German Federal Minister of Education and Research Bulmahn visited water project in Indonesia. A Herrenknecht shaft sinking machine constructed a vertical development shaft.

Federal Minister of Education and Research Edelgard Bulmahn enquired about the progress of a water development project in the central Javanese province Yogyjakarta during her Indonesia travel from March 13 ? 18. The local population suffers from extreme water shortage. So far, at the south coast the precipitation still runs off to the ocean through karst and underground rivers and cannot be stored.

For the first time an underground weir is constructed to win potable water. This joint research project is partly sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The project is co-ordinated by the Institute of Aquatic Environmental Engineering of the University of Karlsruhe (TH).

The first important step during the execution of this project has already been done. A VSM 2500 shaft sinking machine which was developed by Herrenknecht especially for this project excavated from July to December 2004 an access shaft (segment lining) with 2.5 m in diameter and a depth of 100 m.

Werner Suhm, member of the Board of Management of Herrenknecht and Prof. Franz Nestmann, full professor of the Institute of Aquatic Environmental Engineering of the University of Karlsruhe (TH), introduced the technology and the jobsite to the Federal Minister. Currently underground dams are constructed. After completion of the dams the water can be flooded up to 15 m in the gigantic cave. With a water storage capacity of 400,000 m³ approx. 75,000 people can be provided with sufficient fresh water every day.