Underwater Works at Hidroituango are Moving Forward
After their arrival at the main work site, the hydromechanical bulkheads or floodgates have already been submerged in the reservoir.
- Fecha de publicación
- 2023-08-31 00:00
- Titulo
- Underwater Works at Hidroituango are Moving Forward
- Contenido
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- After their arrival at the main work site, the hydromechanical bulkheads or floodgates have already been submerged in the reservoir.
- The underwater works are of the utmost importance for EPM and Hidroituango, since they allow restoring the hydraulic conditions of the intake tunnels.
- Construction progress at Hidroituango is at 91.77%.
Hidroituango continues its constructive progress towards the start- up of units three and four at the end of 2023. One of the work fronts with the most progress is underwater works, with various activities planned and the arrival of the hydromechanical bulkheads or floodgates at the main work site.
These floodgates were designed, manufactured and tested in Croatia exclusively for the characteristics and geometry of Hidroituango's intakes. They are not mass-produced or standardized equipment, but they do respond to worldwide engineering criteria and technical standards for structural and hydromechanical equipment, seeking to ensure the correct operation and functioning of the power generation plant.
The floodgates, which weigh close to 80 tons each, are installed by professional divers and with the support of specialized equipment, complemented by hyperbaric chambers. These chambers are used to protect divers from underwater pressure changes, which can be kept pressurized or living at the bottom of the Cauca River for up to 28 days while carrying out these activities.
Requiring highly precise and technically demanding maneuvers, the floodgates have already been assembled in the conduction system’s intakes. Previously, and as a complementary safety measure, these pieces underwent a new series of buoyancy tests before being immersed at a depth of 60 meters in the reservoir.
Key Works
In the next few days, the floodgates will be permanently anchored to the powerhouse conduction system. Once the water intakes have been sealed and secured, the equipment and qualified personnel will enter the ducts and begin removing the concrete plug, which is located in each of these conduits.
What are hydromechanical bulkheads or floodgates?
This equipment, initially installed in intakes three and four, will be used to contain the pressure (hydrostatic) of the water at a depth of 60 meters in the reservoir and in dry conditions. The hydromechanical floodgates will also allow site personnel to enter the ducts, move machinery to execute the remaining civil and mechanical works in this area, and restore the hydraulic conditions of these tunnels, which were affected in 2018.
Construction Progress
In light of the start-up of operation of units three and four in November 2023, work continues on other work fronts: the electromechanical assembly of the entire turbine-power generator set is progressing satisfactorily and is in its final stage, and the shielding of conduits three and four has been completed.
With respect to the second stage of Hidroituango, which includes power generation units five to eight, ferrule manufacturing (metal parts for greater stability) continues in preparation for what will later be the shielding of these tunnels.
In this way, Hidroituango's construction progress continues, in order to start operating turbines three and four of the power plant by the end of 2023, seeking to generate another 1,200 MW of clean and renewable energy, which will contribute to Colombia's development.