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ALUMINIUM INdUstry IN the GULf
ing production capability and improving the
production process at its smelter casthouse
in Straumsvik. The project is aimed at boosting
productivity by 20%, to around 230,000
tpy, along with increasing the effectiveness
of air purification equipment and increasing
operational security by updating the electrical
equipment. Iceland outfit HRV Engineering,
in co-operation with Hatch, managed the
Isal production upgrade providing full EPCM
services in a project costing some USD500
million.
The plant’s operational reliability will be
increased with the upgrade and installation
of new HRV equipment and rectifiers. Plant
production is boosted by 40,000 tpy, involving
an amperage increase and an upgrade of the
two potlines, bath recycling plant and rodding
shop. New additional gas treatment centres
are included, along with alumina handling and
an upgraded general plant infrastructure.
The output is also being changed over from
rolling slab to extrusion billet, which requires
modification of casting equipment and installation
of three new continuous homogenising
furnaces.
Ausenco: Australian project contracting
company Ausenco is progressing the Innovate
and Create phase towards providing detailed
engineering design and construction management
services for the expansion and upgrade
of a carbon and paste plant at Rio Tinto Alan’s
aluminium smelter in Kitimat, British Columbia,
Canada. This new work is scheduled to be
completed by September 2013 and builds on
Ausenco’s previous early phase work on the
project during 2008.
Ausenco’s CEO Mimi Make sums up his
company’s role in another huge aluminium
industry project, and also the importance of
EPCM organisations across the sector in general:
“These contract awards demonstrate the
depth of our service offering and geographic
reach of our business. Our Process Infrastructure
business has achieved standout earnings
growth this past year and these latest wins further
demonstrate the benefits of our diversification
strategy and our global reputation for
project delivery to underpin further growth.”
Ken Stanford, contributing editor
Bechtel keeps building history
Engineering challenges do not come much
bigger than building the world’s largest
greenfield aluminium smelter project –
Ras Al Khair – located on the Arabian
Gulf, approximately 125 km north of
Jubail in the isolated north east corner of
Saudi Arabia. This location presented all
the usual challenges, including workforce,
equipment and permanent material logistics.
The USD4 billion project for the
Ma’aden-Alcoa joint venture is a key element
of the new Ras Al Khair Industrial
City – a showcase of Saudi Arabia’s industrial
diversification. It is all part of an
overall USD10.8 billion Ma’aden-Alcoa
investment that, in addition to the smelter,
includes an alumina refinery, rolling
mill, automotive mill and bauxite mine.
Recognised in the 2012 Bechtel Corporate Excellence
Awards as the Project Management
Team of the Year, the entire project team is
achieving some remarkable feats in this demanding
environment.
setting the standard for
safety attitude and performance
As of year-end 2012, the project team had
achieved 32 million job hours without a lost
time incident, with the customer team calling
Bechtel’s safety performance ‘world class’.
Many contractors have noted that the project
represents a turning point in their respective
firm’s safety attitude and performance.
“We’ve had exceptional success in building
a strong safety culture among more than
13,000 workers from around the world with
different levels of experience and exposure to
this type of work,” says Bob Sabo, Bechtel’s
Ras Al Khair site manager. “We must never get
complacent about safety, though. Every day,
we have new challenges, new contractors, new
disciplines and new workers coming onto our
site.”
“Our successes in safety have been gained
through a one-team, compliance-driven approach
with each stakeholder providing full
support to our zero accidents philosophy and
programmes,” says Terry Lyons, Bechtel’s environment,
safety and health manager at Ras
Al Khair. “I am always pleased to be able to
discuss an issue or proposed initiative and see
it put into action daily.”
Within budget, ahead of schedule
© Bechtel
Smelter alumina silos overlooking potrooms D to A north
“We have to-date safely achieved all of our
milestones ahead of schedule and within
budget,” says Denis Garrity, Bechtel project
director. “However, we cannot lose sight of
the final milestone – that all pots are ready to
start by end of 2013. It is the ability to safely
deliver a quality, well-engineered product, on
time and to budget, that has critical importance
to our customer.”
Unlike large, single potline aluminium
smelter projects previously completed by
Bechtel, such as Sohar in Oman and Fjardaal
in Iceland, the Ras Al Khair smelter includes
two high-amperage potlines and, at 740,000
tpy, will have nearly twice their total capacity.
Bechtel’s work also includes a cathode sealing
facility, a carbon plant for anode production
46 ALUMINIUM · 9/2013