Description

Engineering, procurement, and realization of maritime works by tunneling method for El Maras’s desalination plant with a capacity of 134000 m³/day (Brut)

Microtunneling in the Mediterranean Sea
The most complicated project - Supply intake water of El Marsa desalination unit - Algiers Algeria (1500 mm diameter, 240-meter length undersea), Micro tunneled pipeline connecting a caisson adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea to a submerged intake screening system at 12.5 m depths. The intake tunnel comprises 240 m of 1,516 mm ID Steel casing micro tunnel section joined to the intake screening system with a submerged 12.5m, 1,200 mm GRP pipeline.

It was very difficult due to many factors:
• A steep negative slope 33 mm/ m under the sea water level.
• Micro tunneling with high volumes of groundwater offers unique challenges and requires a delicate balance of expertise, operator skill, and risk mitigation with high stress. RADCO viewed the interface with the sea as the two points of high risk on the project.
• How to change two-disc cutters and repair face under 11.5 m deep sea level due to the hard stone with very low spaciousness and without hyperbaric system. (This operation was very rare in the world). Were accomplished by the RADCO team every single day for 15 days.

To provide safer, more efficient, and more reliable service, RADCO embarked on the design, supply, and construction of maritime works. RADCO engineering team provides better efficiencies to reduce costs because it reduces hydraulic profile length.
The MTBM was launched on Sept. 6, 2022. The project was completed successfully with a maximum production rate without zero fatalities and accidents on October 08, 2022.