Gathering Strength for Brilliance

Angola SOYO I Combined Cycle Power Station (hereafter called the “project”), constructed by China Machinery Engineering Corporation (hereinafter referred to as the “CMEC”), affiliated to SINOMACH, is Angola’s first large-scale thermal power plant. The installed capacity of the power plant is 750,000 kilowatts, or 10 percent of the Angolan total, benefiting more than half of the Angolan people. The power generation capacity of Angola exceeds the contribution of the Three Gorges Power Station to China.

Since the end of Angola’s civil war, the leadership team managing the project has overcome difficulties, blazing a trail of construction in Angola. The owner had cooperated with European contractors in the construction, but due to the lack of qualification and experience, the performance of the project contract was unfavourable. The project leadership team keenly observed the cooperation opportunity and the need of the owner. With the help of the reputation and public praise gained from the Angolan market over the years, the project leadership team made unremitting efforts to overcome difficulties and launch fierce competition with strong rivals at home and abroad. Finally, the Angolan President personally issued an order that the national strategic EPC project would be undertaken by CMEC.

In March 2017, witnessed by the owner's representatives, the waiting crowd immediately burst into thunderous cheers, with a wisp of smoke floating over the gas turbine. The high-intensity work of the project team was turned into remarkable achievements at this moment. It turned out that as early as before the project started, Angola’s Ministry of Energy sent a request to CMEC. Because of the urgent needs of the power grid, the single-cycle power generation plan needed to be completed three months ahead of schedule, which was equivalent to shortening the corresponding construction period by one quarter. The sentence “we will do our utmost” marked the starting point for the project department to create China’s speed miracle once again in Africa and shoulder the responsibility of rapidly developing infrastructure for Angola. The project team led all participating units to make concerted efforts to overcome difficulties. By the end of 2016, the project had fulfilled the commitment to single-cycle power generation of the first unit as promised. The owner immediately sent a thank-you letter, praising CMEC for its vigorous style of work and the rapid progress of the project. It was recognized in the letter that “CMEC is a reliable and trustworthy partner in the face of challenges in the future.” Also, the project department received a congratulatory letter from ABB, congratulating the project team on setting the world’s fastest installation record for 420kV GIS switchgear during the project construction.

This strong momentum was maintained until the completion of the project. On May 19, 2019, the construction of the project was accomplished, one month ahead of the contract period. Such a speed was rare in Angola’s large-scale projects. Since its launch, the project has received visits from two Angolan presidents and people from all walks of life at home and abroad. All stages of the project construction, installation, commissioning, and operation are open to the outside world under strict management and organization, demonstrating the friendliness and confidence of building a high-quality project and making sincere and close friends. On April 13, 2017, after visiting and inspecting the project, the Chinese Embassy in Angola spoke highly of the project as the business card of China’s power construction project and the project team as the “folk ambassador” of China’s engineering image.

In July 2019, when visiting the project, the Angolan President commended the satisfactory process and results of the project and admitted frankly that he “likes the power station very much.”

The project team also received an invitation to participate in the 2018 Angolan City Expo, representing the only Chinese-funded enterprise at the Expo. Together with Zaire Province, the project team won the first place in the exhibition appraisal. In 2019, the project team attended the first China-Africa Economic and Trade Fair. As a representative of large-scale thermal power projects, it showcased the gratifying results of China-Africa cooperation.

　　Pursuing Excellence and Striving for First-class Project

Since President Xi Jinping put forward the Belt and Road (BnR) Initiative, the project team has understood that only through high-quality performance can the SOYO I combined cycle power station project become Angola’s “centennial project” to achieve sustainable development and consolidate the foundation of the BnR cooperation.

