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BusinessExcellence Weekly

ISSUE No. 54 | www.bus-ex.com

de beers:

forever friends The world’s leading diamond company

decom north sea:

alma: Special focus

chum montreal:

Included The BE Mining Directory showcases leading mining organisations from across the world, ranging from big corporations to junior mines and their supply chains.

Be seen throughout our portfolio of magazines: •BE Mining Directory •BE Mining •BE Weekly •BE Monthly •

To find out how to get involved contact: vincent@bus-ex.com

business excellence Design Matt Johnson Art Director mjohnson@bus-ex.com Louise Culling Production Designer lculling@bus-ex.com

business Richard Turner Director of sales rturner@bus-ex.com Vince Kielty Director of Editorial Research vkielty@bus-ex.com Sharon Rooke Administration & Operations srooke@bus-ex.com Matt Day Head of technology mday@bus-ex.com Andy Turner Chief Executive aturner@bus-ex.com

editorial John O’Hanlon Editor

John has contributed to Business Excellence since its inception: he joined the in-house editorial team in February 2013. johanlon@bus-ex.com

Will Daynes Editor

Will has been a business writer for three years. He joined the Business Excellence team in September 2012. wdaynes@bus-ex.com

CONTRIBUTORS Anne Marie Kilkenny

Anne Marie is a Partner at business improvement specialist Oliver Wight.

Kevin Cunningham

Kevin oversees product development, marketing, sales, operations and client services on a global basis. As co-founder of SailPoint, Kevin’s goal from the beginning was to build a forward-looking, agile company with the experience to deliver better service and superior innovation to clients.

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be weekly | 3

issue No.54

6

6 supplychain

out of sight, not out of mind

Understanding your global supply chain to overcome challenges and ultimately create a competitive advantage.

12 technology

Ready or Not: Your Mission-Critical Data is Moving to the Cloud How the IT department is being bypassed with cloud based applications and the security risks involved with it.

12

18 de beers

Forever friends De Beers is the world’s leading diamond company, and operates across the diamond value chain, from exploration through to retail: it takes its responsibility for growing a sustainable industry very seriously.

36 CHUM Montreal

New CHUM for Montreal

18 4 | be weekly

After a decade of uncertainty Montreal, Quebec’s largest city with a population of 3.8 million and the second largest in Canada, is soon to benefit from a $2.5 billion state of the art teaching and research hospital that they will be happy to visit – or work at.

contents Special focus: Alma

50

50 ALMA

Searching the cosmos The history behind the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the significant enhances it is helping bring to the scientific community.

66 Thales Alenia Space Reaching new heights

66

How Thales Alenia Space has helped ALMA achieve its potential.

74 Thales Geodis Freight and Logistics (TGFL) Trusted transportation

TGFL’s role in bringing the ALMA project to life was one of the more complex and demanding of the whole undertaking.

82

82 DECOM North Sea The seas of change

DECOM North Sea is working to help drive forward an industry sector estimated to be worth in excess of ÂŁ35 billion over 30 years.

96 Gibraltar Port Authority The gateway to the Mediterranean

The Gibraltar Port Authority has worked tirelessly to ensure that the Port of Gibraltar meets the needs of an ever-increasing flow of shipping traffic.

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out of sight no

As globalization increasingly become visibility, communication and underst to overcome challenges and ultimat

written by: Anne

6 | Be weekly

supplychain

ot out of mind

es a reality, organizations need good tanding of their extended supply chain tely create a competitive advantage

e Marie Kilkenny

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supplychain

N

o matter how efficient your organization, t here will a lway s be unplanned events that w it hout co - operat ion across the supply chain, will negatively impact your business. The tsunami in Japan last year was an extreme example. Some organizations only became aware of their third or fourth tier suppliers and the impact they have on the business, because they were in the tsunami-affected area.

Global supply chains are multifaceted, they’re dynamic and it is essential organizations, wherever they are situated within the supply chain, consider and monitor contributing factors.

National taxes, charges, laws and regulations all need consideration. Not to mention the impact of economic, political or market change - and of course natural disasters.

The geographic location of some countries also presents additional challenges. Take New Zealand, relatively isolated from the rest of the developed world, inbound

8 | Be weekly

and outbound shipping costs can be a significant factor, but it is the time it takes to get products to and from New Zealand which is the key issue. In the world of lean, transportation time is waste. Moreover, long shipment times expose the supply chain to demand and supply variability. Inventory is typically used to buffer the impact of any variability in supply or demand, but this inevitably increases working capital requirements.

These supply chain challenges can be better overcome not by increased stockholding, but by creating a more agile and efficient supply chain. The first step is to understand what the global supply chain you operate in looks like, end-toend. Mapping or modeling the extended supply chain can help to recognise the relative size and influence of different entities within the supply chain, and identify the most influential customers and suppliers, as well as areas of greatest complexity and risk. A major supermarket, for example, is likely to be an influential player. Even if they are several tiers away

from your own business, you have to consider their impact on the supply chain, because it is too significant to ignore.

Likewise, a supplier can be very influential, particularly if their product is in short supply, providing leverage for them to make demands on their customers.

A common problem I have seen in businesses across the world is their small size relative to their global supply chain. Those which are part of a global organization in some cases have little control over sourcing and

10 | Be weekly

product decisions, having to fall in line instead with Head Office decisions, made with a global rather than local perspective. It is particularly important in this instance to really understand your supply chain, so you have the opportunity to negotiate terms and conditions, or else develop products differently, so as not to be constrained mov ing for wards.

Segmentation, for example, can be an effective way of satisfying individual product and service needs whilst maintaining economies

of scale. And the strategy to customize or configure products locally may be one which can satisfy both global and local needs.

Once you have established a good understanding of your supply chain, partnerships need to be formed with those which have the greatest impact on your business, i.e. influential players and any weak links. Good communication is essential for this, and for ongoing understanding. I never cease to be amazed at the number of businesses which have

supplychain

“Once you have a good understanding of your supply chain, partnerships need to be formed with those which have the greatest impact on your business” very little dialogue with their supply chain partners, and as a result have very poor visibility of drivers behind customer demand and supplier costs.

Visibility is key, and the right processes have to be in place to allow this. Integrated Business

Planning (advanced S&OP), a business management process for running the entire organization, not only provides a 24-36 month rolling horizon, it directly links the corporate strategy and financial plans, and exerts control over the extended supply chain.

One global electrical components manufacturer we now work with, saw demand reduce globally by 35 percent in 60 days in 2008 as a result of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC).

Unable to re-plan their supply chains as quickly as the change in demand, inventories soared to over $250 million, decimating profitability. Having come through this, they have now introduced an Integrated

Business Planning process which enables them to model different supply chain scenarios, and they are now much better equipped to anticipate and react rapidly to ever-changing demand.

The events of the past few years – not only the GFC, but volcanic ash clouds, tsunamis, floods and catastrophic earthquakes – have made the need to optimize the global supply chain ever more pressing. Understanding your supply chain footprint, communicating effectively and forming strategic relationships throughout the extended supply chain is essential in overcoming the many and varied challenges of today to effectively meet customer demand in the most profitable way.

Anne Marie Kilkenny, Partner at business improvement specialist, Oliver Wight. www.oliverwight-eame.com

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Ready or Not: Your Mission-Cri Data is Moving to How the IT department is being circumnavigated with cloud based applications and the security risks involved when it comes to access

written by: Kevin Cunningham

12 | Be weekly

technology

itical o the Cloud

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L

et me set up a common (and alarming) scenario I’m seeing at more than a few enterprises as we enter 2013: while IT is slow to move mission-critical applications to the cloud due to fears of security vulnerabilities, outages, or costs, business units within the same company are already procuring cloud applications without even involving IT - even for critical and sensitive applications. In fact, through a recent survey conducted by my company, SailPoint, we found the selection and deployment of cloud applications is increasingly becoming a business-led process. Alarmingly, the survey found that only 34% of business leaders brought IT into the decision-making process when choosing a cloud service, and only

29% got IT’s help while the service was being deployed.

The lack of IT involvement in the procurement and deployment of cloud applications makes it difficult for IT organizations to manage security and compliance risks. In an increasing number of cases, IT has no visibility to the cloud applications in use and, worse still, is not involved in ensuring proper security and access controls (i.e., understanding and managing who has access to what) are in place. Failing to control access to sensitive applications and data can leave an organization at risk for fraud, misuse of data, and privacy breaches, not to mention negative audit findings. At the end of the day, someone in the organization needs to manage and govern who has access to these mission-critical applications no matter where they reside.

Frighteningly, our recent survey found that nearly half of business leaders aren’t well educated on this need nor are they equipped to effectively handle user access privileges and other key factors necessary to safeguard the data housed in these new cloud applications.

Compounding this trend towards cloud application adoption, end users are feeling more and more empowered to make their technology choices when it comes to how they access these applications. Accessing corporate networks and cloud applications via “bring your own device” smartphones and tablets has become the norm in corporate environments. Because of this IT must approach the issue of access control with a new mindset. Gone are the days when an organization can simply block users from using devices or applications

“Gone are the days when an organization can simply block users from using devices or applications as IT is often not even aware that they are being used” 14 | Be weekly

technology

“For some cloud applications, cost control may be just as important as security” as IT is often not even aware that they are being used!

Instead, IT will have to find ways to manage and secure cloud applications without blocking business user choice and autonomy. Fortunately, the right identity and access management (IAM) strategy can help organizations extend control to cloud applications in a simple, convenient manner.

