Special Features - Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

Kitimat Smelter

Celebrates Milestone

Rio Tinto Alcan’s first hot metal July 2015

K

I

T

I

M

A

T

Sentinel

Northern

S TANDARD TERRACE

2

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

T L & T ELECTRIC LTD.

CONGRATULATES Rio Tinto Alcan on achieving this significant milestone.

“The best way to predict your future is to create it.”

You have created a great one!

Your Success is Our Success.

TL&T

ELECTRIC LTD. CLASS A ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS SERVING THE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR LOCALLY FOR OVER 41 YEARS 724 Enterprise Avenue Kitimat BC • tel 250.632.2093 • fax 250.632.2523

3

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

View of the Rio Tinto Alcan smelter July 2015.

RTA marks historic milestone The modernized smelter will Rio Tinto Alcan has gleefully have a production rate of 420,000 boasted that it has produced its tonnes a year, and is powered by first hot metal in the modernized the newer AP40 technology, resmelter.

The company held a special placing the older söderberg procelebration inside the site’s new cess. Rio Tinto Alcan says that cafeteria, dubbed Henning Hall $684 million was spent through in honour of company executive the northern BC region and $487 Paul Henning. The company is in the Vancouver area. hailing the milestone while also Deputy Haisla Chief Councilnoting that they still have work lor Taylor Cross, representing his to do to reach the ‘inauguration’, council, congratulated the compawhich will be the formal concluny on their milestone and pointed to the need for further collaborasion of all construction work, exMichel Charron, pected in 2016.

KMP managing director tion with RTA. “We’re near the end,” said Through construction he said RTA Project Director Michel Charron. “We’re the Haisla unemployment went from around 65 completing the journey for constructing the plant.” per cent down to approximately five.

Even so, they say the final two per cent of the “Every Haisla Nation member that wanted to project will be a long one still. work was working,” he said.

“The last couple per cent on anything is alThe Haisla and the company have a legacy agreement, and Cross said the need continues to ways the longest ones,” he said.

The smelter will conclude with a final price have their members in work.

“This project is coming to an end so our untag of $4.8 billion.

The workforce, as of July 7, sat at just over employment rate is going up again,” he said, in one thousand people, but Charron says the work- calling for the continuation of their ongoing relaforce will dwindle rapidly by the end of this tionship. month and in to September. On the training side, Kitimat Mayor Phil Germuth said the modernGeneral Manager of BC Operations Gaby Poirier ization will provide economic certainty for a numsays they are “far from the end” on concluding ber of decades and that the project has provided worksite training for the new smelter. the community with valuable knowledge.

“We’ve got about 55 per cent of the training “As a result...Kitimat has current experience done,” he said, saying the ‘theory’ side of it is well on the construction of a large industrial project established but it will take the arrival of opera- within its boundaries,” he said through a media tional equipment to get the training through the release.

In another statement, the Kitimat Economic practical phase.

“Practical training will go all over the rest of Development Authority says the start up of RTA’s the year to the ramp up because we’re still run- modernized smelter is a “strong signal to other poning line three and four from the old smelter, so tential investors that Kitimat and the region is now the employees from lines three and four will start ready for another mega project.” to join more next fall while we’re doing the ramp At its peak the project was employing approxup.” imately 3,500 people.

Table of Contents RTA marks historic milestone........................................3 A gathering place............................................................4 A message from Premier Christy Clark.........................5 Smelter core of Kitimat history......................................5 A message from Kitimat Mayor Phil Germuth..............8 Unions working together................................................9 A message from Terrace Mayor Carol Leclerc.............9 How to re-train the workforce........................................9 Safety is a task that everyone shares..........................10 A message from Haisla Deputy Chief Councillor Taylor Cross.................................................10 AP40 is the new standard.............................................11 A message from MLA Robin Austin.............................11 Floating beds come to KMP.........................................12 The farewell to the Delta Spirit.....................................13 Boat accomodation is Kitimat history.........................13 Future of the camp........................................................13 Emissions possible: taking emissions down..............14 Sim-ply high-tech training techniques........................19 The history of getting to the starting line....................20 Kitimat thrives through construction boom................21 Airport gets lift from KMP activity...............................22 Keeping benefits localized...........................................23 KMP legacy includes gift of land.................................25 What’s next for the old site?.........................................26 What else is RTA up to these days?.............................27 When construction becomes operation......................29 Cover page photo provided by Rio Tinto Alcan

