A stringent timeline of 22 months. Met before time.
Rewinding the clock back to April 2021, Sajith Abdul Azeez, Project Manager of PT&D IC’s TLALGHAF Substation Project for the Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA), distinctly recalls that he and his team were given just 22 months to complete the project. “No other contractor had attempted such a stringent target in DEWA’s network till then, but we are L&T.” He gives a smile that broadens as he adds, “We completed the project in time and are delighted to have won this,” he holds the L&T Construction Timely Delivery Award – 2023 that the project has won.
Our skilled and devoted team has demonstrated unparalleled technical prowess, overcoming challenges to ensure the seamless execution of this critical infrastructure project.
Sajith Abdul Azeez
Planning Manager
The 132/11 kV Tilal Al Ghaf Substation will power the upcoming Tilal Al Ghaf community being developed by Majid Al Futtaim. PT&D’s scope involved engineering, supply, installation, testing, and commissioning of 8 bays of 132 kV GIS, 3 Power Transformers, 71 bays of 11 kV Switchgears, associated protection panels, civil building, and HVAC, LSP,
& FPS systems.
A bright idea to gain initial momentum
With construction already underway for the villas in the area, the developer wanted to achieve energization by February 2023 to power the upcoming community through the substation. Planning Engineer, P. Vadivelu, shares that the team was keen to utilize the initial period to complete the engineering work early in the schedule. The engineering team proposed changes to DEWA, who agreed to the submission of the Overall Equipment Layout (OEL) in two stages, and by segregating the architectural and equipment details along with cable orientation, the team could proceed with the submission of the civil drawings and site activities.
Although in previous contracts document reviews were sequential, the team convinced the client to review and approve the entire set of 150 civil & MEP drawings in four bulk submissions. These stage-wise approvals went a long way in helping the team push forward with unhindered construction towards their 22-month goal.
Shaik Abdulla, Civil Construction Manager, demonstrated exceptional leadership in steering the civil construction aspects, contributing significantly to the record-breaking achievement of casting the raft within 134 days. “In a typical substation, a raft is cast in about 6–7 months after the award of contract. But since we won the confidence of DEWA and the developer, we arranged multiple workshops to secure design approvals in stages and completed casting the raft 2 months in advance!” Abdulla adds, visibly proud of their achievement.
Shaik Abdulla
Civil Construction Manager
In a typical substation, a raft is cast in about 6–7 months after the award of contract. We arranged multiple workshops to secure design approvals in stages and completed casting the raft 2 months in advance!
Meeting logistical hurdles with resilience
With the world just recovering from the pandemic, and the European market only regaining its feet, equipment procurement was still a tough nut to crack for the team because all their speed in civil work would have come to nought without readily available equipment. The team, however, met this challenge head-on.
M. Shajahan, Electrical Construction Manager, exhibited dedication and technical proficiency, playing a vital role in the seamless execution. “By obtaining the manufacturing clearances well before the PO dates, we were able to start procurement much earlier,” he notes with a knowing smile. “With travel banned, we opted for virtual Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs) that not only saved time in scheduling, processing, and overseas travel but, more importantly, gave us the added flexibility to secure the most crucial units of equipment in time.”
M. Shajahan
Electrical Construction Manager
We opted for virtual Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs) that not only saved time in scheduling, processing, and overseas travel but, more importantly, gave us the added flexibility to secure the most crucial units of equipment in time.
An addition to the scope? No trouble!
Even as construction was proceeding in high gear, there was a change in the external architecture of the substation buildings as the elevation had to match the adjacent buildings. “The developer requested us to propose suitable building architecture alternatives that harmonized with the concept of the overall community development,” Sajith relates. Promptly, the team proposed numerous options that least impacted their construction schedule and yet met DEWA’s requirements. “These were discussed, and finally, we went with an architecture with GRC panels; the fact that we were able to complete the project ahead of schedule, despite this addition in scope, adds to the sweetness of our success story,” he notes with a grin.
Energized ahead of time with an increase in margin, the project’s timely delivery is a commendable achievement in the DEWA network. “Our skilled and devoted team has demonstrated unparalleled technical prowess, overcoming challenges to ensure the seamless execution of this critical infrastructure project,” Sajith is all praise for his team. “This accomplishment not only reinforces L&T’s reputation for reliability and precision but also underscores our proactive approach to project management.”