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08 Oct 2012CONSTRUCTION: A Double Whammy for Cosira at Kusile Power Station
Recent Gauteng Business News
In addition to the ongoing construction of the steam turbine hall for the power station in a joint venture with Tubular and the WFGD Project in consortium with Alstom, we have now been awarded two new power station related projects. With our combined knowledge and experience regarding the stringent requirements of the power industry in general and Eskom and Kusile Power Station in particular, we were considered to be a very strong contender for the Kusile stockyard and terrace contracts, says John da Silva, Chief Executive Officer for the Cosira Group.
The scope of work on both of the contracts entails the detailing, supply, fabrication, galvanising, delivery, erection and commissioning of structural and conveyor steelwork. The stockyard contract, with 2 300 tons of steel, commenced in March 2012 and is due for completion in December 2013. The coal and ash handling terrace involves 3 000 tons of steel and has a project timeline of 42 months, with commissioning scheduled for July 2016.
Allard van Dijk, Project Manager for the terrace project, points out that Cosira will draw on the knowledge, expertise and intellectual property of its draughting office, project execution department, construction department, and plant and logistics division to ensure that they meet all the stipulated requirements of the contract.
Our in-house fabrication facility allows us to mitigate against risk for the critical scope of the works. In addition, our experience in scheduling deliveries timeously and in accordance with construction schedules, while monitoring and maintaining performance levels to the nth degree, provides Bateman Africa with the confidence levels so necessary on a project of this magnitude, adds van Dijk.
In addition to Cosiras own skills pool, we have subcontracted niche functions such as the galvanising, handrails and grating, to companies who specialise in these areas. In this way, the client will be assured of the highest possible quality levels on all deliverables, says Reinaldo Pinheiro, Project Manager for the stockyard project.
We have been asked to execute a phased delivery for both contracts in accordance with the overall construction programme and we will undertake all fabrication off-site, says da Silva. We will use a combination of our own transportation and additional delivery services sourced from black-owned and black women-owned small medium and micro-enterprises (SMMEs) from the communities surrounding the project site.
The contract awards were contingent upon two prerequisites over and above the companys construction capabilities. We were required to employ preferential procurement procedures and a very specific training programme was outlined for execution, says Pinheiro.
In addition to the fact that we are currently upskilling our own personnel, we are also required to source and train candidates from the local community. On the terrace contract we need to train six mechanical technicians to PR status (professionally registered and recognised); six mechanical artisans to N3 level; three coded welders and six general workers to a skilled level. The stockyard requirement is for two mechanical technicians to PR status; two mechanical artisans to N3 level; one coded welder and four general workers, Pinheiro explains.
The fact that the Cosira Group was concurrently awarded two further very substantial contracts for the Kusile power station project, is verification of our reputation as a steel fabrication company that has proved itself in a tough and demanding industry. Leveraging our previous experience in the power industry and our capabilities in the marketplace, we will provide the client with a high level of fabrication to meet the stringent requirements of the overall project, Da Silva concludes.
Business News Sector Tags: Energy| Construction|
