Moranbah Ammonium Nitrate Project (Project Aurora) - case study

UGL worked with Dyno Nobel (later acquired by Incitec Pivot Limited) as the primary engineering group for the dismantling of an ammonia plant in the USA and its relocation. The plant was relocated to Queensland, Australia and the subsequent engineering and construction of an ammonium nitrate production facility began.

The challenge

The Project scope involved the reconstruction of the ammonia plant alongside a new nitric acid plant, ammonium nitrate solution plant, ammonium nitrate plant, a 10,000tonne storage facility and associated infrastructure utilities.

UGL, as the Project Aurora team along with partners Conneq Infrastructure Services and BGC Contracting, delivered all engineering and construction services for the project, with UGL acting as the principal contractor.

Within this role, we provided liaison and coordination over several subcontract vendors, whilst also providing detailed engineering services for all utilities and civil and concrete design across the plant.

Our solution

Project Management:

Project Aurora demonstrates UGL’s capability to manage the design and engineering input from many geographically disparate groups, using a variety of 3D intelligent systems, including SP3D and PDS.

UGL’s scope on this project includes the provision of overall direction, management and control of the work through an effective management plan. Management, engineers, technicians and other technically competent personnel are supplied to achieve this.

We were also responsible for the ongoing appraisal of performance, and for making recommendations to the client about corrective actions.

Detailed Engineering:

UGL offers in-house, multi-discipline engineering services. We are committed to improving the value proposition for our customers over the life-cycle of a project; we rigorously apply a ‘total installed cost’ approach to design and project implementation, without compromising safety, quality or schedule.

Engineering services provided on Project Aurora included the development of the site plant layout (arrangement) covering the main process areas, utilities, services and site infrastructure. The scope also involved the coordinated implementation of plant-wide project standards for all disciplines; including:

• civil
• structural
• piping and
• electrical and instrumentation (E&I)

Detailed design engineering provided by UGL on this project involved:

• receipt, control and management of the utilities FEED package
• development/coordination of a plant-wide equipment database, line list, commodity coding, etc.
• civil and concrete footing design
• implementation/coordination of plant-wide reviews of designs and engineering at critical design milestones and for compliance to Australian and other applicable standards, codes and regulations
• development and maintenance of a risk register
• participation in HAZOP and safety reviews; implementing changes and recommendations as required
• development of material requisitions (MR’s) for the utilities, plant and materials as nominated
• implementation/co-ordination of technical reviews for equipment and material tender submissions, instruments and instrumentation
• third party certification of pressure vessel design
• provision of Registered Professional Engineers Queensland (RPEQ) certification for all facilities
  
  

"The construction team achieved more than 1.5 million man-hours without a lost-time injury, which we believe is an industry leading performance”.

Alan Grace, President Global Manufacturing of Incitec Pivot Limited

Construction direct delivery:

UGL and its partners also provided a direct delivery construction capability on Project Aurora for the construction of the 330,000-tonne per annum ammonium nitrate facility. The construction scope includes all associated management of materials and equipment, transportation, logistics and inspection and testing required to erect the ammonium nitrate plant in Moranbah, Queensland.

Key successes

The Project was completed within its required time frame and budget, despite several weather challenges, including extreme rainfall, flooding and a cyclone during the construction period.

The Alliance team completed around 1,750,000 man-hours with around 500 personnel at peak and achieved zero lost time injuries (LTIs) and environmental incidents.