TBM breakthrough achieved ahead of schedule at Laos hydro scheme

TBM breakthrough achieved ahead of schedule at Laos hydro scheme

A major milestone has been reached at the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydroelectric
project in southern Laos with completion of the 11.5km long headrace tunnel
excavation more than three months ahead of schedule.

Contractor Seli Overseas completed the excavation on March 18 using a
Terratec 5.74m diameter H43 Double Shield Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM).

Mucking out with rolling stock, Seli achieved impressive production rates
with the TBM during the course of the project - including a record-breaking
single month advance of 1005m in July 2016 - allowing the contractor to
finish excavation three and a half months ahead of schedule.

"This tunnelling experience has been very good," said Dario Vizzino, Project
Director for SELI Overseas. "The Terratec TBM is very powerful and has
performed extremely well. I think it is proof of the quality of the TBM, the
team and also all of the systems that we chose for this project."

The tunnel drive finished underground in a TBM disassembly chamber that was
excavated by drill and blast. The entire machine will now be dismantled and
its components will be brought all the way back through the tunnel.

The Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy Power Company's (PNPC) US$1.02 billion Xe-Pian
Xe-Namnoy Hydroelectric Power Project is located in an isolated area of
national park on the Bolaven Plateau, in the south of the Laos People's
Democratic Republic (PDR), approximately 35km northwest of the provincial
town of Attapeu and 80km east of the larger Mekong River town of Pakse.

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Link to Original Article:
http://www.waterpowermagazine.com/news/newstbm-breakthrough-achieved-ahead-o
f-schedule-at-laos-hydro-scheme-5772474

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com