|
|
|
Front Page Power project elevates KIA safety standardsby Valentine Marc Nkwame The newly rehabilitated, electrical power supply system for the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) was officially handed over to the Tanzanian Minister of Transport and Communications, Mark Mwandosya, by the Royal Dutch High Commissioner to Tanzania, Bernard Berendsen. The KIA power supply project, according to the Managing Director of the Kilimanjaro Airports Development Company (KADCO), Godfrey Mbakilwa has cost 2.5 million Euros, 60 per cent of which, being financial grant from the Dutch Government. The Civil Aviation Authority of The Netherlands and its partner, the Tanzania Airports Authority, had embarked on the power supply project for both Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro International Airports in 1996 but actual rehabilitation works started on the 7th of February 2003. KADCO met the remaining 40 per cent of the costs of the KIA power sub-station rehabilitation project, from funds acquired with the assistance of the European Investment Bank. The project has seen the 33/11 Kilo-Volts KIA electrical power substation, being replaced with two brand new transformers of 1MVA each, the installation of a new 500KVA standby generator in the main power centre (PC1) to substitute main power supply in cases of power failure. PC1 is also equipped with high tension switch gears. Another new 40KVA generator has been installed at the power centre six (PC6) replacing the original 12KVA generator. The centre supplies Very High Ohm Range (VOR) power and the original standby generator of 12KVA was unable to keep up with the power demands of the airport. The remaining power centres PC3 and PC7, serving the airport apron, taxi ways and runway lighting, were boosted with new 206KVA standby generators. The implementation of the project was being undertaken by the construction firm of Strukton and Consultant Agent, Schiphol International. The Netherlands Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA-NL) affirmed that, the new power facilities at KIA meet the required standards of international aviation safety, as imposed by the Chicago Treaty of 1944. This is according to the DGCA-NL project manager, Tom Kok.
| ||||||||||||||