Produced by the Kitimat Northern Sentinel and The Terrace Standard

4

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

Above, representatives pose with the smelter’s first ingots. Below, Hereditary Chief Sammy Robinson at a special blessing of his totem pole, which will stand in Henning Hall at the smelter site. Inset, Gaby Poirier and Unifor 2301 President Sean O’Driscoll wheel the ingots in to a special celebration at the site.

Invited guests, including Kitimat Councillor Robert Goffinet at right, sign their names on the modernized smelter’s first new ingots.

A gathering place The Vice President for Business Development and Strategic Projects for Rio Tinto Paul Henning reflected how big the job of modernization was which wasn’t as apparent to him when the company gave the go-ahead in 2011.

Henning remembered the announcement in 2011 and had then thought that getting to board approval was the real goal and objective.

“Boy was I wrong,” he said.

He repeated advice he was given at an earlier time when he and the company were in an excited rush to get the project going.

He was told that these projects will take time, up to 10 years to get completed.

“Boy did we show him!” he told people gathered in Henning Hall July 7. The project, he boasts, only took nine years.

Henning reflected on the role of the site’s cafeteria, named for him, which is the first time there has been a cafeteria space at the plant.

“This is not my house, this is actually yours,” he said, talking to the facility’s purpose.

“This facility is about bringing peo-

Paul Henning ple together, this facility is a gathering place. It is a place where everybody’s welcome. It’s not about organization, it’s not about hierarchy. It’s about employees, people, visitors and our friends coming to a gathering place where we share, we learn, and we’re at home.”

5

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

A message from Premier Christy Clark Every morning in northern and rural British Columbia, thousands of men and women get up, lace their boots, and go to work in the natural resource sector. Since before British Columbia became a province, these jobs have sustained entire communities, kept families together, and provided a great living.

While natural resources are BC’s oldest industry, they too must change and adapt with the times. The Kitimat Modernization Project is the latest example of the innovation that defines BC’s continuing success. One of the largest construction projects in BC’s history, the new smelter is more environmentally friendly, and ensures jobs will remain in Kitimat and nearby communities.

BC’s growing, diverse economy with diverse markets is thriving because companies like Rio Tinto Alcan continue to make investments in our future.

The early townsite of Kitimat being cleared in the 1950s.

Smelter core of Kitimat history All this talk of milestones gives a great chance to reflect back on a number of other milestones.

Rio Tinto Alcan, or going further back just Alcan, has had an immense volume of history follow it through its time.

Just see the photos below when real royalty touched down in Kitimat — before roads were even what they are today —to witness Alcan’s first hot metal in 1954.

As a community we of course owe our existence to Alcan, who hired the planners to create this municipality, complete with greenspaces and walkways.

In more modern history, Alcan was purchased by Rio Tinto, forming the company we know today, Rio Tinto Alcan. All that happened in 2007.

The sale was a $38.1 billion exchange,

a truly massive investment.

In September 2014 Rio Tinto Alcan marked the celebration of 60 years of operations in Kitimat.

For an industry which formed the better part of a century before, it was a remarkable milestone to note that not only were they still here producing, but they were setting up for another 60 years through modernization.

Cut to today, and the company is reflecting on the milestone of committing to Kitimat Modernization Project in 2011.

That decision in 2011 kickstarted an economic boom for the region, and now in 2015 the community watches as the finishing touches are put in to place on the construction leading to an eventual steady-state.

A lot happens in 60 years.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, visited Kitimat in 1954 for Alcan’s first metal pour. While no one from the monarchy appeared for this latest pour, the aluminum industry has proven it’s importance over six decades. Above right, an early Kitimat worker gets cozy with a bear.

How much is that? $4.8 billion...

Rio Tinto Alcan’s price total for modernization.

means ...

