A large fixed cone valve from Orbinox will soon be installed in Africa's oldest hydropower station, the Mulungushi Power Station.
At the AVK Group, we are proud of our rich heritage and traditions, especially through Glenfield Valves in Scotland. Glenfield has been supplying valves for hydropower projects since 1900 (at least), with the first project in South Africa more than 120 years ago.
Basing on this legacy, in September 2022, WestGlen Consult (Scotland) and Scatec (Norway) approached us as consultants to Lunsemfwa Hydro Power Company (LHPC), Zambia's first independent power producer, with a project at the Mulungushi Power Station.
Located near Kabwe in Central Province, Zambia, the Mulungushi Power Station is the oldest hydropower plant in Africa. It was officially opened in 1925 and is celebrating its 100th anniversary. The project location is the main reservoir dam of the plant.
The Mulungushi project involved an existing installation: an old needle/plunger valve in a free discharge application, connected to the end of a 130m long tunnel through the dam with a bore of 1600mm. The customer was clear that they did not require an in-line solution. Instead, a fixed cone valve solution would be more suitable. This would allow them to maintain or even improve discharge levels, thereby maximising the flow range available for the downstream Mulungushi Hydropower plant.
The project had specific requirements, including:
- Maximum operating pressure – 23m water column
- Minimum net head - 2.7m water column
- Design pressure – 60m water column
- Atmospheric discharge, hood required
- Discharge back into natural river course
- Electrical actuation for sleeve – 24V DC
- 4-20mA Position sensing required
Our recent supply of Fixed Cone Valves to the Marovanyati Dam (2x DN900) and Lake Mutirikwi (2x DN1100) hydropower station in Zimbabwe, not far from the Zambian project site, provided relevant references to the area. Further, Further, our extensive experience in Zambia by supplying a significant number of AVK valves installed in Zambia for various water supply applications, has strengthened our position.
The new valve is part of an upgrades kit designed to optimise control and responsiveness of the Mulungushi power station. These improvements will allow the plant to meet a wide range of demand levels, including the ability to meet rising consumer demand. Lunsemfwa Hydro Power Company is currently implementing projects to increase the use of renewable energy in Zambia and this upgrade will bring the potential to regulate future solar PV, paving the way for a first solar-hydro hybrid system in the country.
Local support and global product reach
Our supporting to send a AVK South Africa’s service engineer to supervise the valve installation in this critical application which was key to securing the order for a DN1600 Fixed Cone Valve from AVK’s factory in Spain, Orbinox.
Orbinox introduced their project manager to the customer at the final phase of the ordering process to ensure a smooth transition from the sales/procurement phase to the operational execution of the order.
This marked the beginning of a new chapter in our long-term commitment to supporting hydropower projects in Africa.
The above images show the Mulungushi Power station under construction. The fixed cone valve in use is from another project to show the function. Furthermore, a photo of the first ever valve delivery from Glenfield to Africa, which was a hydraulic turbine inlet valve to South Africa in the year 1900.