Work is progressing well on South Africa’s Mossel Bay desalination plant project, according to a report by marine services provider SMIT Amandla Marine.
The Cape Town-based company submitted a tender to provide marine services on the project last September and subsequently won the contract.
The company has been contracted to supply a number of services, including ‘pulling in’ two high density polyethylene pipes of 900mm and 600mm diameter respectively. The company’s dive team carried out preparation work for this part of the project, entailing the placing and pulling in of anchors, and the positioning of five ton concrete mooring blocks in various locations.
SMIT Amandla was also called upon to provide dredging services due to unforeseen circumstances requiring sand to be dredged from inside the cofferdam through which the pipes will be pulled.
The company said its dive team began dredging sand in early December; and the two pipelines have been pulled in and will now be sunk and connected to an onshore pump station. This will be followed by the installation of intake and diffuser manifolds to be used for the two pipes, weighing 15 tons and seven tons respectively.
SMIT Amandla Marine has been operational in South Africa for around 30 years. The company’s services include in-port bunker delivery; the management of offshore tanker terminals and subsea services; offshore support and supply; environmental protection; coastal towage; vessel management; and marine emergency response support.
The seawater desalination plant is being built at a cost of R210 million at Voorbaai in Mossel Bay and will have capacity to produce 15 million litres of desalinated seawater a day. The plant is expected to be completed and operational within the next few weeks.