Spec i f ica l ly w it h i n their IAM strategy, it’s wise for organizations to inventory and classify clouds applications by risk, rather than taking a one-sizefits-all approach to policy and control. Based on the potential risk or criticality a particular cloud application represents, different levels of management and control are required. For missioncritical cloud applications such as financial services and customer relationship management applications,

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an organization would want complete visibility and oversight as to “who has access to what.” Therefore, for this class of cloud applications, it’s important to implement preventive and detective controls over the processes that grant, change and remove access to cloud applications to ensure that compliance and security guidelines are being followed. By providing detailed reporting on user access, IT and business staff will be armed with the intelligence they need to secure the application, reduce corporate risk and meet audit and compliance requirements.

For less sensitive applications, IT would ideally still have visibility into how and when those applications are used so that decisions can be made about the appropriate degree of management and control

technology they require over time. While not directly managed by IT, organizations should ensure employees understand that sensitive or proprietary information should not be posted to those applications.

For s ome c loud applications, cost control may be just as important as security - for example, many SaaS applications charge based on the number of user accounts. Because of this, it important that accounts are maintained only for users that actively require that a SaaS application to do their jobs and that those accounts are promptly removed when the user leaves the organization or no longer has a need for it. As more and more applications move to the cloud, it will important to know not just who can access applications, but whether workers are truly using the cloud applications

that the organization has licensed on their behalf.

Cloud computing is becoming an integral part of a business’ infrastructure, with more and more companies looking to adopt cloud applications as part of their business strategy. However, the benefits of the cloud, from cost savings to speed to flexibility can be negated if they leave a business exposed to security breaches and compliance issues.

Successfully managing the adoption of cloud applications requires a shift in IT’s role from that of a “gatekeeper” to becoming an enabler.

Those who figure out how to combine the convenience of easy access to cloud applications with IT oversight will be able to gain the buy-in of business users while having the right controls in place to protect assets and manage corporate risk.

In his role as president of SailPoint, Kevin Cunningham oversees product development, marketing, sales, operations and client services on a global basis. As co-founder of SailPoint, Kevin’s goal from the beginning was to build a forward-looking, agile company with the experience to deliver better service and superior innovation to clients. www.sailpoint.com

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De Beers

Forever friends

De Beers is the world’s leading diamond company, and operates across the diamond value chain, from exploration through to retail: it takes its responsibility for growing a sustainable industry very seriously

written by: John O’Hanlon research by: Robert Hodgson

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Close up of rough diamonds

De Beers

E

veryone agrees that diamonds are special. De Beers is unlike other mineral extraction businesses in that, while it is involved in the familiar geological and feasibility work followed by mining and beneficiation, it follows that up with the production and marketing of a luxury end product. It deals in both rough diamonds and finished gemstones, but while diamond may be chemically simple, De Beers recognises 12,000 different categories of rough diamond alone – and that is before they are polished, cut, and set. This makes diamonds less attractive as an investment. Gold is gold, but in the 1980s when a combination of economic factors led people to invest in diamonds, many got their fingers burnt, says Andrew Bone, International Relations Director. “No one would argue that diamonds hold their value and are a good long term store of wealth – but you do have to know just what you are buying.”

Investing in diamonds requires specialist knowledge. The business therefore depends on a lively downstream market to support its trading. Bone says there is every reason to be confident that the market will continue to grow, driven by demand from emerging markets, China in particular. Though ‘middle class’ is an elusive term to define, Wang Xiaolu, an economist and deputy director of the National Economic Research Institute based in Beijing predicts that the Chinese middle class will rise from just over ten percent of the population in 2009 to over 40 percent in 2020 and more that 70 percent by 2030. They may not all want to

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The Process Plant - a view across the large thickeners at the Venetia plant

buy diamonds, but China is really starting to participate in luxury goods markets, and with midstream and downstream diamond beneficiation, Bone notes. “They are building their capacity to cut and polish rough diamonds, and they already have robust institutions overseeing the industry.” As a good indication of how China is determined to be seen as a responsible trader, it is currently vice-chair of the Kimberley Process, established in 2003 to cut off the trade in conflict diamonds, and will take the

chair of that organisation next year.

However the Kimberley Process is only one of a number of ways in which the authenticity and origin of diamonds can be assured. Another is the Forevermark, De Beer’s proprietary diamond brand that offers a promise of beauty, rarity and responsible sourcing. Each Forevermark diamond is inscribed with a unique serial number and Forevermark icon, invisible to the naked eye, using proprietary technology. “As a world class company, consumer confidence is

“Shifting operations to Gaborone is at the forefront of the move to foster ‘resource nationalism’” 24 | be weekly

De Beers

$2 Billion Investment at Venetia mine

paramount to us. To hold onto that you have to always be one step ahead of the issues, plan for them and act accordingly. De Beers is very proactive; always looking to improve existing processes and engaging in new ones.”

In fact, consumer confidence is the driving force in an approach to operating responsibly and sustainably that goes right back to the preliminary geological survey, according to Dr Nicky Black, Head of Social Performance.

Right through the value chain, she says, runs the consciousness that company as a discretionary, luxury product, diamonds are uniquely exposed to reputational damage, as without consumer confidence that the diamonds they are buying have been mined, cut, and polished in an environmentally and socially responsible way demand will evaporate. “That’s why we established our Best Practice Principles (BPPs) Assurance Programme. Through this bespoke compliance programme, the social, environmental and ethical performance of our own operations and those of our customers is independently verified.

Uniquely within compliance programmes, De Beers asks our customers to meet these requirements as a condition of our supplying them.” Sightholders – customers who purchase rough diamonds from De Beers’ mines – have been required to comply with

Sorting diamonds at DTC Botswana

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Email: ronnie.van.der.nest@bw.atlascopco.com

DE BEERS GLOBAL OPERATIONS De Beers

ATLAS COPCO BOTSWANA Atlas Copco’s Mining and Rock Excavation Technique business area provides equipment for drilling and rock excavation, a complete range of related consumables and service through a global network.

Atlas Copco’s Construction Technique business area provides construction and demolition tools, portable compressors, pumps and generators, lighting towers, and compaction and paving equipment, all of which is supported through a global service network.

Atlas Copco’s Industrial Technique business area provides industrial power A leader in sustainable productivity solutions tools, assembly systems, quality assurance products, software and services.

Atlas Copco Botswana, a customer centre Atlas Copco Botswana was established within the Atlas Copco Group, is part of in 1969, and forms part of Atlas Copco’s an industrial group with world-leading Southern African business region. The positions in compressors, expanders and company operates from head office air treatment systems, construction and in Gaborone, as well as branches in mining equipment, power tools and assembly Francistown and Selebi Pikwe, and systems. With innovative products and currently employs 85 people. services, and in close cooperation with Atlas Copco Botswana is supported by customers and business partners, Atlas South Africa, which is the main hub for the Copco delivers solutions for sustainable Southern African region. A strengthened productivity. regional organisation means that customers The Group is organised into four separate, don’t only have access to Atlas Copco’s but still integrated business areas: world-class quality capital equipment, Atlas Copco’s Compressor Technique but also to related technical and support business area provides industrial services. In fact, even equipment operating compressors, gas and process compressors in extremely remote areas will be able to and expanders, air and gas treatment have the service excellence for which Atlas equipment and air management systems Copco is renowned. all of which are supported through a global service network. This business area also E. ronnie.van.der.nest@bw.atlascopco.com offers speciality rental services. www.atlascopco.com

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De Beers

The trucks are lining up at the start of the shift ready to transport kimberlite ore to the primary crusher

BPPs since 2005. Contractors downstream trade behaves who derive 75 percent or properly is of existential importance to the business, more of their revenue from any De Beers Sightholder or De Beers does not lose business have participated sight of its need to operate Of all diamonds sold in the assurance programme sustainably and ethically worldwide are cut and since 2008. Other contractors at the government level. polished by De Beers have to sign a declaration of Diamonds are the bedrock Sightholders integrity stating that they are of economies such as those free of any material breaches of Namibia and Botswana, where De Beers has 50/50 Joint Venture of the BPP standards.

So far reaching is the programme that partnerships with the Governments, and today more than 330,000 people in the still a big contributor to that of South Africa diamond industry world-wide are covered where De Beers started. And wherever by it – between them, she adds, De Beers diamonds are mined they have a direct Sightholders cut and polish more than 60 impact on the surrounding community. percent of all diamonds sold worldwide.

Speaking as De Beers’ responsible However, while making sure the business lead, Dr Black is understandably

60%

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NEW PRECIOUS RESOURCE DISCOVERED

Click here to visit our dedicated homepage for the mining community www.bus-ex.com/mining BEST PRACTICE IN MINING

De Beers partisan, but her argument is compelling. “I believe our At Komatsu our vision has resulted in a proud heritage of partnership approach has technological success, and we are continuously evolving to been particularly powerful meet the needs of our customers. Our unique and advanced in supporting development. equipment provides our customers in South Africa and Certainly our Joint Venture world-wide with innovation and exceptional value. We partnerships with the understand the chal lenges our customers encounter in their business; that is why our construction, surface mining, governments of Botswana utility and process equipment is designed to meet the and Namibia speak for highest productivity, safety and environmental standards. themselves. Over the past www.komatsu.co.za 50 year Botswana has been the great success story of southern Africa and has turned its diamonds into lasting national wealth, with four out of every five dollars generated by our diamond related activities staying in the country.”

The Government of Botswana also holds a 15 percent stake in De Beers, in addition to its 50/50 Joint Venture partnership with De Beers in the diamond mining company Debswana. This partnership has helped transform an essentially agricultural economy into a nation with one of the highest economic growth rates in the world.

