Work has begun on the infrastructure for the Coega Industrial Development Zone outside Port Elizabeth. The ground-breaking project includes the construction of a potable water break pressure tank and pipelines to provide water to the proposed Coega IDZ, says Coega Development Corporation (CDC) communications manager Raymond Hartle. The break pressure tank, a reinforced concrete reservoir, is needed for the bulk water supply main for the Coega area, he says. It is the first in a number of civil contracts that will be awarded over the coming months. CDC Technical and Planning Manager Eugene Heeger says the detailed planning and design of the infrastructure for the first phase of the IDZ has been completed. "We are at a critical stage in the development and are ready to move into the next phase, which is the actual construction of the various infrastructural elements. This will start as soon as the necessary legal processes - including the designation of the Coega IDZ - have been completed. "The award of the construction tender for the break pressure tank is an exciting preliminary step in the construction process. Contractors and suppliers can expect to see a number of tenders being advertised by the CDC in coming months," he says. The R4,5 million construction contract was awarded to Newport Projects following a public tender call by the CDC. “This is the first tender completed by the CDC in respect of construction of infrastructure required for the IDZ, and is proof that government is serious about promoting development in the Eastern Cape,” says Mr Hartle. “Just as importantly, it shows both potential investors in the Coega IDZ and the people of the Eastern Cape that Coega is happening.” The CDC has received environmental approval to undertake the work, which needs to be completed before the start of quarrying operations at Coega Kop for the construction of the breakwaters for the neighbouring port of Ngqura, he says. “An Environmental Impact Assessment was completed in 1997 and environmental scoping was undertaken earlier this year by Coastal Environmental Services.” The work to be completed includes: rock blasting, earthworks, environmental landscaping and rehabilitation, structural concrete, reinforcing steel and formwork, the supply of large diameter steel pipelines, valves and fittings, stainless steel access ladders, reservoir level control equipment, SCADA radio telemetry equipment and an in-line hydraulic Pelton wheel power generator.