Rural Electrification / Zambia
Installation and Commissioning of Electricity Grid Extension Lines and Transformers in Rural Areas.
Background
The Rural Electrification Authority (REA) in Zambia, is tasked with electrifying rural communities. Traditionally, these projects were commissioned by REA, but executed by the local power utility ZESCO. For a variety of reasons, this process was not working efficiently, and projects were either much delayed or simply not started and / or completed. REA decided, for the first time, and against much sceptical local opposition, to outsource the projects. The first International tenders were released in mid 2007, and BES Group was awarded 4 out of 5 lots, comprising over 200km of 33kV and 11kV line work, in the Northern, Eastern and Southern provinces.
Products & services supplied
In total, there were 11 separate projects, comprising a mixture of either 33kV or 11kV line and low voltage work. The projects connected local communities to the Grid, with many schools and medical centres receiving power for the first time. There was a great deal of heavy bush clearing in the initial stages, to clear the routes for the planting of 11, 12, 14 and 16 metre wood poles. Several rivers were spanned, with a real pressure to complete the work before the onset of the rains, which would have made several rivers and roads impassable. Stringing of the lines was completed, together with the erection of transformer H-pole structures and ground mounted transformers
Results
The projects were all completed within the required timescale and within budget, and were officially handed over to REA in July and August 2008. As a direct result of the success of these projects, REA Zambia is repeating this blueprint for Rural Electrification projects across Zambia and BES Group has been awarded numerous subsequent projects.