It is certainly true that the policy of establishing a downstream industry in southern Africa has been a great success.

Ten percent of all rough diamonds from Namibia, for example, being retained and sold locally to the 13 Sightholders that Forevermark Encordia bangle

komatsu

“I believe our partnership approach has been particularly powerful in supporting development” be weekly | 31

Based in Cape Town,

ADP Group of Companies consists of ADP Holdings, ADP Marine and Modular, ADP Projects with ADP Namibia and ADPAfrica servicing the African continent.

ADP Projects specializes in providing Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Management (EPCM) services and EPC projects to the Mineral Industry with a small representative office in Johannesburg.

ADP Marine and Modular targets fit for purpose project execution requirements and smaller scale pre-engineered plant and technology supply to national and international marine and land based diamond, mineral sands, coal and gold mining industries.

ADP Marine and Modular also represents major European based Dredging and Marine Company Vosta LMG and is an equal partner with Denith Engineering in Under Water Mining Systems (UMS) a company focusing on the fast growing, niche marine mining market.

ADP Africa specializes in support services to mining companies in Africa that includes spares supply, logistics, meet and assist, visa applications and other general services to their client base.

PO BOX 514 PAARDEN EILAND 7420 CAPE TOWN Tel: +27 21 521 9400 Fax +27 21 521 9401 www.adpgroup.com

ADP started its operations in 1997 and boasts an impressive list of successful mining industry projects predominantly in Africa but including Canada, Brazil, India and Australia.

ADP is specifically structured as a group of companies in order to be able to optimally and cost effectively offer a full range of projects, consulting services and process plants to its clients, whether small or large, from conceptual studies and pre-engineered plants through to larger scale project execution using EPCM or Lump Sum contracting models. Our value proposition is assisting our clients to develop the optimal techno-economic solution for each project leveraging off our prior projects, technology and experienced innovative process engineering core..

De Beers

A view of the Venetia Diamond Mine open pit

have now set up indigenous companies that in the banking, hospitality and industrial currently employ at least 1,250 Namibians. sectors, he points out.

Now De Beers is really stepping up to its The move is taking place right now and principles by transferring a huge chunk of will be complete by the end of the year, its key HQ diamond sorting, valuation and making Gaborone a centre as important to the sales operations from London to Gaborone. diamond industry as London, Johannesburg “This is a bold move, I know,” says Bone, or Antwerp. The impact of De Beers’ activities “it is at the forefront of the move to foster on the other economies of southern Africa ‘resource nationalism’, and not without cannot be overemphasised. The $2 billion risk. But we think it is the right thing to it has announced it will spend on opening do. It will transfer a lot of underground workings at value to Botswana on top of its Venetia mine in South Africa, that country’s largest, what we have already done there in the past.” As well would prolong its life by as the hundreds of direct at least 20 years, during jobs being transferred, the which De Beers will devote People who work to move will act as a catalyst itself to creating sustainable BPP standard to other business activity alternative employment

300,000

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De Beers after the mine closes. One of the most effective ways it is doing this is through its involvement in the Zimele initiative. Started in 2008, Zimele’s programme focuses on those mining communities and impoverished areas that supply the De Beers workforce.

By encouraging the start-up of sustainable indigenous enterprises it aims to create 25,000 employment opportunities and 1,500 companies by 2015. “We have seven hubs, located near our operations in South Africa,” says Dr Black, “and we are currently looking at supporting similar initiatives in Namibia and Botswana as well.”

And stimulating economic development is far from the whole story. Sustainable initiatives generally include elements of education, environmental best practice, healthcare and conservation as well. Mining activities account for only a fifth of the area that is under lease to De Beers and a number of conservation and biodiversity projects have been started under The Diamond Route, a joint venture between De Beers, the Oppenheimer family and the black economic empowerment (BEE) company Ponahalo Holdings. Often these highly protected lease areas prove a haven for wildlife. “A good example is the Orapa mine in Botswana,” explains Andrew Bone. “A rhino conservation project was introduced at Orapa last year: now 15 rhinos are happily breeding there and it is remarkable programme.

For more information about De Beers visit: www.debeersgroup.com

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CHUM Montreal

New CHUM for Montreal After a decade of uncertainty Montreal, is soon to benefit from a $2.5 billion state of the art teaching and research hospital that they will be happy to visit – or work at

written by: John O’Hanlon research by: Vincent Kielty

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Construction in progress and the CRCHUM in the background, almost completed

CHUM Montreal

M

ontrealers have become accustomed to seeing the large building site in the heart of the city that will house the new hospital complex that is being built there. The new CHUM is bounded

by Boulevard René-Lévesque, Rue SaintDenis, Rue Sanguinet and Rue Saint-Antoine towering 20 storeys above ground. The City of Montreal will finally have one of the most advanced teaching hospitals and medical research facilities in the world.

The Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) and its associated Research Centre (CRCHUM) will be truly world class institutions. They were financed under two separate PPP project agreements. Substantial completion of the CRCHUM in the end of September 2013, and substantial completion for the first phase of the hospital is April 2016.

This major redevelopment project is much more than a stunning architectural group of buildings to grace this key site on the edge of the old city. The project has been clouded by uncertainty since it was first mooted more than a decade ago, in 2000.

Sylvain Villiard, Secretary General and Associate Executive Director, has been juggling the project since its inception, through a series of changes of administration and policy. The present site was finally chosen in 2005, by which time, he says, his team had become very good at site evaluation! Then there was a period of discussion about the size of the hospital: it replaces three existing facilities with a total of 1,000 beds, so the government’s preference for a much more smaller facility had to be questioned. At last

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A BUILDING IS A LEGACY Your legacy is to deliver a building that serves all your stakeholders – not just for today, but for the century ahead.

We help define your facility for the future by delivering flexible, energy efficient and sustainable designs that serve today’s needs as well as those of generations and technologies to come. As your consulting engineering partner, we apply our 90+ years of engineering expertise to solve your challenges.

HH Angus – an engineering partner for the life of your building. hhangus.com

CHUM Montreal

HH Angus and Associates Limited HH Angus is pleased to be participating in the CHUM project - the Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal. More than 50 members of the HH Angus staff are providing Mechanical and Electrical Consulting Engineering and Security Design to the project, which is being designed to target LEED® Silver.

Founded in 1919, today HH Angus and Associates is one of Canada’s largest private consulting engineering firms. The company focuses on serving clients in the healthcare, technology, commercial and energy system sectors. We’re proud of our reputation for delivering superior engineering design and innovative building solutions to industry leaders.

We are fortunate to work with clients who trust us to incorporate new concepts and refine current ones to provide them with the best solution. With that trust comes the obligation to ensure our design fully meets our client’s expectations.

Recognized as industry leaders with international scope, HH Angus has a history of satisfying clients who require solutions to complex projects. Regardless of a project’s size or intricacy, we work with the design team to understand the character of the facility and to design appropriate systems, on schedule and within budget.

During the lifespan of a facility, operating costs will substantially exceed capital costs.

We understand that, and take a collaborative,

integrated design approach. Our design team works closely with stakeholders to deliver building design solutions that will be efficient and flexible and that will serve the needs of the owner/operators over the lifecycle of the facility.

Our staff of over 200 includes 50+ licensed professional engineers and 60+ employees who are LEED® Accredited Professionals.

We’ve been delivering energy efficient designs since before anyone thought to call them sustainable. To us, it just makes sense…why would we work any other way?

Our ability to provide technical support, design and project management for building services projects offers our clients a comprehensive range of services from concept to commissioning.

In addition to mechanical and electrical consulting engineering, our services include: Commissioning • Project Management Vertical Transportation • Lighting Design Communications & Security Peer Review • Renewable Energy Consulting Master Planning • Feasibility Studies • Energy Modeling • Photometrics • Inspection Lifecycle Costing • Simulation Operations Training • Compliance Consulting T. 416.443.8200 or toll free 1.866.955.8201 E. info@hhangus.com www.hhangus.com

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a compromise was reached, and CHUM will have 772 beds and 39 operating rooms.

The main hospital replaces three existing hospitals, the Saint-Luc Hospital that stands at the corner of Saint-Denis and René-Lévesque – that landmark will be demolished as part of the project – the Hôtel-Dieu and the Hôpital Notre-Dame. It is being constructed under a public private partnership (PPP) between the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal and four equity partners that together make up the CHUM Collectif. Innisfree is a UK investment group with 23 active hospital projects, four in Canada; OHL is based in Spain and has built hospitals totalling 60,700 beds in 14 countries; Laing O’Rourke is the UK’s largest privately owned construction company and Dalkia Canada is a subsidiary of the global facilities management group.

The Research Centre to the south-east of the main hospital site and separated from it by Rue Viger, is being delivered via a separate PPP agreement with Accès Recherche Montréal (ARM), a partnership between Fiera Axium Infrastructure and Meridiam Infrastructure, and built by a joint venture of two Quebec companies, Pomerleau and Verreault SENC. In fact it is almost finished – the fabric of the buildings is complete, and the services and equipment are going in under the overall

supervision of Sylvain Villiard who in 2011 handed over the project management of CHUM itself to Paul Landry.

