December 2008 - Halcrow

Hydro powers
India’s progress
India’s thirst for power will be partially quenched by
two colossal hydroelectric schemes. While the Indian
population currently uses 600kWh a head per year
against a global average of 2,596kWh, the country’s
rocketing economy and increased affluence is fuelling
a growing demand for electricity.
Halcrow will provide detailed design and engineering
services for the Bhyunderganga and Khiraoganga
hydroelectric power projects, converting the flowing
Alakananda River into electricity.
Nestled in the Himalayas, the Bhyunderganga scheme
lies upstream of the aptly-named Valley of Flowers and
Sikh Hemkund Sahib shrine – both sites of significant
international importance.
The remote location poses challenges for the project
team, which must overcome a complete lack of road
access to the site. Construction on both schemes will
begin in February 2009.
Broadlands – best
in the business
Halcrow has aced its recent Health, Safety,
Environment and Quality Assessment (SHEQA)
delivered by the Achilles Group, an external
industry auditor.
Broadlands Environmental Services – Halcrow’s
joint venture with contractor Edmund Nuttall –
received glowing praise for its near-perfect scores, ranging between 95 per
cent and a flawless 100 per cent. This compares to an industry average of 65 per cent.
Contracted to upgrade the flood defences protecting the Norfolk Broads over
20 years, the team improves and maintains over 250km
of flood bank through a £100 million pathfinder scheme.
The strengthened defences shield sites brimming with
natural beauty, home to substantial lizard and water
vole populations. The team’s inventive approaches to
ecological protection – such as staggering the project
to enable the relocation of animals to other sites – won
it special mention.
Work is nearing completion
on the River Bure at Stracey Mill
Top marks
for joint venture
95 per cent for environment
96 per cent for health and safety
100 per cent for quality
65 per cent – industry average
Safely does it
Halcrow’s initial planning and clear communications
were rewarded by excellent marks for health and
safety. Ongoing collaboration with the project’s partners ensured
risk assessments identified any hazards early on. And major safety
benefits for the public are anticipated as a result of the team’s drive
to improve railway crossing signage, working with Network Rail.
The project team includes Iftikhar Drabu,
Nadeem Ahmed, Pradeep Jain and Swarn Singh
Project fast facts
Client: Super Hydro Electric Power Private
Bhyunderganga
Generation capacity – 24MW
Weir elevation – 2,240m
Power house elevation – 1,720m
Head race tunnel – 3,500m
Time frame for completion – three years
Khiraoganga
Generation capacity – 3MW
Time frame for completion – two years
A grand
scheme
Success on a large scale for
UK north urban water team
The urban water team in Halcrow’s
UK north region has been reaping
sizeable rewards through its ‘large
schemes’ framework with
Yorkshire Water, working with
contractor Laing O’Rourke.
Rob Grant inspects the final effluent at the Knostrop works
Months of detailed planning – led by Peter White and Mark O’Brien – paid off
when the team successfully commissioned the first phase of the £35 million
refurbishment of Knostrop wastewater treatment works – one of Yorkshire’s largest
sewage works.
Elsewhere, the successful ‘design and build’ team undertook the £13 million
upgrade to Nutwell water treatment works. The scheme involves the blending of
seven different borehole sources in a fully automated and OPEX-optimised process.
multi-modal transport planning services.
Transport minister John Watkins said: “This
is the biggest public transport challenge
we have faced in this city.” RailCorp chief
executive Rob Mason expected 500,000
people to travel on the trains, compared with
175,000 on a normal day.
Thousands lined the streets to catch a rare
glimpse of the Austrian head of the Catholic
Church in his famous Pope-mobile.
Their third major win was the Harrogate South wastewater treatment works. The
project – involving the design and construction of a wastewater activated sludge
plant and sludge treatment works – is now well underway.
Following the floods suffered in Hull in 2007, a ‘quick-fix’ refurbishment of the
Bransholme pumping station was called for. Using two large submersible pumps,
Halcrow provided a short-term solution to this very public problem.
And after customers complained of odour and taste problems with their water
supply, the dynamic duo were called in again – this time to design and construct a
major pipeline and pumping station to transfer potable water in the York area.