs will be 4.6 km, with an elevation difference of about 470 m.

The reservoirs will be connected through underground waterways and the underground powerhouse complex, which will house four 325 MW pump turbines with a total capacity of 1 300 MW, a machine hall, a transformer hall and associated tunnels, shafts and caverns.

The twin headrace waterways, consisting of concrete and steel-lined headrace tunnels, pressure tunnels and shafts, will link the upper reservoir with the pump turbines. The draft tubes, concrete-lined surge shafts and a single concrete-lined tailrace tunnel will connect the pump turbines to the lower reservoir.

The upper reservoir is a concrete-faced rock-fill embankment dam, 41 m high, with a total capacity of 22.4-million cubic metres and an active water storage volume of 19.2-million cubic metres. The 39-m-high lower dam comprises roller-compacted concrete, with a total capacity of 26.3-million cubic metres and an active storage volume of 21.9-million cubic metres.

The scheme will be operated on a weekly cycle and will have an overall cycle efficiency of 78%.

Value
R25.9-billion. As at December 31, 2013, R18.8-billion had been spent.

Duration
The units will come on line starting from 2015.

Latest Developments
Eskom has reported that the top four critical paths for the Ingula project are:
• The completion of the upstream waterways – inclined high-pressure shafts (IHPS);
• The completion of the downstream waterways (surge chambers);
• The completion of the control room; and
• The completion of the machine hall.

The utility has reported the following progress on the project in its New Build News report for June:
• The civil works to the intake structure are substantially complete and the emergency gates have been installed, but not commissioned.
• Post stressing of the concrete-lined surge shafts and construction of the capping structure are in progress.
• As a result of the fatalities during the construction of the IHPS, all work on the project as a whole and particularly in the IHPS was stopped for a period. Further delays have arisen as new equipment is being manufactured, installed and licensed for construction in these shafts and safer methods of construction are implemented in all shafts.
• The  east walls of the control room have been built up to intermediate level, transversal walls have been completed and the west walls have been built up to roof level.
• Outstanding work on the machines hall includes the completion of civil construction for the installation of turbines and generators for units 3, 4, 2 and 1 in that order. Construction of Unit 3 is expected to be completed shortly.
• The generator motor transformers 3 and 4 in the transformer hall are in final position and civil construction is nearing completion.
• Outstanding work on the tailrace tunnel includes the construction of bifurcations, drilling and grouting, finishing works to the tunnel and construction of plugs to MAT and construction audit.
• The tailrace tunnel outlet structure has been completed.
• The administration building is a double-storey, concrete-framed structure with a large basement that will have direct access to the main tunnel into the underground power station. Apart from providing office space, the building will also accommodate the surface control centre for the power station. Alongside the administration building is a single-storey visitor centre, which includes a small office wing, a cinema, various display halls, an auditorium and facilities. Both buildings have been substantially completed.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
The Braamhoek Consultants Joint Venture (BCJV), consisting of Gibb, Knight Piésold and SSI (civil, mechanical and electrical engineering, detailed design, tender documentation, design monitoring and construction supervision); Murray & Roberts (exploratory tunnel); Grinaker-LTA (access roads); CMI JV, comprising CMC di Ravenna, PG Mavundla and Impregilo (underground civil works); Afriscan (water supply, sewage treatment, small access roads and building temporary Eskom offices); B&E Quanza Group (aggregate quarry); Acer [Africa] (environmental consultants); Braamhoek Dam JV (BDJV), comprising Concor Roads & Earthworks, Wilson Bayley Holmes-Ovcon, Edwin Construction and Silver Rock (dam contract); Voith Siemens Hydro Power Generation (main generating plant); Deutsche Bank (R1-billion loan); Voith (mechanical auxiliary plant, turbines and generators); ABB (electrical balance of plant); NCC Environmental Services (independent environmental control officer services); Konecranes (heavy-duty cranes); Letacla (fibre-optic communications); Siemens (generator transformers); Roshcon (line integration – main contractor); Optipower and Babcock Ntuthuko (line integration – subcontractors); and CBI and Prysmian (supply and installation of of 400 kV cables).

On budget and on time?
The first 333 MW unit was initially expected to be commissioned by January 2013; however, it will be commissioned only during the first quarter of 2015.

Contact Details for Project Information
Eskom executive project manager Carel Stoop, email StoopCJ@eskom.co.za
Ingula Visitors Centre, tel +27 36 342 3122 or email fifi.meyer@eskom.co.za.
ABB, tel +41 43 317 6480 or fax +41 43 317 6482.
Gibb, tel +27 11 519 4600 or fax +27 11 807 5670.
BDJV (Concor Roads & Earthworks), tel +27 11 495 2222.
CMI Mavundla JV, tel +27 36 638 6000.
Eskom media desk, tel +27 11 800 3304/3309/3343/3378, fax +27 11 800 3805 or email mediadesk@eskom.co.za.
Impregilo, tel +39 02 4442 2115.
Voith Siemens Hydro Power Generation, tel +49 7321 370 or fax +49 7321 37 6180.
NCC, tel +27 21 702 2884, fax +27 86 555 0693 or email info@ncc-group.co.za.
Konecranes, tel +27 11 864 2800.
Roshcon, tel +27 11 629 8000, fax +27 11 629 1089 or email Rosh.Int.Comm@eskom.co.za.
Optipower, tel +27 21 845 6745, fax +27 21 845 5264 or email info@optipower.co.za.
Babcock Ntuthuko, tel +27 11 739 8287.
CBI, tel +27 11 928 2000, fax +27 11 392 2354 or email cbi@cbi-electric.com.
Prysmian, tel +39 02 6449 1 or email media.relations@prysmiangroup.com.