The new centre brings together six former locations – imagine the advantages in communication between the researchers! No wonder they are keen to move in, something they will begin to do in October 2013, a remarkable achievement on the part of ARM and Pomerleau-Verreault says Villiard. “The

“It is a tribute to our partners that after 42 months of construction we are on schedule, on budget and within one percent of our original specification” 42 | be weekly

CHUM Montreal

Amphitheatre and main entrance of the New CHUM

CRCHUM consists of two very be a further reassurance to high tech buildings amounting know that these systems will to 68,800 square metres. It is be competently maintained a tribute to our partners that for at least the 30 years of the after 42 months of construction PPP agreement. The facility Number of beds in the we are on schedule, on budget will be formally handed over new hospital on October 1, 2013 and by and within one percent of our original specification.” The January 1, 2014 six hundred buildings that the staff will be people will have moved in. leaving behind are up to 150 years old – their In addition, 5,500 pieces of equipment are inconvenience and inefficiency couldn’t be a being moved – in all $100 million-worth of greater contrast to the fail-safe systems they new equipment is being installed, 40 percent will enjoy in the new facility. of it brand new.

The research facility is linked to the Even the power supply comes in from two separate grid sources. Hydro-Québec and new Integrated Teaching and Training an additional link will give access to power Centre (CIEF) by a bridge that spans one of within the Research Centre. Honeywell is the Montreal’s busiest link roads. Not that you’d facility management partner in ARM – it will know it, because it is an underpass that runs

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“The main hospital will take a little longer to complete, but it is progressing well and is in the hands of a robust partnership� below the site itself. The CIEF is a key part of the hospital: some 6,000 students a year pass through it: now they will be able to work in an environment that contains a great deal of innovative learning technology and is close to a great deal more. The hospital

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is already working with a company involved in simulation to develop new products for surgical, ultrasound and clinical simulation, which apart from its relevance to diagnostics and treatment is increasingly important in teaching. CIEF will have 41 clinical training,

CHUM Montreal

Overview of what the New CHUM, including CRCHUM, will look when it’s finished

self-training and skills evaluation rooms and simulation laboratories. It will also include two rooms equipped with virtual simulators and computer operated mannequins.

The main hospital will take a little longer to complete, but it is progressing well and is in the hands of a robust partnership says Paul Landry, who had delivered two large hospital projects in Ontario before coming to CHUM in 2010. The main hospital building, or D Block, comprises three units, he explains, with each storey running out at around 20,000 square metres. The first eight storeys contain all the diagnostic and treatment departments,

including the 39 ORs while above them rise two parallel towers that contain 28 of the 36 in-patient wards.

Connecting directly to the D Block at all levels, block B1 contains the ambulatory care centre, or outpatient facility. It houses 35 different specialist clinics. A good example is the specialist burns unit, one of only two in the province – the other is in Québec City.

In terms of patient numbers, ambulatory care visits represent a major component of overall clinical services, says Landry: “Approximately 500,000 outpatients visits per year are anticipated. That’s one reason it has

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been situated right behind the amphitheatre this system instead of the traditional large that forms the main entrance to the hospital. pneumatic tube system for removing soiled We wanted a direct link between the main linen and refuse which takes up a large entrance and this large volume of ambulatory spatial and electromechanical footprint.” visits for ease of patient access.”

The use of AGVs for in-hospital logistics is The eight-storey logistics building will be not new, and the team visited other hospitals the service and goods handling hub of the including Forth Valley in Scotland to see it hospital. It houses the automated guided in action. However the CHUM system is the largest and most modern vehicle system that was introduced at an early stage in North America, and the by the CHUM Collectif, first in Canada. The robots something Landry gives the follow wi-fi controlled paths partners full credit for. “Our with location precision of 1 centimetre, moving from partners were determined to Anticipated outpatient exceed our expectations, and floor to floor on dedicated visits each year at changed their design at the elevators. “The automated Nouveau CHUM bidding stage to introduce transportation equipment

500,000

A view inside the CRCHUM

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CHUM Montreal

“Art and culture in the healing environment is integral to our vision of creating a leading edge patient focused design” that has been conceived for this project is really key to the overall operations of the logistics centre,” he says, adding that robotics will form part of leading edge equipment in the pharmacy and even the operating rooms.

However the smartest thing about this massive building project came right at the planning stage. The original submission called for 55 percent of the facility to be delivered

in Phase 1 leaving a substantial proportion to follow in Phase 2. The Collectif sought a derogation from the government to allow a five-metre height increase to the building and a displacement of the phasing line from the hospital. This meant that in Phase 1 they would be able to deliver 85 percent of all the clinical services. By doing that they avoided in effect building two hospitals, with all the associated high tech infrastructure split between two phases. This way the bulk of the critical elements were shifted into Phase 1 with lower spec outpatient clinics, and administrative services in the second. “Our partners really stepped up to the mark with a great architectural solution, reducing the footprint, freeing up more space around the focal auditorium and main entrance and allowing more natural light to come into the hospital itself and also to reach the street.”

From the point of view of the hospital it was a tremendous advantage to get nearly all of its clinical services; its in-patient services, its diagnostic treatment services, plus all 772 beds and most of its outpatient clinics in one go. Virtually everyone will be able to relocate from the three existing hospitals by 2016, he observes with satisfaction, with the remaining 15 percent of ambulatory clinics delivered by 2020 in Phase 2.

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The CRCHUM is almost complete and will open this year

CHUM Montreal No account of the new CHUM would be complete without mentioning its aesthetic aspects. Apart from the rigours of delivering a hospital to LEED Silver standards (Gold is not out of the question) in a climate that can range from minus 20 to 30 degrees Celsius, the design will enhance the city’s identity.

Its most striking feature is hard to put one’s finger on. One contender is the remarkable curved amphitheatre, but the incorporation of two old Montreal landmarks is hard to trump.

The bell-tower of the 1866 St-Sauveur church that stood on the site has been taken down stone by stone to be re-erected at the corner of the new hospital close to its entrance, rising in front of six storeys of the hospital.

The associated Garth House façade is to be incorporated inside the entrance hall. “The design of the façade had to be just right and I think Cannon Design and the local architect Neuf Architects together did a marvellous job of designing this new hospital,” says Landry.

We can’t say much – yet – about what will undoubtedly be a keynote of the design. A competition is in hand to design an eight-storey image covering the façade of the ambulatory centre. One percent of the cost of every building project in Quebec must be reserved for artwork and the designers of CHUM enthusiastically complied, says Paul Landry: “Art and culture in the healing environment is integral to our vision of creating a leading edge patient focused design.”

For more information about CHUM Montreal visit: www.nouveauchum.com

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special focus:

Searching the cosmos Outgoing Director, Thijs de Graauw, discusses the history behind the Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA) and the significant enhances it is helping bring to the scientific community, both in Chile and throughout the world

written by: Will Daynes research by: Louisa Adcock

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Atac

cama Large Millimeter/Sub-millimeter Array (ALMA)

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ALMA Preparations for taking the first ALMA antenna up to the Chajnantor plateau begin

N

o matter what corner of the planet you inhabit we all share the same amazement and wonder of the stars and planets above us. It is this wonder that has driven scientists and astronomers to try to gain an increasingly detailed understanding of the universe. In order to do so these experts strive to collect as much data and information as possible and one of the major ways of doing this is through the observations of the electromagnetic spectrum radiated by celestial sources.

“Among the most profound mysteries in astronomy are the origins of things such as galaxies, stars, planets, and the molecules that seed life,” explains Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA) outgoing director, Thijs de Graauw. “What ALMA does is observe light emitted by cool-temperature objects in space. This permits us to unravel profound mysteries about the formation of planets and the appearance of complex molecules, including organic molecules.”

The birth of ALMA dates back to the 1980s when large size millimeter/submillimeter arrays of radio telescopes were studied by astronomers in Europe (LSA), North America (MMA) and Japan (LMSA), and different possible observatories were discussed. In the 1980s and early 1990s space observatories discovered strong submillimeter molecular emission from galaxies and it became obvious that the ambitious investigations to understand these objects could hardly be realised by only one of the proposed array telescopes and a merger into a single large

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u o r y logis g n i d tic a e s

L

220, Boulevard Pierre BROSSOLETTE – F 92247 Malakoff cedex Tel : 00 33 (0)1.41.17.16.00 // Fax : 00 33 (0)1.41.17.16.49 // Email : contact@tgflog.com

towards excellence TGFL, a joint venture created in 2002 between the THALES and GEODIS groups, is one of the leading companies specialized in providing logistics services to the AEROSPACE and DEFENCE markets.

Management of all our operations, including packing, transportation, warehousing and customs, occurs with complete respect to all regulations and is complemented with full tracing.

Dedicated solutions tailored to AEROSPACE and DEFENCE markets include, project management, military customs expertise, AOG desk, critical operations and conveys, and our Global Control Tower, all of which can be customized to meet our customers’ expectations.

Our teams selected and dedicated to meeting our client’ and their client’ needs.

Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), S. Rossi (ESO)

ALMA

European ALMA antennas

array would be necessary. The discussions and deliberations on merging the three projects took place in the nineties.

Consequently, a first memorandum was signed in 1999 by the North American community, represented through the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the European community, represented through

European Organization for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO), followed in 2002 by an agreement between them to construct ALMA on a plateau in Chile.

Thereafter, Japan, through the National Astronomical Obser vatory of Japan (NAOJ), worked with the other partners

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Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), R. Durán (ALMA)

to define and formulate its participation in the ALMA project. An official, trilateral agreement between ESO, the NSF, and the National Institutes for Natural Sciences (NINS, Japan) concerning the construction of the enhanced Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array was signed in September 2004. “With the inclusion of the Asian partners,” de Graauw continues, “ALMA has become a truly global astronomical facility, involving scientists from four different continents.”

At its simplest, ALMA is a radio telescope

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made up of an ensemble of 66 antennas, some seven metres and some 12 metres in diameter, that work in unison with the surface of the ALMA interferometer totalling more than 6,500 square metres, which is approximately equivalent to a football field. The sheer size and scope of the project makes it possible for ALMA to detect very faint radiation in space.