However, the achievements were not always smooth, and countless obstacles remain clear and distinct in our mind. Angola is a country with weak industrial foundation, shortage of materials, unfavourable transportation conditions, high incidence of malaria, cholera and yellow fever, and harsh public security environment. The gas turbine igniter purchased by the owner was one month late, the fixed value of electrical protection was 2 months late, the arrival of light oil was 3 months late, the arrival of natural gas was 6 months late, the construction outside the station was delayed for 11 months just because of mine clearance, and the owner lacked cooperation experience and operation & maintenance teams. These were only inconveniences caused by the owner. There were numerous problems such as the construction in the rainy season and the low quality of labour. To overcome the challenges, the project team led all participating units to stimulate innovation consciousness, optimize schedule management, and create and improve work methods in a timely manner. By adopting new technologies to boost the strength of struggle and progress, 86 engineering planning subjects were put forward in the construction, of which 5 won provincial and ministerial achievement prizes for construction method, 3 received QC achievement prizes, 4 held national patents, and 17 applied for the technological progress prizes in the power industry.

The area where the project is located is affected by sea breeze, with a complex corrosion environment. The project department referred to the management experience of foreign first-class EPC in similar environments, cooperated with SGS, a general standard company, introduced international first-class anti-corrosion standards, and improved the managerial level of anti-corrosion process according to the characteristics of the project. Also, the TüV whole-process quality management system of the German Technical Supervision Association was introduced to improve working methods, optimize costs, enhance efficiency, and ensure results in equipment manufacturing and others. During the whole process of the project, the qualified rate of all construction projects was 100 percent, without any engineering quality accidents. The owner’s supervision engineer was Dar Al-Handasah, an internationally renowned Lebanese consulting company known for its rigour. Faced with such quality process control of the project, the supervision engineer gave the project team the highest trust. Even when the project was about to be completed in 2019, the owner sent 16 graduate engineers to the project for one month to carry out quality control study, eat and live with the project execution team, and conduct face-to-face exchanges in business and culture.

Creating high-quality projects does not mean extravagance and waste regardless of cost, but requires the project team to improve management, reduce costs and increase efficiency. For the first time, the project execution team adopted the QR code and KKS code for material and equipment procurement, logistics and warehousing to save managerial costs and reduce material and equipment losses to the greatest extent on the premise of ensuring the project progress. The project team made unremitting efforts to communicate with the owner and the supervisor to optimize the design scheme. For example, the oil tank foundation was changed from flat foundation to circular foundation, saving 2,000 cubic meters of earthwork and building materials. The water intake pump station was changed to pump vessel to take water, economizing on RMB90 million in direct cost and shortening the construction period for half a year. The design of pipelines for rainwater drainage in mangroves was optimized, saving RMB100 million in direct cost. The anchor screws of steam turbine were personally designed by the chief engineer of the project. Despite many unexpected problems and additional requirements of the owner, the project cost was firmly controlled within the expected range and the expected benefits were achieved.

　　Assuming Responsibilities and Putting Life First

Only with safety can we control tomorrow. As of the completion, the project department had achieved 1,304 days of workplace safety, during which no serious injuries or accidents, no fire incidents, no traffic accidents on the construction site, and no epidemic of infectious disease occurred. This achievement is closely linked to the project department’s regulation of “one post with two responsibilities,” meaning that each manager should assume business and technical responsibilities, shoulder the responsibility of workplace safety, and carry out safety publication for Chinese and local employees.

In addition, every member in the project department have adhered to CMEC’s social responsibility concept of “putting life first and contributing to the world.” During the implementation of the project, they have cooperated with international SOS organizations to set up medical clinics, send medical workers, and provide medical services to participating personnel and local residents. Also, they have collaborated with medical institutions in neighbouring countries to dispatch “air ambulances” to save the lives of critically ill patients in participating units twice. In response to yellow fever and cholera outbreaks in Angola, the project department has made full use of CMEC’s internal and external resources to participate in the HSE system. By improving the sanitary conditions at the project site and residence, the cases of tropical diseases such as malaria and cholera and of snake and insect bites are controlled below 3‰ per year. Even during the outbreak of cholera and yellow fever, the site is kept free of infection cases, so that the overseas team can work and live at ease. The medical clinic set up by the project department not only guarantees the health of about 1,000 construction personnel from China and local areas, but also works to provide medical services for local residents, treating 50-odd cases. During the cholera outbreak, the project department donated 1,000 sets of household water purification devices through the local government to fight the epidemic together with the local people. Thanks to the successful case and outstanding performance of the project, CMEC stood out among 13 enterprises in the world and became the only Chinese enterprise winning the Remote Healthcare Award so far at the 2018 International SOS Duty of Care Summit and Award Ceremony held in Chicago.