• • • •

320 Sam Lindsay Memorial Pool renovations 8 Sea-To-Sky highway improvements 2.8 2010 Vancouver Olympics 114.3 million subscriptions to the Northern Sentinel

6

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

From this...

1954 Roche and Rio Tinto Alcan, together we tackle the greatest engineering challenges

Over the years Roche has developed strong long-term partnerships with clients in the industrial sector. Our engineers and technicians work with you on developing solutions that enhance productivity, strengthen reliability and ensure sound risk management.

• • • • • •

Energy Mines and Metals Oil and Gas Processing Forestry Manufacturing

Vancouver – Kitimat – Toronto Montreal – Quebec City – Salt Lake City roche.ca

370 City Center, suite 310, Kitimat 250 639-4265

7

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

...to this

2015

Congratulations Rio Tinto!

Kitimat Valley Institute is proud to have supported our partner Rio Tinto with training and employment opportunities in reaching this milestone.

1352 Alexander Avenue, Kitimat, BC l tel. 250-639-9199 l www.kvic.ca

8

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

A message from Kitimat Mayor Phil Germuth

RTA Project Director Michel Charron walks past a long row of valves in the smelter’s gas treatment plant.

Hot Metal is flowing

CONGRATULATIONS Rio Tinto Alcan on achieving this remarkable milestone

Oracle Financial ServiceS “providing financial insight” Contact Oracle Financial Services for your insurance, investment and financial planning needs.

201-370 City Centre 302-4546 Park Avenue KITIMAT, BC TERRACE, BC tel. 250-632-4747 tel. 250-635-6146 fax: 250-632-5562 fax: 250-635-6112 email: Kitimat@oraclefinancial.ca email: Terrace@oraclefinancial.ca toll free: 1-877-635-6146

www.oraclefinancial.ca

The excitement which surrounds the Kitimat Modernization Project is palpable.

Kitimat went from economic uncertainty to seeing a bright future for at least another 60 years.

The benefits of the project have extended beyond the smelter construction and can be seen through the appearance of developers looking to build new businesses and housing, while long-term homeowners as well are seeking to fix up their homes, knowing that now they will be able to see a return on their investments.

The experience of this project has been an invaluable learning experience for myself and the entirety of Kitimat council.

Ultimately it can be said that there is a level of hope and confidence in the community which is, in large part, thanks to the Rio Tinto Alcan modernization project, which put thousands of people to work and invested millions into local economies.

With their first pour done and with them preparing for the first shipment from their modernized smelter, we congratulate them on their milestone and look forward to a continuing relationship for decades to come.

CONGRATULATIONS Rio Tinto Alcan on reaching another Milestone We appreciate your contributions to our community and wishing you continued success in the future

9

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

Working together A coalition of trade unions in their final quarterly meeting before the end of modernization. With 17 participating unions working under the KMP Project Labour Agreement, the group met regularly to discuss what was working and what needed improvement as the project moved forward.

KMP unions work collaboratively Through the course of the Kitimat Modernization Project project there was one ongoing challenge to the whole operation: who’d build the thing?

At its peak KMP was around 3,500 people, but through the course of people coming and going the project would see closer to 10,000 workers crossing the gates.

A total combined workforce of 10,000 is quite substantial, to put it mildly.

To plan for that a Project Labour Agreement was put together in the early days of project planning, around 2008, which was hashed out over the course of four days between general contractor Bechtel and Rio Tinto Alcan.

The agreement set out a number of requirements,

“We put the coalition together of unions, we got in the same room in 2008 and after four days with Bechtel and the unions working together we accomplished a tremendous project labour agreement.” from First Nations employment to local business engagement and even setting goals for the number of local and Canadian workers on the project.

“It’s really unprecedented,” said Mark Olson, who Chaired the coalition of 16 unions who worked under the agreement.

“Bechtel came forward to the building trade unions... we put the coalition together of unions, we got in the same room in 2008 and after four days with Bechtel and the unions working to-

gether we accomplished a tremendous project labour agreement.”

“It’s well beyond just wages and benefits and working conditions,” he added. “It covered all those important principles.”

