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Over 4m LTI-free hours recorded for Medupi

SAFETY FIRST
Eskom’s Medupi power station achieved over 4.62-million worker hours without a lost-time injury

SAFETY FIRST Eskom’s Medupi power station achieved over 4.62-million worker hours without a lost-time injury

13th December 2013

By: David Oliveira

Creamer Media Staff Writer

  

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State-owned power generator Eskom achieved over 4.62-million worker hours without a lost-time injury at its Medupi power station, located to the west of Lephalale, in Limpopo, it reported in October.

The company says this is a remarkable achievement considering the size, scope and complexity of the project, which is the largest construction site in the southern hemisphere.

For the construction of the first boiler unit, 20 200 t of structural steel was used, while, to date, a total of 600 000 m3 of concrete has been placed. Further, 250 cranes have been used at Medupi, with the largest crane having a load capacity of 1 200 t.

At the peak of the coal-fired power plant project’s construction, about 18 000 people from 38 principal contractors and over 250 subcontractors were employed. The company adds that 46% of the people employed are from the Lephalale area.

The Medupi power plant project comprises the installation and commissioning of six 794 MW generator units, totalling 4 764 MW. Eskom plans to commission the first generator unit in the second half of 2014.

The company notes that the one-directional testing of the Unit 6 boiler feed pump was successfully completed. Also, one-hour-long test runs on all the Unit 6 boiler mills were successfully completed, bringing first synchronisa- tion closer. “This means that alignment can now start and gearboxes can be coupled to the motors for cold commissioning readiness,” Eskom explains.

The company explains: “The Unit 4 generator motor was threaded into the stator. This action required precision, as the clearance was only a few millimetres. All stationary equipment between the rotor and the stator can now be fitted and the generator can now be coupled to the LP2 rotor.”

Further, four water treatment boards have already been activated, allowing for the commissioning of the water treatment plant to start. “The water treatment plant ensures first fire of the boiler,” Eskom outlines.

The parastatal also notes that it has successfully completed the submerged scraper conveyer wet run. “This system removes ash from the bottom of the boiler, which is essential in getting the boiler ready for first fire.”

Six of the motors used in the water treatment plant received safety clearance, Eskom announced in October. This will allow the mechanical connections to be fitted and the control system to be commissioned once it is in place. The water treatment plant ensures demineralised water is available for first fire of the boiler.

Meanwhile, the company notes that, on August 17, the Unit 1 generator stator was lifted into position, making it the last of the six stators to be placed into position. A high-pressure fuel oil test was successfully completed on August 3, and the boiler team at Medupi also completed the hydro test on the soot blower, which ensures safe and efficient operation of the boiler.

Eskom also reported that 116 000 t of coal had been transported to site in preparation for the first firing up of the boiler, adding that coal and ash stockpiles, as well as all related equipment were close to being commissioned. The company said that five of the six unit’s transmission high-voltage yards had been completed and infrastructure to access transmission lines had advanced.

On May 31, the power delivery projects northern grid team successfully back-energised the new transformer of Unit 6 at Medupi. The tests on the transformer were completed without any incidents and were conducted as power supply was being transferred from the 400 kV high-voltage yard to the new generation transformer. The test lasted 72 hours.

Social Aspects
The company announced, in August, that its Medupi project, together with its contractor, energy service systems and solutions provider Clyde Bergemann Africa, handed over educational material and preschool equipment to the Kentshitswe crèche, in Seleka village, the Motlatjo crèche, in Maeteletsa village, and the Hendrick Mokenuhi crèche, in Abbotspoort village, in Lephalale.

Edited by Megan van Wyngaardt
Creamer Media Contributing Editor Online

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