Despite the harsh conditions, the ALMA antennas were installed at an altitude of 5,000 metres in an exceptional area for astronomical observation. The high altitude

ALMA and lack of moisture prevents water in the atmosphere from absorbing the radio waves, which would normally hinder observation from Earth.

“As one can imagine,” de Graauw

highlights,” to make images from millimeterwavelength light gathered by multiple antennas, we need absolutely colossal computing power. The signals coming from each pair of antennas must be

“As one can imagine, to make images from millimeter-wavelength light gathered by multiple antennas, we need absolutely colossal computing power” 16 antennas on Chajnantor

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PHYSIK INSTRUMENTE For 50 of its antennas, the ALMA obervatory uses high-precision Hexapods from PI. They align the sub-reflectors to the large main reflectors of the radio telescopes to compensate for external impacts. PI uses its technological knowledge and long-term experience in micro and nanopositioning technology for providing highest positioning performance in extreme ambient conditions. The Hexapod systems with six degrees of freedom in motion are installed behind the sub-reflectors and allow for 6D positioning with resolution in the submicrometer and arcsecond range.

The positioning system’s parallel kinematics structure is considerably more compact and stiffer than serially stacked multi-axis systems and leads to a very high resonant frequency. Since only a single platform is

actuated, the moved mass is significantly smaller. This results in improved dynamics with considerably faster response. For the Hexapods in the ALMA antennas, PI developed and manufactured highly stiff and robust joints. The Hexapods can ad-just the position of the sub-reflectors precisely to several millimeters.The digital controller’s components for position control of the Hexapods have been adapted to reduced atmospheric pressure. With this high-performance digital control technology, that combines incremental position sensors and optical reference sensors in the Hexapod’s individual struts, PI provides a high-resolution measurement and control system for the ALMA observatory. www.pi.ws

Credit: ALMA(ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), Carlos Padilla(NRAO/AUI/NSF)

ALMA

The Front End Service Vehicle in its raised position servicing the receiver cabin

mathematically compared billions of times proposals were submitted by the worldwide every second. It would take approximately science community, representing an three million domestic laptops to carry out unprecedented level of demand for a the same quantity of operations per second ground-based or space telescope. Those astronomers who obtain as the ALMA correlator.”

Scientists from around obser v ing t ime have the world are already exclusive access to their competing for A LM A’s collected data for one year, after which the data observing time. The first cycle of observations, known becomes public in a vast as Cycle 0, was launched at library. “As with the great Antennas make up the ALMA project the end of September 2011. telescopes that have gone An impressive 919 project before it,” de Graauw

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Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), M. Kornmesser (ESO)

“As with the great telescopes that have gone before it ALMA will enable us to see aspects of the universe whose existence we haven’t even suspected” enthuses, “ALMA will enable us to see aspects of the universe whose existence we haven’t even suspected.”

On a much more localised scale the ALMA project is also contributing directly

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towards Chile’s development as a centre for astronomy. Indeed the construction and operation of the observatory has been identified as one of the most significant factors in the growing encouragement

ALMA

Artist’s impression of the disc of dust and gas around a brown dwarf

of training specialised human resources, promoting innovations in engineering and software development, in helping to improve the country’s telecommunications infrastructure, and supporting the social and economic development of ALMA’s local and regional communities.

“Our relationship with the Chilean community and government has been excellent both at the national and regional levels,” de Graauw says. “We have found collaboration and communication to be fluid at the ministerial level as well as with

regional authorities through the Intendente – the equivalent of a regional governor - and local authorities, through the mayor and town council of San Pedro de Atacama and the Toconao indigenous community.”

Since 2003 ALMA has contributed towards the development of astronomy in Chile through the ALMA-CONICYT Fund, allocated annually to promote human resources, instrumentation, teaching, outreach and fellowships. This fund will apportion close to $700,000 in 2013.

On a regional scale ALMA contributes

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• adaptive optics deformable mirrors with contactless technology of MMT, LBT, Magellan, ESO VLT and for the future E-ELT and GMT telescopes • high performance axes control systems and metrology for ALMA, GTC, E-ELT • wavefront sensors and real time computers for LBT, Magellan, Keck, Gemini observatories

• • • • • • •

Supercomputing in hard real time High speed optical communication and logic Metrology systems Wireless systems Control System Design High level user interfaces Management of the product development from design to production • Management of large scientific projects

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Microgate is a leading electronics engineering and production company.

Our expertise covers the whole design process of electronics systems, including hardware and software design, control system design, prototyping and production.

The Timing & Sport division develops and produces a complete palette of professional sports timing, physical evaluation and rehabilitation products. The Engineering division develops high-tech solutions for scientific and industrial applications.

Since 1995 our research has been focused on the development of control systems for adaptive mirrors, sensors and real time computers for adaptive optics, and radioastronomy. Microgate control systems power the adaptive optics of the most advanced observatories worldwide: MMT, Keck, LBT, Magellan, VLT. Within the ALMA

project, Microgate, as EIE subcontractor, has developed the Antenna Control Unit of the ALMA-AEM antennas. The Control Unit is the brain of the antenna, it performs the challenging task of steering the axes of the giant dishes with micrometer accuracy, while checking all subsystems to allow safe remote operation at 5500m elevation. Microgate has also greatly contributed to the development of an extremely accurate metrology system that compensates for the subtle deformation induced by temperature and wind on the sophisticated and massive structure.

Microgate is the ideal partner for businesses looking for solutions for development, production, and integration of technological devices.

E. info@microgate.it www.microgate.it/engineering

SHARPEN THE UNIVERSE. Microgate Engineering develops advanced solutions for scientific and industrial use. Control systems developed by Microgate are the technological heart of the most advanced astronomical research worldwide: • adaptive optics deformable mirrors with contactless technology of MMT, LBT, Magellan, ESO VLT and for the future E-ELT and GMT telescopes • high performance axes control systems and metrology for ALMA, GTC, E-ELT • wavefront sensors and real time computers for LBT, Magellan, Keck, Gemini observatories

Our capabilities: • HW and SW design of embedded systems based on FPGAs, DSPs and microcontrollers • Supercomputing in hard real time • High speed optical communication and logic • Metrology systems • Wireless systems • Control System Design • High level user interfaces • Management of the product development from design to production • Management of large scientific projects

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VIA STRADIVARI, 4 . BOLZANO . ITALY . TEL. +39 0471 501532 . FAX +39 0471 501524 INFO@MICROGATE.IT . WWW.MICROGATE.IT

ALMA

The transporter, now carrying the antenna, leaves the OSF and reaches an altitude of 3,000 meters

annually to the ALMA school. ALMA has given Region II Fund, also since training, selected and 2003. The Fund promotes funded teachers, and built infrastructure to allow these productive and socialprogrammes to take root. economic development in Metres above sea level.

The said programmes have the Antofagasta Region, Altidude of the supporting local initiatives helped to raise test-scores ALMA project through a public call for for Toconao students in national standardized tests, proposals. This year, over and have been well received $300,000 dollars will be allocated. Locally, ALMA supports by teachers, parents and local authorities. a programme to improve education in Currently, there are conversations with the science and English at the Toconao public Municipality of San Pedro de Atacama and

5,000

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Credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF, Carlos Padilla Acknowledgement: General Dynamics C4 Systems

ALMA other strategic partners with the intention of replicating Toconao’s successful experience to other schools in the district.

More broadly, Chile benefits from the creation of jobs at ALMA, where over 80 percent of the staff is locally hired. Many of the positions require advanced technical and professional qualifications, so valuable training and workplace learning take place at the observatory. In the long run, ALMA is contributing to the positioning of Chile as the undisputed astronomical capital of the world.

“ALMA is in the business of collecting unique astronomical data for investigations of the universe at millimetre and submillimeter wavelengths,” de Graauw says, “and in this wavelength range ALMA is the biggest observatory on the planet.

Looking ahead there is an advanced plan to build a very large radio astronomy telescope based on similar techniques but at much lower frequencies and therefore per unit much easier and cheaper. The diameter of this telescope will be much larger as will be the total radiation collecting area, but the operating frequencies are much lower. The total collecting area is to be equivalent to one square kilometre. Therefore the name of the project is SKA, Square Kilometre Array.

It is in the planning phase and the budget has not yet been allocated but precursor projects are already operating.”

Aerial view of the ALMA Operations Center

For more information about ALMA visit: www.almaobservatory.org

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special focus:

Reaching new

The ALMA astrological observatory in northern Chile is o exciting scientific undertakings currently under developm it will only achieve its potential thanks to the work of com

written by: Will Daynes | research by: Richard Halfhid

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Thales Alenia Space

w heights

one of the most important and ment anywhere in the world, however mpanies like Thales Alenia Space

de

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W

hile Neil Armstrong’s and Edwin Aldrin’s first footsteps on the moon in July, 1969, to this day remains one of the most iconic moments in human history, mankind’s fascination with space dates back to centuries beforehand.

Historical records pinpoint the earliest working telescopes back to the early 1600s and in the time since technological advances have helped mankind create the likes of the Hubble Space Telescope, the Large Binocular Telescope and the Kepler Mission. These creations have in turn brought us some of the most breath-taking images of our universe, stoking the imaginations of a whole new generation of space aficionados.

While the names of the telescopes and satellites themselves are becoming increasingly well known, it would remiss of us not to throw a spot light on the companies whose work is helping to provide us with a whole new view of the cosmos.

