The Civil Engineering Contractor January 2019 | Page 12

CONTRACTORS ON SITE
In a bid to empower local construction companies, the Lesotho
Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) hosted a series of
workshops to explain the procurement framework for Phase
Two of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP). The
first workshop was held at the Free State’s Bethlehem town
hall, and another at Floreat Hall in Bloemfontein. The LHDA
called on all registered construction companies in Gauteng
and the Free State to participate in the remaining workshops
held in October.
The LHDA hopes to improve compliance and participation
in the LHDA’s works as well as share lessons learnt from
previous tender submissions. Phase Two of the LHWP
is expected to increase the current water supply rate of
780-million m 3 /year incrementally to more than 1.26-billion
m 3 /year. This phase of the project will be implemented in
terms of two distinct components: a water delivery system
to augment the delivery of water to South Africa, and a
hydropower generation system, which will increase the
current electricity generation capacity in Lesotho. nn
Sirius Solar design phase
Construction of the 75MW Sirius Solar Photovoltaic (PV)
energy facility is in the design phase. The facility will be
situated approximately 20km south-west of Upington, in
the Northern Cape. This forms part of the fourth round
of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer
Procurement (REIPPP) programme for which Sirius was
awarded preferred bidder status. The Energy Minister, Jeff
Radebe, signed the power purchase agreements of 27 new
REIPPP projects in April 2018.
This came after a South African court granted an order
stopping the state-owned utility from signing deals with
independent producers for renewable power projects worth
R56-billion. The interdict, brought by the National Union of
N12 Section 19:
Half Diamond Interchange
Bophelong Construction has been awarded the tender
for the construction of the more than R1-billion Half
Diamond Interchange on the N12 Section 19 at Alliance
Road, including the widening of N12 Section 19 between
the existing Kingsway Interchange and the new Alliance
Road Interchange, as well as two local link roads in
Daveyton, Gauteng. The contract duration is 24 months.
A contracts manager within the company is not yet
appointed and the contractor is not on site as yet.
The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality
pursued the idea of the proposed N12/Alliance Road
10 | CEC January 2019
Water
LHDA assists SA construction
companies
The former President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, led a
government delegation to the Kingdom of Lesotho on 27 March
2014. The purpose of this visit was for President Zuma and
the Prime Minister of Lesotho HE Mr Tom Thabane to do a sod
turning for Phase II of the LHWP.
Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and Transform RSA,
followed a pending application to block Eskom Holdings
SOC Ltd from signing the power purchase agreements.
The union argued in court papers that the utility already has
excess capacity and signing the deals would force coal-fired
power plants to shut down, resulting in job losses.
The Sirius project’s equity structure comprises Scatec
Solar (42%), Scatec Solar Upington Local Community
Trust (40%), and Norfund (18%). According to Scatec’s
presentation on the project to the National Energy Regulator
of South Africa, the project will have a contracted capacity of
75MW and feature horizontal single-axis tracker technology.
The project comprises 37 inverters and 277 polycrystalline
modules. Grid connection will be through the on-site Sirius
switching station, which will connect to the Upington main
transmission substation. nn
Interchange, in Daveyton, after the community identified
the need for improved access to the area over 10 years
ago. The project was initiated by the municipality;
however, it was delayed since Sanral’s buy-in was
essential, as the interchange would ultimately fall under its
jurisdiction. It was therefore required that the designs
adhere to the specifications and standards of both parties.
The project includes the construction of a half-
diamond off-ramp, the N12-eastbound and an
on-ramp, the N12-westbound between Alliance Road
and the N12 highway, as well as the widening of the
N12 freeway between the Kingsway Interchange
and the new Alliance Road Interchange, to
accommodate auxiliary lanes between the two
interchanges. nn
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