PLATFORM OPPORTUNITIES POST THE POWER PROGRAMME

The power programme is a project of massive magnitude and complexity and is an impressive feat of engineering.

“As the main boiler erection subcontractor for Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Africa, the Power & Water platform had 11 of the 12 boilers under construction and
commissioning and employed approximately 7 000 people on site at the height of construction” says Steve Harrison, Murray & Roberts Power & Water platform CEO.

As the end of the megaproject approaches, a focused marketing and business development drive has been pursuing project opportunities across sub-Saharan Africa.

“Given that the platform’s capacity over the last decade has been dedicated to the power programme, a key priority is to re-establish itself as a contractor of choice to new and existing clients in the broader power, energy, water and industrial sectors” says Steve.

The platform has established itself at Sasol, Secunda to provide civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, piping and platework services and has secured contracts on Sasol’s Volatile Organic Compounds project and the Coal Tar Filtration East project, in addition to smaller shutdown projects.

“We are also actively pursuing a number of mining-related contracts in the domestic and African markets as well as the paper and pulp sectors” continues Steve.

Significant opportunities exist in transmission and renewable energy markets, and the platform has concluded memoranda of understandings with power engineering and technology companies including Black & Veatch, Worley Parsons and Shanghai Electric Corporation.

Says Vusi Tsale, Business Development Director, “We have an appetite to secure projects in the oil and gas sector, which we will pursue in partnership with Clough.”
Along with Clough, part of the Oil & Gas platform, Murray & Roberts Power & Energy has service capabilities across the gas-to-power value chain of jetties, LNG storage,
regasification and power plants and is currently tracking several bulk refined products storage facilities projects.

Murray & Roberts Water provides turnkey water and wastewater treatment services and is focused on opportunities in mine-water and industrial-effluent treatment, municipal water and wastewater treatment and re-use, and seawater desalination.

Technology partnerships are producing a number of innovative solutions for clients. “We are currently commissioning a pilot plant at the Verulam Wastewater Treatment Plant using the Organica technology and will be operating it for 12 months” says Steve. Across the power, energy, water and industrial sectors, the platform has the capability to participate in the different stages of a project’s life cycle, from project preparation to operations, maintenance and repair.

“As we conclude the power programme, we have structured our resources and capabilities to deliver on small to medium sized projects for new and existing clients across sub-Saharan Africa” concludes Steve.

MURRAY & ROBERTS MOZAMBIQUE AWARDED SASOL TANK REPAIR CONTRACT

Murray & Roberts Mozambique has been awarded a contract by Sasol Petroleum for tank repair work at their natural gas project in Temane, Mozambique.

Sasol’s natural gas project involves cleaning and processing natural gas from the Temane and Pande gas fields in a 183 million gigajoules per annum central processing facility, and then sending the gas across a 865 kilometre pipeline to Sasol’s gas distribution network in Secunda, South Africa. The gas from the central processing facility is being used as feedstock for gas-topower plants in Sasolburg, South African and Ressano Garcia, Mozambique. These power plants produce approximately 40% less carbon emissions when compared to coal-fired electricity.

The contract awarded to Murray & Roberts Mozambique involves replacing the tank floor and repairing the floating roof of the Condensate Stock Tank TK9201 A, at the central processing facility plant. The tank floor plates have reduced to less than half of the original thickness. The slope is also uneven and not centred, which prevents heavy products from freely migrating to the sump. The slope will be corrected and the tank floor replaced with new plates. The sump and drain pipe will be also be replaced and an
assessment of the floating roof seal completed. Maintenance on the immediate tank facilities will also be done.

The project duration is five months and employees were mobilised to site during December. Local subcontractors were appointed for the mechanical and civil works and a total of 32 employees will be working on the project.

The contract is an important opportunity for Murray & Roberts Mozambique to demonstrate their capabilities for a major client on a strategic project.

MURRAY & ROBERTS WATER AWARDED CONTRACTS BY LIFE HEALTHCARE IN CAPE TOWN

Murray & Roberts Water have been awarded a contract by Life Healthcare to design, supply, fabricate and install a water treatment plant to produce safe, clean drinking water from borehole water.

The water treatment plant will service the Life Vincent Pallotti and Life Kingsbury hospitals in Cape Town, ensuring that the hospitals remain operational during the severe water shortage.

Says Gugu Phakathi, Murray & Roberts Water project engineer, “We are currently on site installing and commissioning the plant and expect it to be fully operational by the end of February.”

Life Vincent Pallotti requires 186 kilolitres per day and Life Kingsbury 86 kilolitres per day.

The water treatment plants were designed by Murray & Roberts Water and fabricated in-house by Aquamarine and can supply potable water complying with SANS 241:2015
using iron oxidation, pre-filtration and ultra-filtration to achieve an 80% recovery from the borehole.

The City of Cape Town has recommended the plant as the first plant inspected during the current drought period that fully complies with the City’s Regulations and Bylaws.