The construction of power stations in Israel has presented multiple challenges. Besides the technological know-how required to keep plant operation efficient and reliable for the long term, there are special security considerations to protect this vital infrastructure. It was logical that Israel’s Electric Company would only entrust this project to a company which operates at the cutting edge of technology – Shapir Group.
The Ashkelon “Rutenberg” power station called for work on a huge scale, beginning with the surroundings: 400,000 cubic meters of earthworks, 24,000 meters of reinforced concrete-bentonite piles, 8,400 cubic meters of upper and lower foundations for turbo-generators, and two underground concrete access tunnels running 800 meters, along with sealed underground cells and reinforced sheet walls. The main 500-meter entrance tunnel alone required 17,000 cubic meters of reinforced concrete. In addition, the coastal location of the plant required lowering the underground water table and inserting 19,000 square meters of steel sheet piles to prevent seepage.
The power station itself was then constructed: a reinforced concrete pumping station (10,000 cubic meters), an assembly of primary 96-inch cooling pipes (totaling 2,300 meters in length), a network of concrete-encased duct banks, 22,500 cubic meters of electrical inspection pits, and the power station’s control complex, complete with an electrostatic precipitation control building.
The entire plant was built and launched in just three years.
