The US$55.2m project forms part of a US$1.6bn public private partnership to improve the Umm Al Hayman Wastewater Treatment Plant in the Ahmedi area of Kuwait
Lead by WTE Wassertechnik, the project comprises around 3,643m of open cut, a 190m-long inland microtunnel; and a 1,950m-long sea outfall into the Persian/Arabian Gulf using 2.2m internal diameter RC pipe.
Herrenknecht is providing the AVN2000-type MTBM upskinned to 2.64m-diameter. Working in conjunction with an estimated 16-17 interjack stations, the machine will bore mainly through poorly-graded sand and silty sand ranging from 41 to 46MPa respectively.
When the project ends after around 22 months (including six for manufacturing and design) the MTBM will be retrieved from below the sea bed using air bags, then towed to the nearest port.
