Leading environmental solutions company MikroPul of Johannesburg, a member of ACTOM, South Africa’s largest electrical engineering group, was recently awarded its biggest ever HVAC (heating, ventilation & air-conditioning) project by way of two contracts together worth over R100 million.
The contracts, for manufacture and supply of fans and auxiliary equipment for ventilation of all the turbine halls of both of Eskom’s new six-pack 4800 MW coal-fired power stations, Medupi and Kusile, were awarded to MikroPul at the end of July by Alstom Power, the manufacturer and supplier of the turbines for both plants.
In bidding for these prized contracts MikroPul faced competition from a host of other reputable companies, including several international contenders. However Alstom Power found it to have the requisite expertise and track record for project managing contracts of similar magnitude.
“Although these are the largest HVAC contracts we have won to date, we were able to demonstrate that we have previously executed large dust control and gas-cleaning contracts. This, among other key factors, satisfied Alstom Power that we have the experience and expertise to handle the project,” said Woitek Liberda, MikroPul’s general manager.
A spokesperson for Alstom Power confirmed this and added that in all aspects MikroPul’s bid satisfied the contract conditions. In addition to its bid being competitive, the company fully met the technical specifications, as well as the standard conditions applicable to contracts for Eskom projects, covering local content requirements, procurement of the majority of materials and components from BEE companies and the training obligations in accordance with ASGISA.
The spokesperson added that Alstom Power was also impressed by the fact that MikroPul was able to commit to 88% local content for all the primary equipment involved, of which the bulk is to be procured from BEE sources, including black women owned (BWO) companies.
The equipment, all supplied ex-factory for installation by Alstom Power or its designated installation subcontractors under MikroPul supervision, includes ventilation ductwork, fans and accessories, electrical motor control centres, cables and racking. A total of 342 axial flow fans ranging in power from 3 kW to 45 kW will be supplied for each power station.
This schematic diagram shows the positioning of the various elements of one of the turbine hall ventilation systems on any one of Medupi power station’s six generation units.
The ventilation systems for the first unit of Medupi are due to be supplied towards the end of the first quarter of next year, with the final delivery scheduled for the second quarter of 2012, while the first delivery for Kusile is set at the first quarter of 2011 and the final delivery in early-2013.
