The delivery of supplies have made major progress. The pumps for Pumping Station 1 (PS) have reached Chile, while those for PS2 are on board a ship preparing to set sail from Mexico, and those for PS4 are in the ExWorks clearance process.

In Monterrey, an industrial hub in northwest Mexico, the Northern District Desalinated Water Supply Project (SADDN) is executing a highly coordinated logistics operation. This effort involves ensuring seamless collaboration between Supply Management, the forwarder, and the carriers themselves, to transport centrifugal pumps from a local industrial park to their final destination: Caleta Viuda, near Tocopilla in Chile. The operation demands meticulous planning and unwavering commitment from everyone involved.

The logistics plan includes four separate shipments—one for each Pumping Station—followed by a final delivery of spare parts. To ensure everything runs smoothly, a resident inspector stationed at Ruhrpumpen, the manufacturer's plant, is keeping a close eye on quality control, monitoring progress and preempting any potential setbacks.

Strategic planning

The Foreign Trade team overseeing the logistics operation has been working diligently to ensure all deadlines are met. Partnering closely with the Mexican supplier Ruhrpumpen, they’ve relied on detailed progress reports and constant activity monitoring to stay on track. To tackle potential delays, a proactive plan has been implemented, allowing issues to be flagged early and corrective actions forecasted in advance. This meticulous approach has also helped pinpoint critical paths in the process, enabling the team to optimize tasks wherever possible, keeping the operation efficient and focused.

“Our team has been working in a well-coordinated and comprehensive way, blending expertise from key professionals,” said Nicolás D’Ottavio, Project Expediting Specialist, as he highlighted: “Gustavo Gutiérrez brings his experience in Inspection, having led supply inspections for the GPNK project in Argentina. Martín Della Torre contributed significantly to two major projects in Mexico: Dos Bocas and Las Tejas. As for myself, I served as Head of Activation for the Shell Pipeline and oversaw critical equipment during the final phase of the Fortín de Piedra project in Argentina.”

The complexity of this project has necessitated the creation of a dedicated task force, ensuring all efforts are coordinated with precision and efficiency.

The heart of the drive system arrives

Notably, two electrical transformers for PS1 have already reached kilometer 14 in Caleta Viuda and are now installed on their foundations. In total, the project will deploy six power transformers: two at the PS4 substation with a voltage level of 220kV, and two each at PS2 and PS1 with a voltage level of 110 kV.

“Power transformers play a critical role, reducing voltage in order to supply the equipment at the pumping stations and the desalination plant. In essence, they are the heart of the project,” explained Camilo Gómez, Construction Coordinator.

Bettina Viale, Project Expediting Manager, highlighted the vital role played by the Supplies and Activation team in ensuring smooth project progress. “The professionalism of our team has been key to coordinating the timely arrival of all the major pieces of equipment for the Electrical Substations, including the GIS (Gas-Insulated Substations) at 110 kV and 220 kV, as well as the two power transformers. These were manufactured at Siemens Energy plants in Asia and shipped by sea to Chile,” she said.

The remaining electrical equipment which needs to be installed at various substations is already either on-site or stored in the supplier’s warehouse in Antofagasta, ready for dispatch as the work advances.

As for the four main electrical rooms for the Pumping Stations (PS1, PS2, PS4, and the Terminal Station), their manufacturing and integration are being finalized in Santiago de Chile. Interoperability tests for each one will be scheduled with the customer in attendance, before they are dispatched to the project site.