Thales Alenia Space is the European leader when it comes to satellite systems and a major player in orbital infrastructures. A joint venture between Thales and Finmeccanica, Thales Alenia Space sets the global standard in solutions for space telecommunications, radar and optical Earth observation, defence and security, navigation and science. With consolidated revenues of €2.1 billion in 2011, Thales Alenia Space has 7,500 employees in France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium and the United States.

On 14 January, 2013, the company achieved a significant milestone in its recent history

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CREDIT: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), S. ROSSI (ESO)

Thales Alenia Space

European ALMA antenna brings total on Chajnantor to 16

when it announced that it had completed delivery of 25 dishes, each 12 metres in diameter, for the antennas making up the Atacama Large Millimeter/Sub-millimeter Array (ALMA) astronomical observatory in northern Chile, a huge international program built in partnership by Europe, North America and East Asia.

Built at 5,000 meters above sea level, the ALMA observatory will ultimately comprise 66 adjustable parabolic antennas capable of simultaneously observing the sky at millimetric and sub-millimetric wavelengths. This highly innovative facility will give astronomers an opportunity to study the birth of the universe and to obtain highly detailed images of the formation of stars and planets in our galaxy.

ALMA construction and operations are led on behalf of Europe by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), on behalf of North America by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) and on behalf of East Asia by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). “ALMA is clearly a giant of a project and among the biggest ever conceived in terms of astronomy from the earth,” states Vincenzo Giorgio, of Thales Alenia Space Italy, Responsible for Exploration and Science.

The 25 antennas that Thales Alenia

Space was awarded the European contract to manufacture weigh approximately 100 tonnes each, a size that necessitates the use of a special 28-wheel vehicle and a reinforced road in order to move each structure from its assembly point to its final destination.

To obtain the needed accuracy, the dishes of the antennas have to be extremely light and stable. This has been achieved by the use of ultra-stable CFRP (carbon fibre reinforced

“We can proud to have supported a project that will go on to provide hugely significant data to the scientific community for many years to come” 70 | be weekly

Thales Alenia Space

Antennas onsite and assembled

plastic) for the reflector base and of rhodiumcoated nickel for the reflecting panels. The surface of the 12-meter dish, must be accurate to within 25/1000 of a millimetre, and cannot change due to any operational conditions, including wind, temperature fluctuations, solar irradiation and the frequent relocations of the antennas with their special vehicle.

“Building a 12-metre dish to these exacting standards was a real challenge for us,” Giorgio continues, “particularly the process of creating a form of industrial production for all 25 of the antennas.” In addition to the sheer volume of work this project entailed, challenges would also centre on maintaining cost controls and a strict delivery timetable that required a production rate of around two antennas every three months.”

In order to negotiate such a large project it was imperative that Giorgio and his team were able to guarantee that the financial performance of the company could be maintained throughout its undertaking. Meanwhile, in terms of the construction process itself, while the company was already familiar with the types of material that would be required to complete a job of this size, the application of these elements was hugely different to anything it had undertaken previously.

Nevertheless, as Giorgio goes on to state, Thales Alenia Space benefited from the use of an in-built secret weapon, so to speak. “When it comes to any scientific work that we conduct we always take a first-time approach to each project: that is a characteristic that I would say is very much a part of our DNA. We know

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CREDIT: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)

Thales Alenia Space from experience that in this line of work you never build the same satellite, or in this case antenna, twice. It is for this reason alone that we approach each task with an open mind and a clear desire to produce the best results.”

In addition to cost and delivery concerns, the company also had to strongly factor in the long-term operation of the antennas once in place and active. One example of an issue that had to be overcome involved the rhodium-coated reflecting panels, of which each antenna possesses more than 100, and how these could be replaced as efficiently as possible should the need to arise during the life of the project.

The company’s solution was to design and construct a unique automatic tool that is able to change the affected panel in as short a time as possible and with maximum precision.

This is just one of a number of examples of the skilled work that Thales Alenia Space has contributed towards the ALMA project.

“The fact that we have been able to deliver our incredibly vital contributions to this project, and do so to a higher standard of quality than that which was initially expected, has unquestionable helped to boost our own reputation in the marketplace,” Giorgio concludes. “What is equally important to us however is the fact that we can proud to have supported a project that will go on to provide hugely significant data to the scientific community for many years to come.”

View of the European antennas assembly site

For more information about Thales Alenia Space visit: www.thalesaleniaspace.com

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special focus:

Trusted tra

Thales Geodis Freight and Log the ALMA astronomical observ the more complex and deman

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Thales Geodis Freight and Logistics (TGFL)

ansportation

gistics (TGFL)’s role in bringing vatory project to life was one of nding of the whole undertaking

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TGFL

T

GFL, in existence for more than 50 years, became a joint venture between the Thales and Geodis groups in 2002. Thales Geodis Freight and Logistics has since become a dedicated and well-respected supplier of logistical requirements and specialised freight forwarding operations for the aerospace and defence sectors.

Since its formation TGFL has prided itself on its competitiveness, flexibility, adaptability and quality of service, traits that truly put to the test in one of its more recent undertakings, that being its support of Thales Alenia Space – Italy (TAS – I) and its work on the Atacama Large Millimeter/Sub-millimeter Array (ALMA) astronomical observatory in northern Chile.

TGFL’s primary role involved being entrusted with the transportation of the subsystems for 25 of the antennas that would eventually go on to make up the ALMA project.

These subsystems included the antennas’ individual Back Up Structures (BUS), made of carbon fibre, the reflector panels and all manner of spare parts and associated tools.

To give a scale of the work involved, each BUS has a diameter of 12 metres and is carried in two parts, each with a length of 12 metres and a width of six metres, a height of four metres and a weight of some six tonnes.

“The scope of the contract itself,” explains Gilbert Caramelle, Managing Director of TGFL, “called for a number of detailed, complex tasks to be performed, beginning with the design, development, conception and manufacturing of specific handling and transportation tools for the BUS, dubbed jigs,

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that have been performed with an expert partner company by the name of ACMH.” The next phase of the contract called upon TGFL to organise oversize road transportation of the subsystems from their loading point in Massieux, France, to Antwerp, which represents a journey of some 800 kilometres, where they were loaded onto freight vessels.

Each transportation also required the presence of at least ten escort vehicles. From

here they would travel across the ocean to arrive in Puerto Angamos, Chile, where it again fell upon TGFL to ensure their safe and efficient transportation, supported by its sister company GEODIS WILSON, to their assembled site at San Pedro de Atacama, at the altitude of nearly 3,000 metres above sea level. Last, but not least, the jigs were to be brought back to Europe.

“The first documents of the contract

“TGFL’s primary role involved being entrusted with the transportation of the subsystems for 25 of the antennas”

Loading at Antwerp

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TGFL

Parking at Antwerp

were signed in 2007,” Caramelle continues, “at which point we commenced with a preparation phase that involved carrying out a number of studies over the space of nearly two years, during which time we also went about identifying reliable expert partners and preparing our own organisation to manage and pilot the project. The contract was finalised in November 2008, with the first antenna being transported to Chile in May 2009 and the last arriving in December 2012.”

As Caramelle highlights, TGFL’s approach saw it initially embark upon selecting expert partners for every task of the contract and establishing an internal team of experience managers to coordinate, pilot and control the operation. In order for this to succeed

this internal team would have to ensure the correct training was given to every employee involved throughout the operation, be it truck drivers, crane pilots or vessel crew, utilising the expertise of marine surveyors, and that they were each aware of the sensitivity of the contract itself. Furthermore, it was the team’s job to control the execution of each operation, by attending to each and calling upon the support of experts, to build up a comprehensive back up plan for every task and to build up a trustful relationship with the customer and all other partners.

“Proper planning was of prime importance going into this project,” explains Finance Director, Daniel Bouly, “as was the proper coordination of all suppliers. This was primarily due to the fact that we only had four

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Unloading at Puerto Angamos

“We decided to approach each piece of equipment individually and as if it was the first to leave the manufacturers facility” pairs of specially developed jigs to utilise and that we had to use these in an ever-changing ocean freight environment that can present all number of issues.”

Average transportation time for one antenna was typically between one and two months, with over half of this occurring during the overseas transportation phase. It goes without saying then that with such a challenging project the logistical demands

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were massive and required every stage of work to come complete with suitable contingency plans.

“We never once had the same experience when handling any of the 25 antennas,” Bouly reveals. “This is something we anticipated being the case and thus we decided to approach each piece of equipment individually and as if it was the first to leave the manufacturer’s facility. This allowed us to

TGFL

Road transportation in Chile

never become complacent and helped ensure that we constantly re-evaluated our backup solutions, sometimes on an hourly basis to try and account for any eventualities.”

The contract with TAS-I has without doubt been one of the longest and challenging that TGFL has ever faced, yet by adopting an approach to its work that saw it willing and able to adjust any aspect of the project at any given time if necessary, it was able to achieve all of its long-term objectives.

“This project,” Bouly states, “has allowed us to not only build on our existing expertise in the fields of transport and logistics, but also enlarge our experience from a technical point of view, primarily when it comes to using specific handling and transportation tools.”

Arrival at the Operators Port Facility

As others in the company are quick to point out, the contract with TAS – I has also helped to cement some of the other positive traits that TGFL has long been proud of having. “This was a project,” concludes ALMA Contract Manager, René Bouliere, “that really highlighted the strong motivation that the TGFL team possesses. The vast majority of people here will tell you that in many ways this was a dream project to be a part of and I think this contributed to the level of involvement and engagement that I believe was extremely unique to this contract.”

