Steel Structure Project for Zimbabwe Power Plant
Steel Structure Construction Project for Hwange Thermal Power Plant
Zimbabwe Power Utility Corporation Strategic Cooperation
Project Overview
In 2024, we entered into a strategic cooperation with Zimbabwe Power Utility Corporation to undertake the steel structure construction project for a thermal power plant located in Hwange, Zimbabwe. This project is a key part of Zimbabwe’s national power grid upgrading plan, aiming to improve the country’s power supply capacity, alleviate the long-term power shortage problem, and lay a solid foundation for local industrial development and people’s daily life. As a large-scale energy infrastructure project, the steel structure part undertakes the core load-bearing function of the power plant, covering the main plant, boiler steel frame, coal storage shed, and auxiliary facilities, with a total usage of 7200 tons of structural steel.
Client Requirements & Challenges
Against the background of Zimbabwe’s urgent demand for power construction, the client put forward strict requirements for the project: it must adapt to the local tropical savanna climate, resist high-temperature, heavy rainfall and occasional strong winds, ensure long-term stable operation under high-load working conditions, comply with Zimbabwe’s national building standards and international power industry safety specifications, and complete the construction within the scheduled time to realize early grid connection and power generation. In response to these demands, we set up a professional project team, combined with the characteristics of power plant steel structure and local construction conditions, to formulate a customized implementation plan.
Innovative Design Solutions
In terms of design, we adopted a frame-brace hybrid system, which combines the advantages of frame structure and brace structure, ensuring the overall stability and load-bearing capacity of the steel structure while maximizing the use of space to meet the layout needs of large-scale power generation equipment such as turbines and boilers. The design fully considers the local climate characteristics, with a design wind load of 0.7 kN/㎡, which can effectively resist gusts up to 68 m/s, and the high-temperature resistant design ensures that the steel structure can operate stably in the high-temperature environment of the power plant boiler area. At the same time, in accordance with the relevant specifications of Zimbabwe’s steel structure production and installation, strict technical standards are implemented in the design of each node, especially the connection nodes of the boiler steel frame, which adopt bolt-weld mixed connection to ensure structural safety and stability.
Advanced Construction Process
In the construction process, we adhered to the concept of prefabrication and on-site assembly, completed the processing and production of all steel components in the domestic professional factory, and carried out strict quality inspection on raw materials, welding processes and component precision before transportation. The prefabricated components were transported to the project site in batches by sea and land, which greatly reduced the on-site construction time and avoided the impact of local harsh construction conditions on the project progress. On the construction site, we arranged professional construction personnel and supervisors, adopted advanced installation technology, strictly controlled the installation precision of each component, and carried out ultrasonic testing on all welding seams to ensure 100% qualification of welding quality. In view of the local high temperature and heavy rainfall, we optimized the construction schedule, adopted waterproof and heat-resistant construction measures, and ensured the smooth progress of the project.
Project Completion & Acceptance
The project started in March 2024 and was successfully completed and accepted in December of the same year, with a total construction period of 10 months, which fully met the client’s schedule requirements. After acceptance, the steel structure project has passed the strict inspection of Zimbabwe’s power department and professional testing institutions, and all technical indicators meet the design standards and relevant specifications. During the trial operation period, the steel structure system remained stable under various working conditions such as high temperature, heavy load and occasional strong winds, effectively supporting the safe and stable operation of the power plant equipment.
Impact & Future Outlook
The successful completion of this project has won high recognition from the Zimbabwe Power Utility Corporation and the local government. The client stated that the steel structure project has the advantages of high stability, strong adaptability to the environment, and low later maintenance cost, which not only ensures the safe operation of the power plant but also helps the power plant to improve power generation efficiency, which is of great significance for alleviating Zimbabwe’s power shortage. This project is not only a successful practice of our company’s participation in large-scale overseas energy infrastructure projects but also has laid a solid foundation for our long-term cooperation in the field of power construction in Zimbabwe and even the whole of Southern Africa, contributing to the local energy construction and economic development.
