In a high-stakes race against time, construction giant Concor has delivered a critical intervention at Eskom’s beleaguered Kusile power station. Faced with the sudden collapse of the West Chimney, a vital component of Unit 1, Concor stepped in to build three towering steel flue gas stacks, restoring crucial power generation capacity to a nation grappling with crippling blackouts.
The urgency of the situation demanded a swift and decisive response. Juan Passmore, Concor’s Project Director, described the project as a “temporary” solution, built under immense pressure to deliver rapidly. “The tight deadlines required the team to execute the project rapidly while ensuring that materials and subcontractors were available to meet the demands,” Passmore explained.
The sheer scale of the project was daunting. Each of the three stacks, standing 116 metres tall with a 7-metre internal diameter, required 605 tons of steel and 4,776 galvanized pre-tensioned bolts. Concor, in collaboration with ICC Commonwealth, opted for steel due to its availability and suitability for the accelerated construction schedule.
Fabrication took place in a controlled environment at Vanderbijlpark, minimizing on-site work and ensuring quality control. Concor’s subcontractor operated around the clock, producing the stacks in segments that were then transported to Kusile for assembly.
“Site installation was meticulously planned,” Passmore revealed. “High-capacity cranes were used to assemble the stacks on-site, with operations carefully timed to avoid wind and lightning risks.”
The temporary nature of the stacks meant they were coated with a single layer of primer, and foundations were laid using 16 piled foundations per stack. Helical strakes were added to counteract wind effects, ensuring the structures’ stability.
The rapid completion of this complex project underscores Concor’s ability to deliver under extreme pressure. With South Africa’s energy security hanging in the balance, Concor’s work at Kusile represents a crucial step towards restoring stability to the nation’s power grid. Passmore concluded, “Concor’s successful completion of this fast-track project underscores our capability to manage complex, time-sensitive projects in challenging environments, solidifying our leadership in the South African construction industry.”