Hidroituango: They doubt that the first turbine will start generating on July 26 - Medellín - Colombia

A new controversy surrounds Hidroituango, the mega-project that exceeded 87% progress and that promises to generate 17% of the country’s energy.

This time it has to do with the schedule for the commissioning of the first of the eight 300 MW (Megawatt) generation turbines.

While EPM reported months ago that July 26 is the date on which the first turbine will start operatinga letter dated February 21 was released from the construction consortium CCC Ituango, indicating that the schedules do not conform to the date announced by EPM.

“According to the programming that we know, the critical route for the entry into operation of the first unit is marked by the shielding of the pipes and upper elbows, as well as the concrete around them, and whose completion is expected andl start of tests with water for the month of October 2022. In this way, we highlight that the activities that the consortium has been developing are focused on achieving that goal”, says the letter from the consortium.

Finally, in the document, EPM is requested to disclose the strategies proposed to reach generation by the end of July so that CCC Ituango evaluates the action plans to be implemented to contribute to achieving that goal.

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EPM responds

Also through a statement, EPM confirmed that July 26 is the date on which Hidroituango will start generating power with the first turbine.

“Thanks to the technical progress that has been made in accordance with the technical work schedules carried out by more than 80 contracting companies that are developing it (not only CCC Ituango), insists that July 26, 2022 will be the date for the entry into operation of the first unit power generator”, expressed EPM.

However, William Giraldo Jiménez, Vice President of Power Generation Projects at EPM, has stated on several occasions that the schedules for a project the size of Hidroituango have a level of uncertainty.

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The CCC Ituango Consortium is not the only firm doing powerhouse work: there are more than 80 contracting companies

“Within the critical path of the Ituango generating units is the installation of the shielding of the vertical wells, which has not advanced at the required speed in the lower elbows. However, it is expected that, in the installation of the metal shielding of the straight part of these wells, a reduction in time will be achieved. This will be evaluated in these following months, since the installation is just beginning in that area.Giraldo explained.

Once said evaluation is made, the yields obtained will be determined, both in the installation of the pipes by the ATB company, and of the concrete by the construction Consortium.

“On the other hand, the installation of the electromechanical equipment and the commissioning tests do not depend at all on the work of the construction Consortium and begin months after the last concrete has been placed in the generating units,” said the official. Vice President of Power Generation Projects at EPM.

MEDELLIN

In Valle del Cauca they expect to start an important project in April - Cali - Colombia

Last week, in Valle del Cauca there was rejoicing over the announcement by the National Infrastructure Agency (ANI), that in 15 days the final specifications of the Buga – Buenaventura Double Lane project will be posted.

The announcement was made by the director of the ANI, Manuel Felipe Gutiérrez, during the Technical Monitoring Table for the Department’s Strategic Infrastructure Projects.

The current state of the Mulaló – Loboguerrero road project, which is paralyzed. The Director of the ANI stated that next April an agreement could be reached with the concessionaire to unblock the project and start the works.

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In this regard, Olga Lucía Ramírez, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, stated: “We are working on a formula that will allow us to reactivate this project. The idea is that by Easter, in the company of the control entities, we can have a formula to be able to start the works”.

For his part, the director of the Interunion and Business Committee of Valle del Cauca (Ciev), Edwin Maldonado, welcomed the announcements made by the National Government through the ANI: “An agreement has been reached with the concessionaire of the Mulaló – Loboguerrero road. most likely from April they can start the pre-construction works of this work that we have been aware of these years, “he said.

Regarding the dual carriageway, the union spokesman said that “it shows that it is going to be possible this year, before the end of this government, to materialize and make viable the projects that we have promoted for many years.”

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Maldonado stressed that it is important that the necessary resources have been obtained so that the definitive specifications of the Buga – Buenaventura concession come out so that it is finally completely finished.

The table discussed the dredging of Buenaventura Bay, a project that has been on hold for several years. The National Government said that work should be done on the design studies for the deepening of the bay to be clear under what methodology and with what resources this project can be made a reality.

The project to modernize the Palmira and Buenaventura airports, through a new concession, was also discussed.

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Hidroituango: what is missing for the first turbine to start operating - Medellín - Colombia

One of the three pending challenges that the Ituango hydroelectric project has for the first power generation unit to come into operation on July 26 of this year had a new advance recently, after the visit of the National Environmental Licensing Authority (ANLA).

The technical team of the National Authority for Environmental Licenses, from February 7 to 11, made the control and follow-up visit to this project and validated that EPM is taking the pertinent actions to overcome the contingency that occurred in 2018.

The ANLA visited the works in general, the powerhouse, the left and right margins of the landfill, the reservoir, the monitoring center and other sites of interest, in order to carry out the analysis and verification of the information presented in the report. the Chilean company Pöyry.

Although the environmental authority did not say more about the visit, it did announce that its technical team will continue with the analysis of the document and recalled that the ANLA makes pronouncements through administrative acts.

This is considered progress in one of the challenges of the project, which is to recover the environmental license with the Pöyry report, which was requested in 2018 by the ANLA as an expert opinion on the stability conditions of Hidroituango.

The report was delivered at the end of December 2021 and it depends on it that the environmental authority lift Resolution 820 so that the project can be continue with the works other than those exclusive to the contingency.

Hidroituango power cables. Each one has a diameter of 13.3 centimeters and can reach 600 meters.

Due to the pandemic, the visits of the international experts could not be carried out, so the report had a delay of approximately a year and a half to be delivered.

Jorge Andrés Carrillo -general manager of EPM- indicated in January that it will be the Anla, within the framework of its powers, that must inform, communicate or require everything related to said report on the current stability of the project and the operation of the future generation center.

“Due to the pandemic, the visits of the international experts could not be carried out, so the report had a delay of approximately a year and a half to be delivered. This is an opinion and not a root cause study of what happened in the contingencyCarrillo clarified.

The manager clarified that the start-up of Hidroituango depends on the recovery of said environmental license.

Panoramic view of Hidroituango.

Precisely, this report warns about the risk of the landfill, which is still in operation and is a work that it is not made to be in constant operation.

In this regard, EPM indicated that this is their main concern and made it clear that the only option to evacuate the water, other than the landfill, is through the generation units, that is, for Hidroituango to start operating.

The other two earrings

The first major challenge is the auxiliary diversion gallery, which was plugged in 2018 and caused the current contingency.

William Giraldo, Vice President of Power Generation Projects at EPM, explained that in 2019, as a result of this contingency, the two gates installed in this gallery, weighing 300 tons each, were closed to prevent the passage of water.

Hidroituango power house.

With the pumping of the water that was in this area, it was possible to enter sufficient personnel and machinery to carry out the proper cleaning and removal of debris and mud.

In the last days of January “it was possible to enter the auxiliary diversion gallery (GAD), a very positive fact for the recovery of the project and for the tranquility of the communities located downstream. With the pumping of the water that was in this It was possible to enter the area with sufficient personnel and machinery to carry out the proper cleaning and removal of debris and mud,” Giraldo said.

The other challenge to start operating is that the powerhouse, the ‘heart of Hidroituango’, which was flooded for 271 days, is adequate.

Currently, work is underway to put the first two generation units into service, in July and October of this year.

“The civil works of the first generation unit have already been completed and work has begun on the installation of electromechanical equipment and the control and installation of all auxiliary services. In the generation 2 unit, the emptying of the remaining concrete is carried out. It is estimated that in a month it would be reaching level 217, the same level where unit 1 is located and where the work is leveled out so that it begins to operate in October,” Giraldo said.

MEDELLIN