Vela VKE (part of the SMEC Group) is at the forefront of water infrastructure development in SA
PRESS RELEASE
Vela VKE (part of the SMEC Group) is at the forefront of water infrastructure development in SA
More than 60 years of industry-leading expertise has placed Vela VKE (part of the SMEC Group) as a frontrunner in providing engineering solutions to South African water projects.
4 October, 2012: Substantial advancements in local water infrastructure projects are being undertaken by professional consulting engineering company Vela VKE, which recently became a part of the international SMEC Group, following the June 2012 merger with the Australian based global engineering consultancy firm.
Vela VKE (part of the SMEC Group) currently forms part of Mokolo Crocodile Consultants (MCC), a joint venture between five consulting engineering firms established to implement the R15-billion Mokolo Crocodile River (West) Water Augmentation Project (MCWAP) on behalf of the client, the TCTA, which has been mandated by the Department of Water Affairs to implement the project.
The MCWAP has been designed to supplement Eskom’s Medupi Power Station and the anticipated industrial development linked to the massive Waterberg coal field in the Lephalale area of Limpopo with up to 400 million m3 of water per annum, depending on the final extent of the anticipated mining, power generation and petro-chemical industry developments.
Vela VKE (part of the SMEC Group) divisional head of structures Chris Viljoen points out that the company’s involvement with MCWAP has included participation in the feasibility studies, detailed design, geotechnical investigations and construction monitoring, since the commencement of the feasibility study of the two phase project in 2008.
“Mokolo Dam was originally constructed as a water supply facility for irrigation, industrial and household use in Lephalale and surrounds. Due to the overwhelming industrial development of the town in recent years, the demand for water has risen rapidly,” he explains. “MCWAP has been designed to abstract the surplus water from Mokolo Dam and the Crocodile River (West), in order to satisfy the considerable predicted industrial demand without impacting on existing legal water use, which was a sensitive issue and consequently treated with great circumspect.”
Viljoen notes that Phase 1 at MCWAP involves the construction of water delivery infrastructure between Mokolo Dam and a delivery point between Medupi and Matimba power stations. “Construction work started on Phase 1 of the project in September 2011, following the successful completion of the feasibility studies and detail design work. The R750-million phase currently involves the installation of a 44,5-km-long, 800 mm to 1 100 mm diameter steel pipeline, which will be served by a 4,5-megawatt pumpstation at Mokolo Dam. It is expected to supply approximately 30 million m3 of water per annum at a rate of 1,25 m3 per second, following the anticipated completion of construction at the end of 2013.”
Viljoen is quietly confident that the implementation of Phase 2 of MCWAP, which will involve the construction of an abstraction works in the Crocodile River (West) near Thabazimbi, will begin by 2013. “Phase 2 will include the development of an abstraction facility in the Crocodile River, which could have a capacity of up to 16,5 m3 per second, depending on the selected project development scenario. The project will also require the installation of large low-lift and high-lift pump stations, which will serve 128 km of pipeline with associated de-silting works, balancing and break pressure reservoirs,” he continues.
The Crocodile River (West) catchment is expected to eventually supply somewhere between 120-million m3 and 400-million m3 of water per annum to the Lephalale industrial region, and Viljoen believes that water from the river may probably have to be augmented by other water transfer schemes.
According to Viljoen, MCWAP has been running on time and within budget, with no major challenges faced to date. “The successful completion of the feasibility studies and detailed design stages of the project was made possible due to a good working synergy amongst the MCC members internally and externally, with our clients DWA and TCTA. This has enabled the construction process to run smoothly, and I am optimistic that the project will be fully completed and commissioned within the anticipated timeframes,” he concludes.
Ends
Notes to the Editor
There are numerous photographs specific to this press release. Please visit http://media.ngage.co.za and click the Vela VKE (part of the SMEC Group) link.
About SMEC
Australian based SMEC has more than 4 000 employees and an established network of over 60 offices worldwide. SMEC provides consultancy services for the lifecycle of a project to a broad range of sectors, which include; hydropower, transport, water, natural resources and environment, geotechnical, mining, tunnelling,, urban development, renewable energy, power, government and advisory services and social infrastructure development. Following the Vela VKE merger, the SMEC Group now has over 5 000 employees and an established network of over 70 offices in 36 countries throughout Australia, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Pacific, North and South America.
About Vela VKE (part of the SMEC Group)
Vela VKE (part of the SMEC Group) has more than 1,000 employees and an established network of offices in all nine provinces within South Africa, as well as offices in Namibia and other SADC countries. With over 60 years of engineering experience, Vela VKE provides its clients with cost-effective, comprehensive and innovative solutions. Vela VKE offers a range of professional consulting engineering services including; conceptualisation, planning, design, management, construction supervision, operation, maintenance and rehabilitation of infrastructure.
Vela VKE (part of the SMEC Group)Contact
Chris Viljoen
Divisional Head of Structures
Phone: (011) 369 0600
Fax: (011) 886 4589
Email: chris [dot] viljoen [at] smec [dot] com
Media Contact
Renay Tandy
NGAGE Public Relations
Phone: (011) 867-7763
Fax: 086 512 3352
Cell: 082 562 5088
Email: renay [at] ngage [dot] co [dot] za
Web: www.ngage.co.za