For more information about Thales Geodis Freight and Logistics (TGFL) visit: www.thalesgeodis-freightlogistics.com

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The seas

of change Set up to tackle the main areas of weakness inhibiting UK decommissioning supply-chain capability, DECOM North Sea is working to help drive forward an industry sector estimated to be worth in excess of ÂŁ35 billion over 30 years

written by: Will Daynes research by: Adam Kalynuk

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DECOM North Sea

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DECOM North Sea

B

rian Nixon has spent most of his career working for major engineering contractors. Around 25 years of his career to be exact, roughly half of those years spent in the upstream, offshore sector, with the rest in the downstream, onshore market.

Following this he spent a period of some eight years as the Director of Energy for Scottish Enterprise. “In this particular role,” he states, “I held a pan-energy role setting the strategic direction for the organisations investment plans across the whole of the energy sector. In doing so my attention was drawn to the offshore decommissioning market.”

It was three years ago that Nixon was subsequently approached to head up a new organisation whose efforts would be focused solely on this particular industry as Chief Executive of DECOM North Sea. “This organisation,” Nixon continues, “came about as a result of sustained consultation with the industry, a consultation that was facilitated

by UK and Scottish government agencies that was driven by their recognition that a major programme of decommissioning activity was ramping up in the North Sea.” As Nixon points out, while the thought process behind decommissioning activities has been well documented, and there has been a long-held understanding that all offshore structures will one day have to be removed at the end of their economic lives, the industry has until now been very good at deferring the start of such work, mostly through the application of new technology or enhanced drilling techniques.

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THE QUALITY OF THE ENVIRONMENT AFFECTS US ALL, CLEAN AIR AND CLEAN WATER IS ESSENTIAL TO LIFE AND IT IS INCUMBENT ON ALL OF US TO ENSURE THAT WE DO OUR BEST TO MAINTAIN THEM

Armstrong York are driven by this commitment and by the knowledge that our country is still full of dangerous, hazardous and potentially lethal materials and is a legacy that we must not leave for our children to resolve.

The management team at Armstrong York has extensive experience of working in petrochemical and heavy industry environments providing a range of services to major oil and refinery companies within the United Kingdom. On-site support services are a critical factor in the successful relationships with our clients ensuring their core businesses are operated in a safe and efficient manner.

The provision of asbestos management support services to the petrochemical industry and other major industries can be divided into four key areas of service delivery: • Management Support • Asbestos Surveying • Air Monitoring • Response With a particular emphasis on Health and Safety Armstrong York has received major Awards and are justifiably proud that the company’s health and safety record is second to none.

For more information about the services Armstrong York offer please call Kelly Hadley on 0870 3500 375 or visit www.armstrong-york.com

DECOM North Sea It was a year-long Armstrong York consultation process with For over six years Armstrong York have been working in the industry and various partnership with BP Oil UK, Petroplus & Vopak overseeing government agencies that and managing all maintenance activities and providing brought about numerous specialist services at their Coryton Refinery on Canvey recommendations about Island in Essex. Petroplus’s core business is refining crude what was needed to oil into various petroleum products making the inspection of the plant and equipment at the Refinery critical to their spur activ it y in the core business. decommissioning sector, Through the provision of a comprehensive range of vital the most important being asbestos management support services Armstrong York the belief that it required support this core business activity by ensuring that the an independent, totally Refinery operates in a safe manner ensuring all necessary focused industry forum and safety precautions and procedures are implemented that is where DECOM North maintained and continually reviewed. www.armstrong-york.com Sea came from.

Three years down the line and the organisation has evolved to the point where it has some 220 member companies and is moving forward to stimulate a vibrant, efficient and cost effective industry in order to capture the economic benefits that this substantial program of work has to offer.

“Our membership portfolio,” Nixon says, “was always intended to encompass the whole of the oil and gas industry and as such we have worked very hard to achieve and sustain this. Today our members include the

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SQUIBB GROUP Having established a formidable reputation as one of the premier demolition contractors in its native United Kingdom, Squibb Group has evolved to become a major global force across the controlled demolition and dismantling sectors, taking its knowledge and experience across Europe and into the Middle East regions.

www.squibbgroup.com

After years of successful oil and gas production, many of the structures in the North Sea are coming to the end of their expected lifespan and under current legislation, over 90% of these structures need to be completely removed and brought on-shore for reuse or re-cycling. This represents a huge challenge to the industry and Squibb Group, as an affiliated member of Decom North Sea, are working closely with industry regulators and government bodies to assess and formulate effective contracting strategies for the removal of these structures in a technically feasible and safe manner.

With extensive onshore and off-shore experience, Squibb Group are committed to developing technically innovative solutions which recognise and address environmental concerns, health and safety of personnel and costs.

• Dismantling • Decommissioning • Asbestos Removal • Demolition • Temp Works Design • Recycling • Engineering Design • Decontamination • Asset Recovery • Project Management

SQUIBB GROUP DEMOLITION CONTRACTORS UK BASED EXPERT CONTROLLED DEMOLITION COMPANY

DECOM North Sea

“We do a raft of different things to provide our members with a range of benefits” owners and operators of offshore facilities, major first tier contractors and a raft of specialist service providers, consultants and professional services providers.”

DECOM North Sea, being a membership organisation, strives to deliver a wide range of benefits to its individual members to illustrate to them what value they are getting from their fee. “We do a raft of different things to try and work with our members individually and collectively to provide them with a range of benefits,”

Nixon highlights. “This includes hosting networking events, conferences, what we call learning journeys and research visits to regions like Norway, the Netherlands and Denmark where we learn about decommissioning activity in these regions and Squibb Group explore the potential for Squibb Group started work in the Oil & Gas/Petrochemical collaboration and sharing of industry in the 1970’s at the Thames hinterland refineries experience and ideas.” of Coryton, Shellhaven and Canvey Island, eventually As Nixon has stated, becoming a “partner” to Mobil Oil. Amongst some of while the concept of the major projects undertaken was the demolition of a decommissioning is well Catalytic cracker column, in which Squibb became the first contractor to utilise a tower crane for such a project. known, there are few Feasibility studies have been conducted for Kinsail companies and indeed covering the removal of several gas platforms in the South few people who have Irish Sea and having recently extended its services into practical experience of a the Nuclear industry, Squibb Group have been awarded decommissioning project. a framework agreement with Magnox for demolition and “As an industry we are decontamination of their Nuclear Plants across the UK. still at a very early stage www.squibbgroup.com of learning, so in terms of

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focus

Decommissioning ADDRESSING THE CHEMICAL NEEDS OF THE DECOMMISSIONING INDUSTRY, ROEMEX LIMITED INTRODUCE THREE TAILORED CHEMICAL SOLUTIONS...

RX-7892 Wax Remover RX-7846 Hydrocarbon Remover RX-7821 Scale Remover

ROEMEX LIMITED

SPECIALITY OILFIELD CHEMICALS

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FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT SALES:

Tel: +44 (0) 1224 783444 Email: enquiries@roemex.com

Show the world what your company has to offer with our tailored packages

Seen www.bus-ex.com

DECOM North Sea efficiency, the development of models, the beginning of Roemex Limited is a privately owned, independent oilfield cost reduction, this will only chemical company with its headquarters in Aberdeen, be achieved once we get into Scotland. We have designed, manufactured and supplied a more sustained programme speciality chemicals to the worldwide oil and gas industry of decom m ission i ng for over twenty-years. projects. There is a lot of Adding to the existing product ranges for Completion, Production and Hydrotesting operations is the NEW learning going on and that Decommissioning product range, which is aimed specifically is one of the central roles at the Decommissioning market. These products, all of of DECOM North Sea: to which are classified as ‘Gold’ and carry no substitution share experience from warning, are designed to clean, de-wax and de-scale flow past projects; share what lines and process equipment. Please contact we anticipate about future Duncan Baillie for further information. market activity; how we duncan@roemex.com believe projects are likely to be approached; what strategies will be adopted; how companies will allocate work; how they will control risks - and generally try to help new companies to the market understand what their business opportunities are.”

There is no doubt in Nixon’s mind that the next few years are going to be very interesting with the decommissioning industry set to adopt several different approaches to future projects. One of these will be what is dubbed the piece small approach, whereby once the platform and its facilities have been cleaned of all

Roemex Limited

£35 billion Estimated value of the North Sea decommissioning sector

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KDC is a market leader in decommissioning, demolition and land remediation, prioritising safe delivery and helping our customers realise value from their assets. We serve the oil, gas and process markets on shore and offshore. We are also market leaders in the chemical, pharmaceutical, nuclear; energy and natural resources, and utility markets.

We specialise in delivering “end of asset life� and land remediation solutions, providing competitive decommissioning services including strategy development, hazard characterisation, decontamination, de-planting, asset appraisal and disposal and demolition. Our focus is exemplary Safety, Health and Environmental performance to protect our own and our customers’ people and other stakeholders.

Our people make the seemingly impossible possible.

Nigel Jenkins, Sales and Marketing Director nigel.jenkins@kdc.c.uk www.kdc.co.uk

DECOM North Sea

hydrocarbons and hazardous waste it is The third and final approach, which in taken apart using hydraulic shears. The fact has yet to be adopted by companies but small pieces are then placed in open top is a source of considerable interest within the containers on supply boats and taken sector involves the construction of a super ashore for recycling. heavy lift vessel, which is due to come to A further option that is regularly used is market around the spring/summer of 2014. called reverse installation This vessel will have a lifting capacity of approximately where separate modules of 44,000 tonnes, thus having a platform or facility are the potential to lift complete cleaned and removed using topsides or jacket structures. a heavy lift crane. These “If this vessel is to realise are then taken by barge to meet the same fate described its potential,� Nixon says, “it Members of DECOM North Sea during the piece small could result in a significant approach. step change in how the

220

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DECOM North Sea industry goes about its business, with literally hundreds of man hours being transferred from an offshore environment to onshore locations. Operators clearly see a lot of benefits to such a situation, for example the positive effects it will have on safety performance, environment controls and cost containment.”