In accordance with the Belt and Road Initiative, the project department has focused on the sustainable development of the local area, and made overall use of construction resources to build and donate a “Great Wall School” in Soyo City, which was handed over to the education department of the local government for use in February 2019 as a comprehensive facility for primary and junior high schools so as to solve the problem of about 700 young people being educated in Soyo. The name of the school is “Great Wall School,” symbolizing the friendship between China and Angola and the spirit of the Great Wall. In addition, four damaged roads in the area have been repaired many times, with a total length of 3 kilometres. This has created favourable conditions for transportation and improved the local traffic. The project department has always made great efforts to make the friendship and mutually beneficial development between China and Angola more far-reaching.

　　Clean Energy Boosts the Development, Environmental Protection Benefits the Future

In the planning and implementation, the project team aligned itself with the concept of green development that must be followed in the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. In addition to the use of natural gas for power generation in the project itself, the project team selected closed circulating cooling water, greatly reducing the impact on the surrounding water body. Domestic and industrial wastewater is discharged after removing various harmful substances through neutralization, oxidation, aeration, coagulation, and clarification, thus minimizing the impact of the power station on the surrounding environment. The project team also increased requirements to design facilities such as sludge collection and reuse water treatment to recycle wastes and wastewater that originally needed to be discharged.

　　Party Building Holds the Key to Bolstering the Development

On December 1, 2015, the project was started. According to the requirements of CMEC Party Committee, the project department insisted that wherever the project is conducted, the Party organization would be established, the Party building would be carried out, and the role of the Party organization and members would be played. On the construction site, the Party building and the project management are carried out simultaneously, and the Party organizations of the general contractor and subcontractors set up the on-site united Party group.

Although the overseas on-site Party building has its particularity, it is not specialized. The project department required the on-site Party building and workplace safety should be combined to be in consistence with the publicity of corporate culture and enterprise spirit and with CMEC’s development strategies and objectives. The on-site united Party group has continuously explored new working models and carried out the Party building according to local conditions. At the beginning of the project, the site conditions were extremely difficult, and the mobile phone had only a weak signal. It was necessary to send and receive emails in the urban area. To learn and convey the Party’s principles and policies in a timely manner, the domestic Party organization would make an arrangement to bring relevant learning materials to the site whenever someone arrived at the site. At the peak of the project construction, the united Party group had 45 members. In view of the busy construction, Party members are scattered. The on-site united Party group also established a WeChat group and QQ group, strengthening the communication and exchanges between members of the on-site Party group, the Angolan-based Party group, and the domestic Party organization. Such efforts can ensure that the “connection” has no boundaries, the “coverage” has no dead corners, the “guidance” has no barriers, and the “control” has no loopholes, as well as that every Party member, no matter where he is, can find an organization in the first place, learn the Party’s principles and policies in a timely manner, exchange learning experience, and solve problems, turning the on-site Party building into the “spiritual home” of employees. To enrich the spare time life of the on-site staff, the Party group has organized tug-of-war, basketball matches and other recreational and sports activities in collaboration with all construction units on holidays.

The project department is a team with vigour and ideals. In 2017, it was granted the Youth Model Unit Award of SINOMACH. During the construction period, an employee joined the Communist Party of China, with an applicant of the Party membership developed on site. The on-site personnel of the project department chose to stick to their posts when their families needed their accompanying. They have practised the belief of “remain true to their original aspiration and keep their mission firmly in mind,” which reflected their excellent political quality and lofty ideological realm. This explains the enterprise spirit of CMEC: the courage to challenge bravely, to be the first, and to take on responsibilities; the quality of selfless dedication, the heroic spirit of venturing into the world, the image of self-respect and professionalism, the contractual concept of keeping promises, the style of sincere cooperation, and the pragmatic and prudent working attitude.