The HydroTimor weBlog

The Norwegian Minister for Finance visited the Gariuai project 11 December, accompanied by the Norwegian Ambassador and the UN Deputy SRSG, as well as several other visitors!

Minister Kristin Halvorsen (centre front) paid a short visit to Timor-Leste to attend the opening of the new Embassy Section Office in Dili, and wanted to see the hydropower project supported by Norway. Ambassador Bjørn Blokhus (left front) covers Indonesia and Timor-Leste, and accompanied the minister. UN DSRSG Finn Reske-Nielsen also joined for the Gariuai visit, and due to time constraints they arrived in UN helicopter. The group visited the Power House, and showed great interest in the construction and admired the quality of the work. Norway has vast experience when it comes to hydro power development, but the minister admitted that this was the first such construction she had visited which was blessed through a traditional ceremony (see previous blog post)!

Photo: Basil Rolandsen (www.bouvet.info)

Extending the penstock through the rough terrain near the dams requires finding the optimal path.

Norwegian Project Consultant Jan Høiseth just completed a visit to the site, where he reassessed the route the penstock will follow the final stretch up to the ponds. In close cooperation with Construction Manager Vasco Pinto and Project Adviser Alf Adeler, he measured angles and calculated the path to follow. This allows the workers to continue digging through the last hills, and we still hope the project may be completed first quarter next year, in spite of the coming rains…

Photo: Basil Rolandsen (www.bouvet.info)

The penstock, the pipe transporting the water from the dams to the power station, are approaching the dams.

The rainy season near, workers are digging hard to complete the ditches so that the penstock may be laid and covered again. Hard rain will make this work difficult, and may lead to delays… To add to the challenges, the terrain close to the dams is very steep and requires digging through a hill. Thus, heavy equipment is used, like this excavator, which digs a deep trench through a hill just before the penstock will split into two smaller pipes leading to the two ponds.

Photo: Basil Rolandsen (www.bouvet.info)