A DOP250 has been delivered for a hydropower dam maintenance project in Malawi, Damen – the Dutch defense, shipbuilding and engineering conglomerate – said in their latest announcement.
The DOP submersible dredge pump, fitted out with a cutter unit, is set to work at approximately -4m dredging depth, removing the layer of silt built up through time at the water inlets.
“ The DOP250 will start dredging from the dam itself, mounted on an excavator boom. Once the emergency dredging has finished, the excavator with DOP will be mounted on a pontoon. The pontoon will be located in the reservoir, gradually covering the entire surface, ” Damen said.
“ The DOP is fitted out with both depth, revolutions and pressure indicators. All are safely mounted within the dredge pump’s steel casing – thus protected from the environment. Their data are collected in a box mounted on the side of the excavator. The read-out is on a practical color screen mounted inside the cabin for an easy observation by the operator ,” according to Damen.
The Tedzani hydropower dam is part of a complex of integrated hydroelectric power plants on the Shire River in Malawi. The various dams have been built over a number of decades, and continue to supply power to the national gird as they are continuously modernized and maintained.