Projects

Major project updates

GAUTRAIN

Murray & Roberts plays a lead role in the Gautrain Rapid Rail Link project, which has been underway for three years following commercial close in September 2006. The first phase of the project which includes the network between the OR Tambo International Airport and Sandton with stations at the airport, Rhodesfield, Marlboro and Sandton, has a duration of 45 months and is due for completion in June 2010. Civil design and construction work was 70% complete at the 30 June 2009. Stations at OR Tambo Airport, Rhodesfield and Marlboro are well advanced and significant amounts of track and other infrastructure have been installed.

Underground at the Sandton Station - July 2009		Viaduct at Jean Avenue offramp, N1 Highway, Pretoria - July 2009		Gautrain Station at OR Tambo Intenational Airport - July 2009		On 23 July, a group of 130 bursary students, lecturers from various universities and entity co-ordinators were treated to a Gautrain in site visit. The visit included an overview presentation on the project, a visit to Marlboro Station, the viaduct at Jean Avanue and the train dept in Midrand. Students were given a chance to see the train up close, sit in it and marvel the the mechanics behind this amazing projects.

The second phase, which is being constructed concurrently, includes the remainder of the rail network and stations linking Sandton to Park Station in Johannesburg and the route from Midrand to Hatfield, Pretoria.

GREEN POINT STADIUM

The Green Point Stadium project for the 2010 FIFA World Cup has been underway for 30 months since award in March 2007. Construction work is proceeding well on this 68 000 seat stadium and, in spite of abnormally inclement weather conditions and industrial action in July 2009, the project is on track for early completion in December 2009.

Internal and external views of progress achieved at Green Point Staduim as at July 2009

MEDUPI POWER STATION

Medupi Power Station - July 2009

Murray & Roberts, in partnership with Hitachi Power, has been awarded the contracts for both Medupi and Kusile boiler packages comprising 12 units of 794 megawatt electrical (MWe) each. The Murray & Roberts scope includes structural steel fabrication, erection and mechanical installation works. These power stations are the largest dry-cooled thermal power stations in the world.

Medupi will be in full operation by 2015 and Kusile in 2016. A number of Murray & Roberts companies are contributing their experience gained from the previous power station build program to this project. Murray & Roberts MEI is project leader with Murray & Roberts Engineering Solutions as partner. Fabrication of the structural steelwork is being undertaken by Genrec. Steel ducting is being fabricated by Energy Fabrication, a new empowered company and purpose built facility established on site. First structural steel was delivered to Medupi in January 2009 and air duct fabrication commenced in May 2009.

A partnership between Murray & Roberts and Concor secured the civil construction work for Medupi in joint venture. Client delays during the startup of the project are being overcome by an acceleration program requested by Eskom which commenced in July 2009 and will involve the deployment of an additional 1 000 employees to the project.

Murray & Roberts has implemented a value-based organisational performance system known as The Medupi Way. This secures high levels of employee engagement, alignment and productivity. Other key developments have been the successful ramp-up of the four-unit batch plant to 6 800 m3 per week, a world class safety performance (zero lost time injuries since commencement of the project, based on 2,9 million man-hours) and ongoing efforts to recruit the required manpower. At 30 June 2009, 65% of labour has been sourced from local communities, exceeding Asgisa commitments.

MIDDLE EAST

An artist's impression of the St Regis Hotel and Residences on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi

NEW AWARD

The joint venture of Al Habtoor Murray & Roberts has been awarded a project to construct the St Regis Hotel and Residences on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi for the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC).

The St Regis Hotel and Residences is the flagship hospitality project on Saadiyat Island and will comprise 380 luxury hotel rooms, 259 residential apartments and 33 luxury residential villas. The project also features a retail and entertainment component, a health and racquet club, a health spa and 1 600 structured parking bays.

Work commenced on site in August 2009 and the project is due for completion in 2011.

The development will have close proximity to the cultural district which will host some of the key museums such as the Zayed National Museum, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and the Louvre Abu Dhabi. The St Regis Hotel and Residences will be located adjacent to the 72-par Saadiyat Beach Golf Course designed by golfing legend Gary Player.

The award of this new project reaffirms the strength of the Abu Dhabi construction market.

FACT FILE

The joint venture comprises Murray & Roberts (50%) and Al Habtoor (50%). It is one of the UAE’s leading contracting partnerships having been responsible for building some of the area’s 5-star hotels and resorts such as the Burj al Arab, Madinat Jumeirah’s Al Qasr hotel, the Shangri La hotel in Dubai as well as major expansion projects at both Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports. Saadiyat Island is a natural island alongside Abu Dhabi’s coast and covers 27 square kilometres. It is being developed by the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), an independent company of which Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority is the sole shareholder.

PROJECT UPDATE: AL RAHA BEACH PROJECT

Murray & Roberts Marine, in joint venture with its JV Partner Overseas AST, has almost completed the Al Raha Beach project in Abu Dhabi, which will be delivered ahead of program. The project is instrumental in forming a new waterfront which in turn has provided prime new development land stretching over more than 14 kilometres of the new coastline.

SORBONNE UNIVERSITY

Murray & Roberts has secured the contracts to build two major higher educational facilities in Abu Dhabi's Sorbanne University (artist's impression below) valued at R3 billion and Zayed University (R7,5 billion)