Royal HaskoningDHV was victorious at last week’s CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards cleaning up in the projects categories with three awards and their Young Professionals won the award for the Job Shadow Competition.
Eskom with the Braamhoek Consultants Joint Venture (BCJV) comprising GIBB, Royal HaskoningDHV and Knight Piésold for the Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme.
In the category for Engineering Excellence for projects with a value of greater than R250-million, the Braamhoek Consultants Joint Venture (BCJV) comprising GIBB, Royal HaskoningDHV and Knight Piésold won the award for the Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme for Eskom.
Royal HaskoningDHV won the award in the category for projects less than R50-million for the National DST/Mintek NIC Cleanroom Facility for the Department of Science and Technology.
In the category for projects with a value between R50 and R250-million they received a Commendation for the Condale 33/6.6 kV Substation for Mogale City Local Municipality.
These prestigious awards held at Vodacom World in Midrand on 17 August this year were a celebration of innovation, quality, outstanding workmanship and professionalism in the industry. The event is a platform to showcase the important role that infrastructure plays in the sustainable development of our country. The Awards focus on consulting engineers and their clients who participate in or initiate projects that promote the advancement of our nation and the people of the continent.
Salani Sithole, Royal HaskoningDHV managing director, speaking as part of the Braamhoek Joint Venture stated, “An incredible milestone was achieved this year when the Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme started generating power. This peaking hydropower station will contribute significantly towards economic growth by alleviating power shortages during peak demand times – something South Africa so desperately needs”.
The Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme
This is a multi-billion-rand project located near Van Reenen in the Little Drakensberg and has a generating capacity of 1 332 MW. The development of Ingula is a true example of how infrastructure development and nature can work together to enhance economic growth to everyone’s benefit. The environment significantly influenced the project’s design and execution to create a ‘sense of place’. The project, which started with feasibility studies in the 1980s, required numerous detailed studies, extensive planning, expert knowledge, state of the art designs, professional project management, dedicated personnel, careful execution, strict quality control and unusual construction methods to finally reach the ultimate goal of generating power for the country. Ingula, which counts among the largest pumped storage schemes in the world; created a large number of temporary and permanent jobs and the future benefits of the scheme to the country are countless.
National DST/ Mintek NIC Cleanroom
The new R13-million National DST/ Mintek NIC Cleanroom facility is aimed at combating deadly diseases. The facility allows for the rapid development and production of diagnostic devices that are capable of diagnosing illnesses such as malaria in its early stages. Early diagnosis and subsequent treatment is a crucial life saver for those afflicted and is a major step forward in disease control for the country. Royal HaskoningDHV’s specialised Cleanrooms division is one of the few design specialists in the country capable of meeting the exacting specifications required for BSL 3 classified laboratories and ISO 3 cleanrooms.
Condale Substation
The existing Condale Substation built over 60 years ago was in need of an upgrade to handle the growing population of Mogale City and to ensure stable electricity supply for the expanding community. Royal HaskoningDHV was awarded the contract for a major upgrade with a value of R140-million. Condale is the only main infeed substation for the whole of Mogale City. One of the challenges of the project was that the entire substation was rebuilt under live yard conditions and safety was paramount as the substation was operating at full capacity during the upgrade.