Nevertheless, such a development will not be without its complications, posing as it does a number of questions relating to how one would go about freeing such a large structure of hydrocarbons and environment and hazardous waste, and how one would get access to beginning the subsequent demolition process.

This represents just one of the many challenges that the decommissioning sector will undoubtedly have to deal with as it ramps up in the years ahead, but as Nixon concludes, the sheer amount of work and opportunities that lie ahead makes such obstacles well worth finding a way around.

“A major production platform in the central or northern North Sea can take in excess of ten years to be decommissioned. This clearly requires a great deal of work to accomplish and the scale of work ahead can really be put into perspective when you think that in the case of the Shell Brent Field alone, it is thought that the decommissioning of the field will take longer and cost more than it took to design and build in the first place.”

For more information about DECOM North Sea visit: www.decomnorthsea.com

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The g M

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Gibraltar Port Authority

gateway to the Mediterranean The Gibraltar Port Authority has worked tirelessly to ensure that the Port of Gibraltar meets the needs of an ever-increasing flow of shipping traffic

written by: Will Daynes research by: Robert Hodgson

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A super yacht berthed in Gibraltars’ world famous Ocean Village complex

Gibraltar Port Authority

F

or centuries Gibraltar, with its navigational safety standards whilst at the strategic location at the entrance same time maintaining the efficiency of the to the Mediterranean Sea, was port. The system, manned by the Gibraltar used as a naval fortress. Today Port Authority´s team of VTS staff, has the Rock, located at a crossroads been operational since 2011 and allows for of Mediterranean and Atlantic shipping constant monitoring of all vessel movements lanes, is recognised for its ability to provide both within and outside BGTW. a wide range of services to vessels of all The VTS operates as both an Information sizes and types, and for being a Maritime Service (INS) and Traffic Organisation Centre of Excellence.

Service (TOS) co-ordinating all ships in With over 71,000 vessels transiting the Gibraltar waters from the operations room Strait of Gibraltar each year, the Rock has in the port building. The VTS staff have at become a major bunkering port, the largest their disposal a range of sensors to assist in the Mediterranean, and for years the them in their work, including Radar and Port of Gibraltar has tapped Automatic Identification into the opportunities System (AIS) with coverage stretching many miles out offered by its proximity to one of the busiest maritime to sea enabling them to thoroughfares in the world. check vessel movements Established in 2005, the well before their arrival.

Vessels transiting The VTS operators can also Gibraltar Port Authority’s the Strait of Gibraltar use CCTV cameras with strategy is to build each year night-time thermal imaging on Gibraltar’s unique capability and a radio geographical position and fiscal status and provide a vital link between direction finding facility which accurately all stakeholders to ensure a cohesive strategy pinpoints the source of VHF transmissions. aimed at achieving common goals.

Whilst the system´s primary focus is on The Port Authority’s main functions include navigational safety, allowing VTS operators the monitoring and the control of all vessel to de-conflict movements in the busy BGTW, movement, the provision of security controls it also provides opportunities to maximise the within restricted and controlled zones, the use of the port space for commercial benefit. licensing of port operations, search and In line with international requirements, rescue in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters vessels are required to provide pre-arrival (BGTW) and pollution control. notification giving VTS staff the ability to Gibraltar´s Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) organise vessel movements in advance with has enabled the Gibraltar Port Authority to local companies and thus ensure maximum strengthen its ability to co-ordinate vessel efficiency and minimum waiting times, with movements in BGTW, thereby improving real-time movement information on vessel

71,000

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Nature Port Reception Facilities Ltd

(PART OF NATURE GROUP PLC)

Our Key Services: • Collection of ship’s waste, both ship generated and cargo related • Treatment of ship’s waste, both ship generated and cargo related • Tank storage facility for storing waste or other products • Ship tank cleaning and de-bunkering services • Consultancy services for the treatment of waste • Registered statistical information for port authorities • Pollution prevention

Operations / Shipping Department +350 200 44463 / 200 40869 / 200 50345 Accounts +350 200 45290 / 200 73905 Operations Fax / Accounts Fax +350 200 41218 / 200 50283 Email: enquiries@ngrp.com

Clean seas. Your choice. Our mission.

PORT OFAuthority GIBRALTAR Gibraltar Port Port ofin Gibraltar feature tempor incididunt ut labore activity and around the text goes here...Lorem ipsum et dolore magna aliqua. Ut port being readily available dolor sit amet, consectetur enim ad minim veniam, quis to shipping agents, pilots and other service providers. adipisicing elit, sed do nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex Given the sheer volume eiusmod tempor incididunt ea commodo consequat. of traffic it handles on ut labore that et dolore magna Duis aute irure dolor in a yearlyUtbasis theadport has aliqua. enim minim reprehenderit in voluptate made a continuous effort veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris velit esse cillum dolore to improve its facilities and nisi ut aliquip ex in ea commodo eu fugiat nulla pariatur. infrastructure order to consequat.

Duismix aute irure service a diverse of users.

Excepteur sint occaecat sunt At its North Mole the port has Ships non in theproident, Port of Gibraltar dolor in reprehenderit in This is a caption this is a caption cupidatat facilities the esse loading and in culpa qui officia deserunt voluptateforvelit cillum mollitsupplying anim id est laborum.

Lorem ipsum dolor discharging of containers and smallExcepteur amounts been cargo to Gibraltar since 1892. dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. amet,ofconsectetur sed do of seaborne general cargo.non The container the moreadipisicing attractiveelit, facets of sint occaecat cupidatat proident, berth sunt sit One in used culpaon quia officia anim of id Gibraltar’s eiusmod tempor incididunt labore et dolore is regulardeserunt basis bymollit the vessels waters is the factutthat is possesses est laborum.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, a magna aliqua.tidal Ut enim adwhich minimallows veniam, quis shipping company Oldenburg-Portugiesische one metre range cruise consectetur adipisicing elit, sed dowho eiusmod nostrud ullamco nisi ut to exercitation berth alongside the laboris port’s Cruise Dampfschiffs-Rhederei, or OPDR, have ships

NATURE GROUP PLC A company with more than 25 years’ experience in waste water treatment and a unique corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy that enables us to be truly a part of Nature and responding to the ever expanding and demanding legislative framework.

Nature Group combines port reception services and facilities, offshore treatment services and the latest sustainable waste treatment technologies in a steadily growing global network.

Nature Group is traded on the AIM market, (ticker: NGR) www.ngrp.com

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Terminal at any time of day or night within an hour of leaving the main shipping lanes of the Strait of Gibraltar.

These cruise ships, and other vessels calling for bunkers - or water for that matter - can be accommodated on both sides of the Western Arm. The outer side is 490 metres long with a maximum draught of 9.6 metres and can accommodate vessels of any length.

The inner side is 450 metres long with a maximum draught of 8.6 metres and can accommodate vessels up to a maximum length of 300 metres. Vessels calling for lay-up or repairs can also berth at the Detached Mole, which is 605 metres long with a maximum draught of 9.1 metres. Two 100 metre berths are available for vessels discharging general cargo.

Gibraltar is the one of the largest bunkering ports in the Mediterranean. In 2011 alone, 4.2 million tonnes of bunkers were delivered to its port, a figure that makes the 0.84 million tonnes delivered in 1990 pale in comparison.

When one considers that of the approximately 10,350 vessels that called at Gibraltar, 6,181 of these were supplied with bunkers, it isn’t hard to see why bunkering has become the main activity of the port.

Among the other advantages of the island and its port are its competitive market,

which comes as a result of its high turnover, its competitive port duties, the fact that the market is continuously monitored by the Government to ensure competitiveness and, lest we forget, the low costs associated with doing business here due to its unique tax-free status within European Union.

It is important to remember as well however

“The port has awarded sustainable ships certified by Green Award with a five percent reduction in tonnage dues since the beginning of April 2013�

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Gibraltar Port Authority

Gibraltar airport runway

that even as the Port of Gibraltar has grown in size, stature and importance, its operators have maintained the belief that safety and environmental concerns associated with the port continue to be given top priority.

It is with this in mind that the port announced in March of this year its participation in the Green Award certification scheme. For its part in the scheme the port has awarded sustainable ships certified by Green Award a five percent reduction in tonnage dues since the beginning of April 2013.

Green Award’s managing director Mr Jan Fransen presented a Green Award board to Minister Neil Costa, officially making Gibraltar a Green Award port. The ceremony

was hosted by the Port Authority and among guests was Minister for Health and Environment Dr John Cortes.

In his speech Mr Fransen said: “The Port of Gibraltar’s view fits very well with the Green Award’s Philosophy. When such a major bunker port as Gibraltar practices its Corporate Social Responsibility through participating in the Green Award scheme, it does make a difference and motivates safe and environmentally conscious shipping.”

For more information about Gibraltar Port Authority visit: www.gibraltarport.com

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Included The BE Mining Directory showcases leading mining organisations from across the world, ranging from big corporations to junior mines and their supply chains.

Be seen throughout our portfolio of magazines: •BE Mining Directory •BE Mining •BE Weekly •BE Monthly •

To find out how to get involved contact: vincent@bus-ex.com