Society of Professional Engineers in Thailand (SPET) Monthly Members Meeting for September 2016
SPET Monthly Members Meeting
Thursday 15th September 2016, 6:30pm at the British Club, Soi 18, Silom Road,Bangkok
““Design Build & Operate the Hydraulic Steel Structures for the Spillway and Navigation Lock. Xayaburi HEPP – Lao PDR”” By Wallace Ross – Construction Director – Whessoe & Dave Griffiths – Managing Director – KGAL
Wallace Ross Construction Director- Whessoe and Resident Project Manager for Xayaburi HPP was born in
Fife, he accepted an apprenticeship with Redpath de Groot Caledonia at the Oil Rig Construction Yard in Methil.
On completing his apprenticeship he started working in London on the Canary Wharf Tower erection project and
was given a management role with Murray International Metals and Construction. He joined Whessoe in 1994
as a Supervisor on the URI hydro project in Kashmir and has since worked in various capacities in USA, Taiwan,
Philippines, Sudan, South Africa and Laos.
Dave Griffiths Managing Director – KGAL started his career with Newton Chambers Engineering in Sheffield as
apprentice Technician followed by Project Engineer designing and tendering Water Control Gates for Flood
Defence, Navigation, Dams and Hydropower. He spent 8 years as General Manager / Engineering Director with
Sharpe Engineering, a UK Fabrication & Construction firm, working in the Cement, Iron, Steel and Petrochemical
sectors, followed by a further 6 years with Qualter Hall & Co, UK Mining Engineering Company before he joined
KGAL as Business Development Director in 2006. He was appointed Managing Director in 2014 and has been
involved in the Xayaburi Project from 2011.
The Owner of the Project is Xayaburi Power Company Ltd. (XPCL), who are the developer and owner / operator
under a 30 year BOT agreement. The Main Contractor is Ch. Karnchang Lao Company Limited (CKL), the
package 1 contractor – Main Civil Works, Whessoe are the package 2 contractor – Hydraulic Steel Structures
(Gates), Andritz are the package 3 contractor – Electro-Mechanical (Turbines / Generators), CERIECO are the
package 4 contractor – Transmission Lines.
Xayaburi HEPP is located in the Northern part of Lao PDR, south from Luang Prabang. It’s the first dam or
significant structure to be built on the Mekong River outside China and as such has attracted close scrutiny from
other members of the Mekong River Commission, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand.
The scheme will generate 1285MW of electricity from 8 Kaplan turbines. 7 turbines providing power for export to
EGAT and 1 slightly smaller turbine for EDL. As the Project has to be completed in phases behind cofferdams.
Phase 1 (Right Bank) comprises the Navigation Lock, Surface Spillway and Low Level Outlets, all constructed
behind upstream and downstream cofferdams which extended from the right bank out to the Intermediate block,
which separates Phase 1 and Phase 2 works.
On substantial completion of Phase 1, the River was diverted over the Spillway and through the Navigation Lock
enabling the Phase 2 cofferdams to be constructed from the Left Bank to the Intermediate block, thus providing
the dry working environment for Construction of the Phase 2 works comprising the Power House, Fish Passing
Facilities, Auxilliary Powerhouse and the remainder of the intermediate block.
Entry fee is Baht 200 for Members of SPET and Baht 400 for all others.
The next SPET monthly meeting TBA will be held on 20th October 2016 and is planned to be given by John Heron.
The Committee is always seeking new topics for the Monthly SPET Meetings to ensure a continuous schedule of talks for our Members and guests. If any member can suggest possible technical, professional engineering or other topics that might be of interest please contact Mr. Chris Moore on 081-824-1648.
For this event, please enquire at the reception desk, or email chris AT lasanne.com.
OPEN the flyer, click this 2016-09-15 -Wallace Ross + dave griffiths-kgal:
