ecchelmet Bringing power to the middle of the
Sahara Desert
Rehabilitation and Upgrading of the Electricity Network in the Hassi Berkine Basin Project
MLN ss Mobile Substation
By the very nature of their projects, teams from PT&D IC are used to working in adverse environments and demanding operating conditions, but those do not get any more challenging than in the middle of the Sahara Desert. “We are working in some extremely remote and hostile terrains, and often it is an extremely isolating experience with very little mobile or road connectivity,” says Project Director, Rajeev Somvanshi, grimly, who is executing in Algeria’s Hassi Berkine region. “However, we understand the criticality of the project to our client and are doing our best to deliver despite some overwhelming odds.”
We are working in some extremely remote and hostile terrains and often it is an extremely isolating experience with very little mobile or road connectivity. However, we understand the criticality of the project to our client and are doing our best to deliver despite some overwhelming odds.
Rajeev Somvanshi
Project Director
ORD ss Mobile Substation
The project is certainly of great significance to the client, SONATRACH, Alegria’s national state-owned oil company for the existing electricity network is old, outdated, and unable to meet the growing demand for electricity from the oil & gas and other industries and L&T’s mandate is to rehabilitate and upgrade the electricity network. The advantages are many: it will improve the reliability of electricity supply, bring down its cost, and reduce the risk of power outages & disruptions to SONATRACH’s operations. More importantly, it will boost economic activity in the region by creating jobs and generating revenue.
Managing people of diverse cultures and backgrounds had its unique set of challenges. Thanks to our comprehensive safety training, we have created an environment where workers are comfortable and aligned to follow all the safety protocols and feel confident about reporting safety hazards such as unsafe acts, unsafe conditions and near misses.
Eghie Philemon Braimah
EHSO
With so much at stake Rajeev, his Project Manager, Lounes Kara, EHSO, Eghie Philemon Braimah and team of hardy employees and workers have a lot riding on them, and they are right at it in the heat of it all.
We conduct thorough risk assessments for all identified hazards and have prepared method statements for all activities, duly approved by the client.
Lounes Kara
Project Manager
A host of EHS challenges to overcome
Traversing harsh territory: Movement of men, material and equipment is a major challenge in the Hassi Berkine Basin and one is able to empathize with Rajeev’s comment of “an isolating experience” when one appreciates the true remoteness of their site. “All the 8 substations are located within a 400 km radius from our base camp, with the nearest town 400 km away,” Eghie notes with a shake of his head. “We have to drive long distances to respond to emergencies and to aggravate matters, there are security issues for expats in these remote regions, with unnerving reports of terrorism and kidnappings from the area.”
Being brownfield substations, many are old and poorly maintained with obsolete equipment that are no longer available in the market or not even being manufactured that makes it difficult to procure them, along with the accompanying issues of identifying & assessing hazards and implementing safety controls.
Working in a ‘live’ and confined environment: A huge responsibility for Lounes and Eghie is to ensure the safety of their team when executing on substations with energized equipment. “Of course, we face huge risks of electrocution and other electrical accidents, but we are acutely aware of them and hence are extra vigilant,” says Eghie with a tight smile. “Transformers, switchgears, and cable vaults are all in confined spaces, that calls for special precautions to protect workers from oxygen deficiency, toxic fumes, and flammable atmospheres.” Substation equipment can be heavy and bulky, containing hazardous materials such as asbestos and lead, that requires specialized equipment and training to safely lift and move them.
Working at heights and in extreme heat and cold: Several tasks to rehabilitate and upgrade the substation involve working at heights and all safety protocols are strictly adhered to ensure that people remain safe. The weather can be very unkind in the desert and Eghie and team realize the importance of keeping the team safe from the high risk of heat stress, hypothermia, and sand dust.
BRN Substation
Armed to tackle their hurdles
In the face of some stiff odds, the team stands committed to Mission Zero Harm and, of course, successfully delivering their project. “We conduct thorough risk assessments for all identified hazards and have prepared method statements for all activities, duly approved by the client,” mentions Lounes. All site activities are carried out through the client’s Permit to Work system, with safety inspections and audits conducted by the project’s EHS committee, who conduct regular EHS reviews too with all stakeholders, including subcontractor personnel.
The importance of EHS training: Appreciating the importance of EHS training, the team ensures that all subcontractors’ workers and staff are properly trained about the hazards associated with their work, safety controls implemented, and workers constantly supervised to ensure that they follow safe work practices. Cardinal safety rules are strictly implemented and followed for working at heights and in confined spaces, during mechanical lifting operations, when handling hazardous materials, and operating electrical equipment.
Building a robust safety culture: “Managing people of diverse cultures and backgrounds had its unique set of challenges,” notes Eghie, referring to the challenges of developing a robust safety culture at their project that is critical for their continued success. “Thanks to our comprehensive safety training, we have created an environment where workers are comfortable and aligned to follow all the safety protocols and feel confident about reporting safety hazards such as unsafe acts, unsafe conditions and near misses.”
To mitigate the security challenges of the Hassi Berkine Basin, armed military forces escort expats as they travel to and from the project sites. All drivers are frequently trained on defensive driving, and a vehicle gate pass system monitors vehicle movement in the sites.
Digitalization driving EHS: The project team uses a variety of digital tools to maintain safety including the SHEiLD
& WISA apps, VR for training, and more. “The SHEiLD app helps to identify unsafe acts or conditions; a worker once used it to report a loose railing on a scaffold,” remarks Eghie. The report was investigated, and the railing was repaired within hours, preventing a potential fall hazard. The WISA app has improved compliance with safety regulations. For example, the app is used to track workers’ work hours and ensure that they are not working overtime, which has reduced the risk of fatiguerelated accidents. VR training is helping to develop workers’ skills in safetycritical tasks like safely operating highvoltage electrical equipment.
4.5 million safe manhours clocked and counting: Eghie is delighted that with their comprehensive safety measures, the project has clocked 4.5 million safe manhours as on 31st October 2023 that is worthy of the awards they have won. A RoSPA Silver in 2021 and a BSC Safety Award for Health and Safety Performance in 2022 top the list apart from their client’s accolades and appreciation for exemplary quality & safety of work and for safety milestones like safely completing Stages 1 and 2 with zero LTI. Internally, they have bagged the BU Annual EHS Trophy consecutively in 2021 & 2022 and the IC-level Digital Trophy in 2022.
Rajeev, Lounes, Eghie, and team have a lot to be proud of and we can only wish them the very best to stay the course, keep overcoming stiff challenges to deliver a tough project successfully, both timely and safely!