The high-voltage (HV) yard and three power lines at power utility Eskom’s Ingula pumped storage scheme project have been successfully energised at a cost of R1.1-billion, completing the first phase of the integration of the scheme’s transmission system.
Main contractor Roshcon and subcontractors Optipower Projects and Babcock Ntuthuko Power Lines carried out the integration work simultaneously to ensure the energisation work could be completed within the scheduled seven-day outage. The lines were fully energised on the eighth day.
The project, located within the Little Drakensberg mountain range, 23 km north-east of Van Reenen, comprises an upper dam (Bedford) and a lower dam (Braamhoek).
It would have four 325 MW generating units that would start coming on line from 2015.
The generating units’ output would be connected to the HV yard using 400 kV cross-linked polyethylene cables – the first installation of 400 kV cables in the country.
The cable is supplied and installed through a joint venture between local company CBI-electric: african cables and Italian company Prysmian.
The preparation work for laying the cables in the tunnels joining the HV yard to the power station was under way.