Message from Stefan Kipp EMD of AlBihouth
Welcome to our September newsletter. From the 16th of this month the restricted summer working hours ended, and our EPC contractor has resumed full 12-hour shifts during day and nighttime. We will see a progressive increase in staff on site as we begin the peak construction period for both civil and process teams. This acceleration will run through until the start of plant commissioning, scheduled in Q3 2026. I am pleased to report that works inside the TAQA Substation have started this month, with trial pits and soil analysis undertaken. This marks the start of the civil and process erection works necessary to enable our EPC contractor to connect export power cables from our plant to the Abu Dhabi power grid. Our EPC contractor has also mobilized a dedicated electrical engineer to site who is developing the necessary technical documents and system testing protocols required to comply with the grid operator’s procedures.
Project Summary to Date
Supporting steel structures called Cubes are erected, onto which the process equipment -such as boilers, pumps, electrical motors etc- are then fitted. Cube 121 was erected this month, and we expect the first section of membrane walls to be lifted into position in line 2 very shortly. The ram feeder and complete combustion grate in line 1 are now installed, and sections of the economizer units are in place in the pre-assembly area ready for installation. The permanent staircase access to the 8-meter level in line 2 has been completed this month, allowing crews to get to the combustion grate level without the constraints of scaffolding ladders and safety harnesses. All twelve superheater bundles have been delivered into storage in the waste bunker, and process steam connecting pipework headers have been delivered to the northside laydown area. Vibrating table units from the bottom ash collection process are now installed in line 2, and work to install these in line 1 will start in October.
In the northside pre-assembly area, membrane wall units continue to be welded together, and works to lift these into position will start in October. High level erection requires the use of fixed and mobile cranes, and laydown areas have to be controlled carefully to ensure there is sufficient space for mobile cranes to maneuver and get set up for lifting. Civil works are progressing well, with sub-surface fire water and sewage piping being installed this month.
The administration building is now at third floor level, and the main access staircase has been cast to full height, using the slip form hydraulic jacking system. The turbine building structure is completed on 3 sides, and our EPC contractor will be able remove the temporary support bracing in October. The rebar structure for the main and auxiliary transformer bay walls are being erected this month. These walls must be sufficiently thick to provide blast protection in the event of major transformer failures and fires. Transformer bays will also be provided with fire deluge systems called drenchers, that suppress any fires with a curtain of water spray. Water used for firefighting, and any residual oil runoff following fires are collected in a subsurface pit. This must be large enough to collect fire water runoff from the fire protection system for up to two hours of use. The infilling of the walls in the compressor building is underway using block work, and the side wall rebar structures of the IBA (Incineration Bottom Ash) area have been formed, awaiting shuttering and concrete pouring.
The main staircase shaft on the east side of the boiler hall has now been cast to full height and works in the workshop and storage building are at first floor level.
Our EPC contractor is mobilizing an additional process steel subcontractor to site, Jurong EL, whose staff will begin their work in October.
HSE Update
The end of the summer season has prompted the role out of our next Safety Campaign, that will focus on safe height working and Drop Zone awareness. Our safety campaigns reflect current site risks, and the increase of high-level erection works require us to focus on the importance of avoiding dropped objects, and restricting people from areas directly beneath teams working above. This requires a high degree of coordination between our teams who are increasingly working on multiple levels in the construction area. Additional awareness training and safety briefings are provided to our teams, with supporting banners and notices posted around the construction site and in the rest areas. The onsite HSE team will also focus on drop zone implementation during inspections. Our team is currently reviewing safety data gathered to identify trends that can be used to make changes to site works and further improve safety.