TAQAH
POWER AND
DESALINATION
PLANT
SAROOJ CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
Quarterly Newsletter Volume 3, Issue 2 Apr - May - Jun 2011
IN THIS ISSUE: SC-56 POWER AND DESALINATION PLANT IN TAQAH, PROJECT BACKGROUND AND SCOPE,
EXCAVATION UNDER SEA BOTTOM, INTAKE HEADS, INTAKE PIPES-OFFSHORE AND ONSHORE,
OUTFALL PIPES, PROJECT CHALLENGES, ON-SITE WORKFORCE, SAROOJ COMPANY NEWS, AND
BERLIN GLOBAL WATER AWARD 2011
Message From the General
Manager...
Dear Colleagues,
I am delighted to see the progress Sarooj
is making on the various fronts. Our sites
are performing better, our clients and
consultants are satisfied, and our safety
performance is improving all the time.
Quality management remains, however, the
big winner. The recent accreditation follow-up
by Bureau Veritas and the commendation
from our eminent client OOCEP are a bright
demonstration of your achievements.
It is in this way, by improving every day a bit
on everything we do, that we shall construct
excellence.
It is by trusting and developing the talents
and skills of the national workforce that
we achieve sustainability. It is by working
harder and more efficiently that we affirm
our position as one of the leaders of the
construction industry in Oman.
Sarooj Construction Company may look as
a family business within Al Taher Group,
it is in reality a family for all of its good
employees.
Jad Karam
General Manager
CONTENTS
SC-56 Water and Desalination Plant Pg 3
SC-56 Project Background Pg 4
SC-56 Project Scope Pg 5
SC-56 Excavation Under Sea Bottom Pg 6
SC-56 Intake Pipelines Pg 7
SC-56 Outfall Pipelines Pg 8
SC-56 Project Challenges Pg 9
SC-56 General Project Data Pg 10
SC-56 Project Depictions Pg 11
SC-56 On-site Workforce Pg 13
Sarooj News Pg 14
Global Water Award 2011, Berlin Pg 15
Project Sign Board
Blasting Under Water
SC-56 POWER AND DESALINATION PLANT
The Project:
Power and Desalination Plant in TAQAH
Intakes and Outfalls
The Client:
IPWP - SEMCORP
The Main Contractor:
EPC - SEPCOIII
Location:
TAQAH, Dhofar Province
Contract Duration:
6 Months
Project Value
12 Million US Dollars
OVERVIEW
3
ThE PROJECT
BaCKgROuNd
Demand for power and water has been increasing at a rapid rate (about 10% annually) since the beginning of the
Renaissance in the early seventies. The Ministry of Electricity and Water, at that time, was in charge of providing
the country’s needs.
Some fifteen years ago, the government in Oman decided to privatize the production of power and water. Interested international parties participated to tenders for that purpose.
Presently there are private operators who produce power and /or water in Manah, Barka I, II and now III, in
Al Kamel, in Sur, in Rusayl, and in Sohar I and II.
SEMCORP, as an independent power and water producer (IPWP), were awarded the contract to build a 460MW
power station in Taqah, in the Dhofar Province combined with a desalination unit capable of producing 15
million gallons of water per day. The EPC (Engineering Procurement and Construction) contractor selected for
the works was the Chinese government- owned company SEPCO III, who commissioned SAROOJ to carry out
SC-56 THE PROJECT
Pre-Launching
Kumzar Loaded with Head
Excavation after Blasting
The Flotilla
the intake and outfall structures in the sea, together with
all interconnecting pipelines on land.
4
SCOPE
SAROOJ works consisted primarily of the construction of two intake heads, placed some 600M off-shore and
twin 1400mm diameter HDPE intake pipelines (Heavy Duty Poly- Ethylene) from the heads to the pumping
station and then from the pumping station to the main plant, built on a plateau overlooking the sea, using GRP
pipes (Glass Reinforced Pipes). The outfall arrangement consists also of GRP pipes buried deep in the rock, an
open cascade, an outfall pipe 1600mm diameter, and a diffusing structure.
TEmPORaRy JETTy
In order to operate off- shore and shelter the marine
vessels, the project manager, Gerben Overal, decided
to build a temporary jetty with a quay wall facility so
that vessels can come close and moor to be loaded
with equipment and materials. As the plateau consists
of layers of limestone, excavated rocks, available on
site, were sorted and used to build the temporary
jetty and protect it from sea action.
SC-56 PROJECT SCOPE
Welding Joints Inside the Pipes
Welding Joints from Outside
Installing Intake Pipe
Outfall Pipe Excavation
5
SC-56 PROJECT PROCESS
ExCaVaTION uNdER SEa BOTTOm
As expected the sea bottom proved to consist of very hard limestone stratas that extend for long distance. A shallow sandy overburden
covers the rock. At an early stage it became obvious that blasting the rock with explosives was the only way to complete the work on time. It
took quite a while to process the necessary permits and obtain the concerned authorities’ approvals, particularly the Ministry of Environment
and Climatic Affairs
(MECA) and the
Royal Oman Police
(ROP). Sarooj used
the services of their
habitual blasting sub-
contractor D̀etonator LLC΄. Explosives were stored in an existing
ammunition depot
in Thumrait,150km
away from site, and
controlled by ROP.
On- shore and on the
temporary jetty the
drilling for blasting was
done by Geosol, our
sister company, using
drilling rigs, mobile on
crawlers (Soilmech).
Drilling under water,
which was limited to
the excavation of pits
to receive the intake
structures and the
outfall diffuser was
carried out by divers
using hand- drills. The blasting patterns were carefully worked out to minimize the bang and avoid possible damage to the close-by power house. Several measures were taken to minimize the impact on the environment and marine life.
All excavation had to be completed before any permanent works are done, precisely because of the blasting operations. Excavated
materials were loaded on self-propelled crafts and carted away to land and then disposed of in an approved dumping area.
Concreting Under Water
Launching Intake Pipe The Pumphouse Steel Structure
6
ThE INTaKE PIPES
Off-ShORE
A thorough research was made to select the type of pipe that
was most suited for site conditions, delivery time and required
performance. Considering the severe sea action during Khareef,
the vigourous currents in the area, a solid but flexible material had to be chosen. It was decided to use HDPE pipes which could be
welded into long sections as opposed to the shorter rigid GRP
pipes. Two 1400mm diameter pipes were selected to ensure daily
delivery of 165,000m³
Sarooj submitted a detailed method statement for butt welding
of the pipes into lengths approaching 200meters, fixing concrete rings to counterpart buoyancy, launching and sinking, as per
manufacturer’s recommendations. KUMZAR, and GHUMAYS
were used for the operations. Divers connected the section of
pipes under water. DANA IV ensured supply of bedding materials
and rock armor protection once the pipes were sunk into position.
The two intake pipes that started at the intake heads (each pipe
connected to one intake head) were connected to the pumping
station located on the beach. Furthermore, chlorination pipelines,
150mm in diameter, also in HDPE were laid alongside of the intake
pipes, in a similar way.
As the intake pipes were to withstand 0.4 bar negative pressure,
verification calculations were made in Germany by KRAH engineers, KRAH being the patent holder. The pipes were
manufactured in UGPM’s ultra- modern factory in Rusayl (Union
Gulf pipe Manufacturing LLC).
SC-56 PROJECT INTAKE PIPELINES
Escavating Trench
Temporary Jetty
Cascade StructureA Little Rest on the Platform
Manitowoc Lifting the Head
ON-ShORE
From the pumping stations to the main plant, smaller diameters
GRP pressure pipes were used to convey the water. The profile of the pipeline route was particularly steep in the section going
up the cliff face to reach the plateau.
7
SC-56 PROJECT OUTFALL PIPELINES
ThE OuTfall PIPES
The brine is taken through GRP pipes on the plateau,
buried deep in the rock, until the edge of the cliff by
the beach. The water would then be released into a
cascading concrete structure, built in several steps
before it is collected in a chamber on the beach
and taken out in the sea through an outfall pipeline,
HDPE, of 1600mm diameter. On-shore pipes were
laid length by length and off- shore pipe by welding,
launching and sinking.
Outfall Pipe-GRP on Land
Outfall Pipe - JointsOutfall Pipe - Launching Area
Outfall Pipe - HDPE in the Sea
dIffuSER
The concrete diffusing structure was precast
on-shore and transported on to the temporary
jetty and then taken by KUMZAR to its final location.
8
IN- SITu ROCK:
The presence of rock where the structures and pipeline
were to be buried, necessitated to go into the process
of obtaining underwater blasting permit. This required
detailed environmental impact studies, special drilling
equipment, coordination with ROP (Royal Oman Police)
for escorting explosives supply and attending blasting
operations, safety measures, storage of hazardous materials and protection of other parts of the project.
ROCK aRmOuR:
Sarooj identified a good source of rock about 60km away from site. Test run by third party proved satisfactory.
Although large quantities of broken rocks were generated
and stored on site, and despite the fact that some stratas of the sedimentary limestone forming the plateau were
of high quality, the non-consistent stock could not be used for permanent works. Sarooj use them, however, to
build temporary works such as the jetty.
SC-56 PROJECT CHALLENGES
ChallENgES
Sarooj project team faced several challenges and found
suitable solutions for them:
COmmuNICaTIONS:
as it was the first time Sarooj worked with a Chinese company, they faced an acute communication problem.
It was not only the language but also the culture.
Notwithstanding the fact that Chinese people are pleasant
individually, they have a different culture and ways of
managing their business. Sarooj had to understand and
adapt.
WEaThER:
The project is in TAQAH in Dhofar province. The area falls under annual monsoon regime, when for several
months the sea becomes continuously rough and develops big waves reaching up to 6 to 7m in height. Therefore,
the off-shore activities and consequently the construction programme are deeply affected by Khareef and had to
be constantly reviewed and adjusted.
The Coastal Cliff
Lifting Ring Designed In-House by Charbel Abou SamraKumzar
The Monsoon
9
SC-56 PROJECT OVERVIEW
marine Equipment used
Crane on barge Sumitomo Crane
250T on KUMZAR
Landing Craft Ghumays
Landing Craft DANA IV
Landing Craft DANA VI
Tug Boat Hud Hud
general Project features
Length of intake pipes (off-shore) 1200 l.m.
Diameter of Intake pipes (off-shore) 1400 mm
Number of Intake structure 2 Nos
Type of pipes HDPE
Capacity of pumping station 165,000m³ per day
Length of Intake pipes (on-shore) 3000 l.m.
Diameter of intake pipes (on-shore) 800mm, 600mm, 400mm
Type of pipes GRP
Length of out fall pipe (off-shore) 300m
Diameter of out fall pipe (off-shore) 1600mm
Type of pipe HDPE
Other out fall pipes (on-shore) 1000m
Type of pipe GRP
Construction period 6 months
10
SC-56 POWER AND DESALINATION PLANT
Outfall Pipe area mr. Qu Wu Visits the Site
The Pump house
Kumzar lifting for launching
11
Our director with the Client The Temporary Quay Wall
Bringing Pipes Together for Welding
Outfall Cascade another Blast
SC-56 POWER AND DESALINATION PLANT
12
ON SITE WORKFORCE
mudaThER aSWad
Project Engineer (Civil)
gERBEN OVERal
Project Manager
few of the Team
mOhammad KhuNJI
Project Engineer (Marine)
BISWaS PaTEl
Marine Supervisor
13
SAROOJ NEWS
COMPANY NEWS
• Both the managing director and the director paid a five–day visit to Iraq where they met high government dignitaries and investigated possible business opportunities
in that promising market.
• Sarooj has now an office in Abu-Dhabi which will soon be operational.
• We were awarded the contract to carry out the piling works for the “Wave, Muscat” Marina.
• Sarooj jointly with Taylor Woodrow submitted a bid for the construction of three light houses and DGPS stations along the Omani eastern coast. The joint ventures
are the lowest Tenderer (L1).
• A team from Ferrovial visited Sarooj for two days to familiarize themselves, with the B̀atinah Expressway- Package΄ project in preparation of the joint bid that both companies intend to present.
• Richard Willshaw is settling down in his position as commercial manager. We wish him good luck.
• The MGP team (Musandam Gas
Plant) has started
their mobilization to site and camp
construction is on its
way.
• The works on Phase II of the Nimr
Water Treatment
Plant has started.
14
PRESS RELEASE
GLOBAL WATER AWARD 2011, BERLIN
Kofi Annan presents Global Water Award 2011 to BAUER Water
BAUER Water GmbH
• Berlin - The Global Water Awards Ceremony 2011 was held on 18th April 2011 at the Global Water Summit
in Berlin. The innovative reed bed treatment plant,
designed and built by the Bauer Resources subsidiary
BAUER Water and treating around 45,000 m³ of oil-
contaminated water daily in Oman, surpassed three
other shortlisted projects and was awarded the first prize for the most impressive technical achievement in the category ‘Industrial Water Project of the Year‘. The
keynote speaker was the former UN Secretary General
Kofi Annan who also presented the awards.
• On accepting the prize from Kofi Annan, Dr. Roman Breuer, responsible Project Engineer of BAUER
Umwelt GmbH declared: „We are extremely delighted
to receive this award as the entire team of BAUER
Umwelt GmbH has worked tirelessly during the last four
and a half years towards the success of the project.“ He was accompanied by Peter Hingott, Manager of
Bauer Resources Environment Division, Joachim Huth,
Management Board member of BAUER Water GmbH
and Wolf-Dieter Rausch, Planning Engineer of BAUER
Nimr LCC.
• Congratulations were also offered by Dr. Michael Bornmann, Management Board member of the
German Investment and Development Corporation
(DEG): „We would like to offer our sincere congratulations and are pleased that this project, which is exemplary in
terms of environmental and development policy, has gained recognition in this way.“ The reed bed treatment plant was financed with the support of DEG and the project was nominated by the World Business Council of Sustainable Development (WBCSD) of Geneva.
• Since 28th November 2010, exactly two years after the day of contract award by the client, Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), the so-called produced water flows from the near-by Nimr Oilfield into the largest commercial reed bed treatment plant in the world with an area of 235 hectares. The plant is currently treating around 45,000 m³ of
contaminated water every single day achieving a level of purification in excess of 99.5 percent. A few days ago, Petroleum Development Oman also finally confirmed that the existing contract is to be expanded to twice the water quantity. In future, the plant is to treat 95,000 m³ of contaminated water per day. In addition to this extension, the
project does further justice to its environmental mission by producing part of the construction material required for the
extension by cleaning oil contaminated soils from the oilfields.
Presentation of the Global Water Awards 2011 in Berlin: (from left) Simon
Karam (Sarooj Construction Company), Kofi Annan, Dr. Roman Breuer (BAUER Umwelt GmbH), Wolf-Dieter Rausch (BAUER Nimr LCC), Badar Al Sharji (Petroleum Development Oman), Joachim Huth (BAUER Water
GmbH) and Peter Hingott (Bauer Resources Environment Division). (Picture by courtacy of Global Water Intelligence) www.bauer.de/en/press/press_
articles/2011
15
Sarooj Construction Company LLC ● P.O.Box 1413, Postal Code 112 ● Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman.Telephone: (+968) 24 596001 ● Fax: (+968) 24 596011
www.sarooj.com ● [email protected]
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