The National Electricity Company “SNEL” of the Democratic Republic of Congo wishes to rehabilitate and modernize the hydroelectric power stations of Mwadingusha, Koni and Nzilo I located in the provinces of Haut-Katanga and Lualaba, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and carry out work on the associated high voltage electrical networks.

The rehabilitation is being carried out in a public-private partnership, with funding from Ivanhoe Mines. It aims to consolidate the regional electricity network.

SNEL and Ivanhoe Mines have agreed to delegate the project management of these infrastructures to Stucky for the works, according to the concept of “Engineering Procurement and Construction Management.”

The Ray group company is responsible for all construction work and the commissioning of this substation.

• Civil engineering 
• Electromechanical 

• Electromechanical 

NRO is a  220kV distribution substation, made up of several line bays and busbars

The bays  are each made up as follows:

1. Three (3) line arresters
2. One (1) 3-pole 2-winding voltage transformer
3. One (1) motorized rotary three-pole line disconnector with earthing switch
4. One (1) three-pole, 3-winding current measuring transformer with, for each line,
5. One (1) three-pole circuit breaker (Q0) with 1 ON coil and 2 OFF coils, motorized with:

• • Rated current: 4000 A
  • Rated tripping current: 50 kA at 220 kV

6. Two (2) JDB (Q1, Q2) pantograph disconnectors, motorized, unipolar control
7. Local control and measurement boxes on each device
8. High voltage connections
9. Connection conductors between rope and / or bar type devices
10. Zinc steel brackets for each device
11. A framework of lines
12. Earthing poles to hang a ground wire and thus protect the station against lightning
13. A primary earth network in the excavation and secondary earth connections at the exit of the excavation connected to the device supports and thes equipements HV.

Coupling of 220 kV HV bars

The coupling bay will be made up as follows:

1. Two (2) JDB (Q10, Q20) pantograph disconnectors, motorized, unipolar control
2. One (1) three-pole circuit breaker (Q0) with 1 ON coil and 2 OFF coils, motorized with:
3. Rated current: 4000 A
4. Rated tripping current: 50 kA at 220 kV
5. One (1) 3-pole 3-winding current transformer

Realization of earth network

Earthing system outside in the substation and inside the service building.

In the part of the substation equipped with 6 field lines, the earthing system consists of a mesh network with flat bare copper conductors of 120 mm2 installed at a depth of 0.8 m. In the part serving as a reserve place, the earthing system is made on the periphery of the post, all around its perimeter, and will be used for earthing the security fence.

• Civil engineering 

• Construction of service buildings and operator’s house
• Construction of substation roads
• Construction of drainage and cable channels
• Construction of the fence around the post
• Foundation of electromechanical equipment