In its largest lump-sum turnkey (LSTK) project to date, Metix has reached and celebrated its 250 000 hour lost time injury-free construction milestone.
Andrew van Niekerk - Metix
Metix Engineering Director Andrew van Niekerk says that the size of this 600 000 ton per annum sinter plant project for Metix provides additional challenges compared to previous projects. “It is also the first time we have worked with Sinosteel’s ASA Metals, which has turned out to be a fantastic opportunity and privilege for us.”
ASA Metals requires a strict adherence to SHEQ (safety, health, environment and quality) standards and, thanks to the compliance to these and Metix procedures on site the above 250 000 hours were achieved. Van Niekerk notes that the combined system of standards and procedures promotes awareness of surroundings and the mechanisms that exist regarding personal safety and health. “It includes task breakdown, risk assessments and permits required for personnel to work safely.”
Having started the ASA Metals project at the end of October 2007, and with a Ready for Hot Commissioning (RHC) target towards the end of the 2009 second quarter, there are currently 350 construction personnel active on site. Metix will be increasing its construction management team of 15 to 30, in an aggressive move towards earlier construction and commissioning completion.
The local construction industry has provided challenges for Metix. “Our biggest challenge has been to stay within budget,” Van Niekerk says. “In light of monstrous price escalation experienced during 2008 – especially in steel – we fortunately acted pro-actively at the start of the contract and were able to place our orders early. In-house knowledge and experience associated with all project disciplines allowed us to generate accurate (>95%) bills of quantities and sign contracts early.”
“We anticipate that our steady focus and additional resources will keep us on schedule and possibly put us ahead of schedule,” says Van Niekerk.
ASA Metals’ Chief Operating Officer, Herman Smith says that ASA is extremely impressed with the approach followed by Metix during the tendering, contract negotiation and construction phases of the project. “I have not encountered a company as willing as Metix to meet our specific needs and requirements for quite some time. Their site management has been exceptional. Good project management skills have allowed them to not only maintain the construction schedule, but also remain within budgeted cost, notwithstanding certain changes requested by our project team during the design review stages of the project. Their professional approach and general attitude to create a safe construction site have now culminated in the milestone of 250 000 injury free hours.”
Another Metix project currently underway is the Middelburg Ferrochrome (MFC) EPCM contract for Samancor Chrome, one of the largest ferrochrome producers in the world.
“Metix started this project in September 2007, and has a Ready for Hot Commissioning (RHC) target towards the beginning of the 2009 second quarter. We are responsible for the engineering, procurement, construction and management of this 600 000 ton per annum sinter plant,” says Van Niekerk.
In complying with Samancor’s unique SHERQC (safety, health, environment, risk, quality and community) requirements, Metix added another 250 000 Classified Injury-free hours. Working together to incorporate Samancor Chrome’s high level of standards and specifications into our own has been a positive and rewarding experience for us. It’s a company that has been around a long time, and we are happy to have been able to learn so much from its team.”
Van Niekerk adds that Metix plans to complete all civil and structural construction work early next year and has installed 60% of the major mechanical items. Electrical and instrumentation (E&I) and piping construction has already begun and should finish close to the RHC target.”
MFC’s General Manager, Roelof Retief says “working with the Metix organisation and especially their plant construction management has been a very positive experience. The main contribution being the attitude of the Metix personnel on site, in buy in and adopting Samancor.”
Chrome’s/MFC’s emphasis has been on frontend loading and continuous monitoring by Line Management. Metix also contributed hugely in convincing the contracting companies and their leadership to also have the same attitude. The only way they could do this was to become part of the MFC team, which they did. Together with Metix, I would like to congratulate all service providers on this project for their commitment to ZERO HARM,” Retief notes.
Metix is looking forward to an interesting array of projects in 2009. Negotiations are currently underway for finalising the award of a furnace upgrade in Zimbabwe. “Metix is currently also working on enclosing Hernic’s furnaces 1 and 2, leading to a safer and more environmentally-friendly operation. We started work in early 2008, and look set to complete the project at the beginning of 2009,” says Van Niekerk. “We are also busy with our final contractual negotiations on a 600 000 ton per year international sinter plant, which should start in 2009.
What’s more, an exciting development for Metix is the company’s involvement in co-generation projects. According to Van Niekerk, Metix recently completed a tender for a 15 MW Jenbacher facility. “This is a relatively new application for reliable and proven technology that combusts cleaned closed furnace off-gas in reciprocating engines to generate electricity”. The project forms part of the internationally-authorised clean development mechanism (CDM) that allows project financing through the sale of certified emission reductions (CER’s or carbon credits).
Binding emission reduction targets have been agreed to by numerous industrialised countries. Countries struggling to meet these targets can trade carbon with countries that have achieved theirs. Most countries choose to do so by maintaining a balanced portfolio encompassing various developing countries and types of carbon reduction projects. Very few African CDM projects have been implemented, making prospective CDM projects from Africa a sought after portfolio addition. South Africa, and particularly the metallurgical industry in Southern Africa, is well positioned to capitalise on this potential, Van Niekerk explains.
Metix aims to assist clients in this field by offering them a technical and commercial solution, unbiased by carbon trading interest. Metix offers a LSTK or EPCM plant, while assisting third party consultants to structure carbon financing according to the client’s requirements.
This approach increases the range of products that Metix can provide to its smelter clients, putting the company top-of-mind when clients are looking for a professional concern that offers creditable engineering solutions across all areas of its business.