Dutch engineered heavy lifting and transport company Mammoet has transported equipment for the expansion of the Kossodo Thermal Power Plant Project, from the Port of Takoradi in Ghana to Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, spanning a total distance of 1,400 km.
Following the arrival of cargo at the Kossodo project site, the site is now prepared for additional installation by way of skidding systems and jacking belonging to Mammoet.
Equipment for the power plant, manufactured by German multinational MAN Energy Solutions was comprised of three 59ton generators, three 325ton engines, three 16ton turbo chargers and two 80ton transformers. The dimensions of each piece of equipment range in height up to 6.6 meters, in width up to six meters and in length up to 13 meters.
Due to infrastructure constraints in the region, the project team was required to elevate over 1,000 overhead power lines in Ghana and Burkina Faso during transportation.
“This was one of the first projects in Africa where Mammoet and former ALE combined forces, just after the integration,” said William Soeters, Project Manager of Mammoet. “Right from the start, we worked as one team, facing challenges and solving them on the spot, as the crew was committed to deliver the critical cargo safely and within the timeframes set by the client.”
To facilitate transport of the cargo, the project team conducted a trial run of the route prior to final execution. As a result, the requisite bridge reinforcements and road modifications were performed by Mammoet ahead of time, in collaboration with the Electricity Company of Ghana and the Ghana Highway Authorities.
An additional challenge was posed by COVID-19 due to the closure of the borders between both countries, which curtailed movements across borders and affected the mobilization of the crew.
However, the progression of the project was ensured by the mobilization of the crew via a private charter flight as well as the administration of the requisite transport permits by the government authorities with the assistance of FRACHT France and Sonabel, owner of the power plant.
Through the provision of an additional 50 MW, the expansion of the Kossodo Thermal Power Plantwill grow national generation capacity by almost 20% upon completion, doubling the number of electricity consumers to one million.
The project is in line with Burkina Faso’s aim to increase electricity access from 20% to 80% by 2021, as part of its National Plan for Economic and Social Development.
