UGS 375 ktpa Plant Expansion
Rio Tinto–Fer et Titane Inc. | Canada | 2004–2006
15%
increase in capacity
$15 million
under budget
3 months
ahead of the project schedule
525,000 hours
with 0 LTIs
Challenges
- Like virtually every company in the mining sector, Rio Tinto–Fer et Titane Inc. wanted to reduce costs and improve quality. This project was part of a several-hundred-million-dollar investment that helped them do it.
- Adding another production line to the existing acid-leaching plant (ALP) and slag preparation plant (SPP) made sizeable improvements in productivity.
- Debottlenecking work in all the remaining areas of the plant took efficiency to a whole new level.
- The solution—adding two new production lines in two sectors—raised a number of design and construction challenges that this project addressed with resounding success.
Solutions
- The expansion that was created raised production to more than 375,000 tonnes per year, a 15% increase in capacity. More than 400 piping, mechanical, and electrical tie-ins were used.
- Post-project start-up eclipsed all speed records. Only two days were needed to reach full production in the ALP sector and one week for the SPP sector—something that had never been done before.
- We provided Rio Tinto–Fer et Titane Inc. with full engineering, procurement, and construction management; the design of the process equipment; the programming of the controls; and the commissioning of the expanded ALP and SPP sectors.
Highlights
- Project Management Institute, International – Project of the Year Award, 2008
- Project Management Institute, Montréal – Project of the Year Award, 2008
- Project was delivered three months ahead of the project schedule, $15 million under budget, and with 0 lost-time injuries in 525,000 hours worked
“The integrated Hatch–Rio Tinto–Fer et Titane team not only met all of its objectives, but the project was delivered three months ahead of schedule with savings of $15 million. And this without any compensable accidents. According to many, the UGS expansion to 375,000 tonnes per year is the best project carried out by Hatch–Rio Tinto–Fer et Titane over the last 25 years.”
Project numbers
400 piping, mechanical and electrical tie-ins154 pipe hangers
8 to 10 months faster than a typical fast-tracked project
8,000 pieces of equipment
Services & technologies provided
