Ingula tailrace concrete lining close to completion

13th December 2013

By: David Oliveira

Creamer Media Staff Writer

  

Font size: - +

State-owned power utility Eskom reports that the tailrace concrete lining of its Ingula pumped-storage scheme, located on the border of the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal, was 93% complete in October.

The concrete lining will run for a total of 2 313 m, of which 2 158 m has already been completed. The cavity grouting and the consolidation grouting, also for the tailrace tunnel, are both 19% complete and will also run for 2 313 m, of which 450 m is complete.

A tailrace is the path through which water is pumped out of the hydropower station.

Meanwhile, the installation of the formwork for the base construction of the top slabs of surge chambers 3 and 4 is in progress, while the base construction is 90% complete.

The base construction of surge chambers 1 and 2 is 78% complete.

Surge chambers help absorb excess pressure in the event of sudden valve closure within a hydropower plant.

Traffic has been diverted back to the west side of the plant’s control room to allow construction to start on the east side. Also, all the intermediate slabs on the west side have been completed.

Meanwhile, in August, Eskom reported that “excavation and rock support works on the under- ground works have been completed and civil works, together with the installation of the turbine units and other mechanical items, are under way”.

About 500 000 m3 of concrete has been placed, with 40% still to be placed by civil work contractors. “The civil works activity remains critical in terms of the overall project completion owing to access requirements for the transformer and electrical packages,” Eskom notes.

Further, it reports that the intake and outlet structures are near completion, requiring the construction of a building at the top of the intake structure and construction of the storage building at the outlet structure.

Also in August, Eskom reported that three of the four turbine spiral cases and two pit liners had been installed. “Installation of the unit transformers is scheduled for August and October and the final two for 2014,” the company said.

The waterways of the project are scheduled for completion in May 2014, to be commissioned in June. As of August, the contract completion date of the project was June 1, 2015.

Construction of the double-storey, concrete-framed administration building is also under way. The administration building will have a large basement area with “direct access to the main tunnel leading to the under- ground power station”, the company notes, adding that the building will provide office space and will also house the external control centre for the power station.

A visitors centre with a 125-seat auditorium, small office wing, screening room, multiple display halls and facilities wings, was, as of August, under construction.

Meanwhile, in May, Eskom reported that the Unit 3 spiral encasement had been completed on schedule; the Unit 4 enclosure wall to the mezzanine floor level had also been completed.

About Ingula
The Ingula pumped-storage scheme power station is located 23 km north-east of Van Reenen, in the Little Drakensburg mountain range, on the border of the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal.

The power station, which is located 350 m underground, has a planned power output of 1 332 MW. Ingula comprises two dams located at the top and bottom of the escarpment. The station also comprises underground waterways, an underground powerhouse complex and access tunnels and roads.

The station is planned to be fully operational by 2014 or 2015.

Social Responsibility
The Ingula project facilitated and coordinated a pilot roll-out of 45 ventilated improved pit latrines for communities on the upper area of the site, which is located in the Free State.

Eskom notes that the Ingula project has donated blankets, chairs, desks and educational toys to the Siyanqoba HIV/Aids Hospice for Children, in Kapanong, in the Free State. A dedicated team of volunteers help feed and educate about 37 children a day.

Edited by Megan van Wyngaardt
Creamer Media Contributing Editor Online

Comments

The content you are trying to access is only available to subscribers.

If you are already a subscriber, you can Login Here.

If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe now, by selecting one of the below options.

For more information or assistance, please contact us at subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za.

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION