Inaccessible cleaning contract underway at Tutuka
PRESS RELEASE
Inaccessible cleaning contract underway at Tutuka
05 March, 2014:Leading rope access specialist Skyriders is in the process of completing industrial vacuum cleaning work at Tutuka power station in Mpumalanga on hard-to-reach structures that are inaccessible to standard methods such as scaffolding as part of Eskom’s continued maintenance strategy.
Fly ash debris can have negative effects on the environment and efficiency of a power station, and national power utility Eskom appointed Skyriders in November 2013 to undertake the challenging process of removing this debris along all inaccessible structures, including; the boiler house, turbine hall, ash handling plant, structural beams, side walls, and cable trays.
Fly ash is a residue produced from the combustion of coal, and is damaging to power station infrastructure, as it causes blockages. Skyriders marketing manager Mike Zinn points out that a large team of rope access specialists are currently onsite at Tutuka in order to remove this harmful debris.
"The 3 654 MW Tutuka facility is an important link in the 765kV extra-high-voltage transmission system linking Mpumalanga with the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, and the risk of any unforeseen downtime is immense. The sheer volumes of fly ash is a major challenge, however Skyridersboasts in-depth experience on similar Eskom projects, and our rope access techniciansare proficient in utilising industrial grade vacuum cleaners at height to remove the debris," he explains.
Although scaffolding has proven to be the tried-and-trusted method for access to work-at-height applications, Zinn reveals that rope is a far more efficient means of gaining access to high elevation structures, particularly in the power generation sector. "Rope access installation is considerably faster and cheaper, while technicians are provided with more flexibility and safety."
Zinn notes that the project has been successful to date, and he anticipates that Skyriders' scope of work should be completed by June 2014. "Skyriders has developed a strong working relationship with Tutuka, having carried out general rope access maintenance and inspection onsite since 2005. Given the successful progress of our current task, I am optimistic that we may be offered the long term inaccessible cleaning contact at Tutuka power station."
With a zero-fatality record spanning more than 16 years, Skyriders has developed a reputation of being the leading provider of rope access-aided inspection, non-destructive testing (NDT) and maintenance-related services to the South African power generation industry. "With this in mind, I believe that Skyriders has placed itself in a strong position to gain increased market share in the African power generation sector in the long term future," Zinn concludes.
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Notes to the Editor
There are numerous photographs specific to this press release. Please visit http://media.ngage.co.za and click the Skyriders link.
About Skyriders
Skyriders (Pty) Ltd, established in 1998, is a leader in the South African rope access industry, providing cost- and time-saving solutions to clients in the power generation and petrochemical industries who require rope access aided inspection, NDT and maintenance work to be done in difficult to reach, high-up locations.
Skyriders Contact
Mike Zinn
Skyriders Marketing Manager
Phone: (011) 312 1418
Email: mike [at] skysolutions [dot] co [dot] za
Web: www.skysolutions.co.za
Media Contact
Kelly Farthing
NGAGE Public Relations
Phone: (011) 867-7763
Fax: 086 512 3352
Cell: 072 377 5000
Email: kelly [at] ngage [dot] co [dot] za
Web: www.ngage.co.za
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