Dead Sea Works Power Plant
Client: Dead Sea Works Ltd.
Overview
Dead Sea Works (DSW), a business unit of ICL Fertilizers, is the world’s seventh largest producer and supplier of potash products as well as a broad range of other chemicals, including magnesium chloride, industrial salts, bath salts, table salt and raw materials for the cosmetic industry.
DSW has commenced building a 250 MW combined cycle power plant at Sedom, Israel. The new plant, to be fueled by natural gas, will replace the one built in 1995, and its output will be significantly higher. It is designed to supply Sedom’s energy needs for the next two decades, while simultaneously reducing the company’s energy expenditures and ensuring environmental protection. Set at the lowest point on the earth’s land mass (417 m below sea level), the ongoing project is being conducted in the Dead Sea’s uniquely complex and highly challenging work ambience.
Challenges
Three main challenges have had to be met.
• The first relates to the fact that DSW is a 90-year-old operation with several ongoing activities and utilities, not all of which are recorded or documented to the desired level of precision
• The second challenge was mainly operational- TMNG team has had to work in a relatively large power plant under construction where numerous operations take place in parallel, adding to the project’s complexity and demands. In addition, the fact that DSW is fully operational means that there have been very narrow windows of opportunity for the team to work without affecting the plant’s productivity or efficiency. Thus, in order to keep to the rigorous schedule, TMNG is carrying out its various activities simultaneously
• The third challenge involves the geographic location of the project in a highly aggressive environment. The Dead Sea is characterized by resistive, harsh soil, making the crossing of dry streams risky due to the potential for flash floods. In general, the following unknowns in the area have had to be contended with:
◦ Uncertain geological and hydro-geological conditions
◦ Tendency to sinkhole formation
◦ Unstable pond dikes
◦ High seismic activity
◦ Soil aggressiveness to concrete and steel structures
The unique geotechnical conditions thus called for an experienced company that could handle the challenges confidently and effectively.
Activities
TMNG’s comprehensive downstream project with DSW includes three distinct activities:
• Laying of a high pressure pipeline – 1.3-km-long, 10″ diameter pipeline crossing a highway and DSW’s entire production area, from the Israel Natural Gas Lines (INGL) PRMS to the power plant’s conditioning station
• Construction of two conditioning stations and three final run trains to the various end consumers
• Installation of 700-m-long low pressure piping and utilities, partly within the plant, and partly in the power station system and the connection between the two
Results
The project demonstrates TMNG’s superior engineering prowess and seamless project management capabilities. TMNG’s previous experience in the Dead Sea environment (including responsibility for the Israeli gas pipeline to the Jordanian border) has proved to be an asset in anticipating and preparing for the area’s singular obstacles, thereby ensuring uncompromising quality.
TMNG’s meticulous design includes solutions for corrosion protection and for safeguarding against the saline high water table. The on-site engineering team provides daily troubleshooting with respect to unexpected interference with other utilities, based, among other things, on close coordination with other contractors operating at the site. Strict planning on a daily, weekly and monthly basis has enabled the inherent complexities to be overcome and the strict deadline to be approached seamlessly.