Aurecon

Electricity is the cornerstone of any economy, the constant supply of which is a crucial growth factor. Aurecon, in association with ACESCo - a local Libyan consulting company - was appointed in 2003 to provide services for electrical power supply construction projects in several locations in Libya, inclusive of an overhead transmission line in the Sahara desert.

The project consisted of the following components:

• 175 km 220 kV coastal power line from Bir-AlGhanam to Ruways
• 105 km 220kV inland power line from Sebha to Brakan
• Three 220/66/30 kV gas insulated switchgear (GIS) stepdown substations at Zawia (3 x 100 MVA transformers), Benghazi Central (3 x 100 MVA transformers) and Ras Lanouf (2 x 63 MVA and 2 x 100 MVA transformers).

Aurecon adopted a hands-on project management approach to deliver new electrical infrastructure, providing a broad range of services, including:

• Project management, including preparation of a project management manual for all three project components
• Review of project specifications and management of design review processes
• Facilitating the development and acceptance by GECOL of the detailed construction programmes which were prepared by the contractors
• Verifying critical item contractor orders and monitoring supplier delivery dates
• Attending factory tests to verify test methodology and results for specialist major items
• Performing regular on-site inspections of all stages of line and substation construction
• Attending commissioning tests and verifying the methodology, instrumentation and results
• Attending monthly contract site meetings and preparing regular monthly progress reports for each contract, as well as close-out reports for each contract
• Assisting selected ACESCo staff to integrate into the PM team and providing initial formal training, on-the-job coaching and training of ACESCo staff

In addition, Aurecon provided a group of 10 Libyan engineers with classroom training on site management systems, on-site skills training for site supervision, and the construction principles of overhead line and substation construction. This is a great example of how partnering with a local engineering firm can effectively transfer knowledge and skills. The newly constructed electrical infrastructure will ensure ongoing prosperity in Libya, as well as universal access to services.