Andrew Czornohalan, acting project director for KMP, said the quarterly meetings of the union coalition was an important part of looking at the big picture of managing the project.

“It’s about proactively managing and defining

strategy such that we can ensure we have a labour force that’s engaged, that’s happy, and that are productive,” he said.

Dan Haven, the site manager for Bechtel, said the meetings allowed them to think about such things as shift rotations and hours of work.

“Not everything gets passed but at least it gives a venue to discuss it or come back and have other discussions later,” said Haven.

Planning for the project was a big aspect to the work, and Olson says this is the first project where Bechtel could get ahead of a project and do all the engineering work prior to the construction start, and the coalition meetings was a big part in helping them get that work accomplished.

Continued on page 22

How to re-train the workforce With upwards of 1,000 operations workers, there’s a challenge in front of the company to get its entire operations force ready to use new equipment.

By the start of July the company says about half of the training requirements have been completed. It’s a process that has to be organized carefully as the old potlines continue production as the new ones get energized.

Poirier says there are two components to the training regime: the theory and the practical.

The theory is the ‘easy’ part.

Through classrooms and workshops with vendors and other experts, em-

ployees were given lessons in how the new smelter operates.

Employees were presented with what the standard operating procedures (SOP) are for the new technologies, and people from other smelters were brought in too.

Theory training only goes so far though. You need workers who have experience on the equipment. So how do you give employees that hands-on experience in a smelter without that equipment yet turned on?

You send them away.

“For example people from the baking furnace spent three weeks in

Australia...to run the baking furnace,” said Poirier.

As well, another 40 people were sent to the Middle East to run cranes in the smelter in Sohar.

Training is structured so that those trained on the machines will share that training with the employees back home in Kitimat too.

It’s a real collaborative effort, says Poirier.

“The level of ownership is amazing. It’s their smelter,” he said.

In all approximately 120 employees were sent overseas on the training trips.

A message from Terrace Mayor Carol Leclerc It was a pleasure for Terrace City Council to celebrate RTA’s First Hot Pour event, July 2015.

The first hot pour symbolizes economic stability for the northwest for generations to come.

With the northwest experiencing highs and lows in resource industries, the near completion of the Kitimat Modernization Project guarantees good paying jobs, opportunities for the service industry and a good corporate neighbour for our northern communities.

People follow work. The new, modern aluminum facility ensures people in the northwest have stable work, which helps stabilize our communities.

The modernized facility also ensures employees have a safe work environment and employees can return home to their families following their shifts. The spinoff to the service industry guarantees those businesses and the families they support gain the benefit of providing service to a long term stable customer. Having a good corporate neighbour means supporting communities groups and events as well as offering summer jobs for our local students, opportunities for apprentices and being a cornerstone in our northwest communities.

10

Safety is a task that everyone shares

In a board room in the Rio Tinto Alcan office building overlooking the smelter site, BC Operations’ General Manager Gaby Poirier looks like he’d be more comfortable out in the potrooms than inside the office.

Instead of a business-formal outfit he’s still wearing his Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), from him being out doing Leadership in Action.

LIA is a two-year program at RTA which is the bridge between employees and the managers.

It’s also a key way the company maintains its culture of safety, and by extension its safety record.

The company has marked millions of work hours without a work-loss injury.

For a project which involved thousands of people, it’s quite an accomplishment.

“I was saying to all employees the last three years if you look at all of Rio Tinto Alcan...we were the site most at risk in terms of safety. And we still are because we’re starting up,” said Poirier.

Leadership in Action provides the dialogue to improve themselves.

“Everybody from me to the supervisor, all management, are going on the floor every day to talk about safety, to see how our team is working, but also to listen... about what we can do better,” said Poirier.

“To bring the safety level to where they [employees] did, it takes a strong leadership and a strong belief that we could do that project safely.”

So in what ways is the project challenging on the safety front? Well, more than 3,000 workers on site can do it, plus the constant rotation of people as well.

Poirier notes that at times you may need brick masons, and later electricians, and so on. That constant rotation means new people all the time.

Poirier, in bright orange PPE, points to the wording stitched on his chest; Zero Harm. He makes a point of saying it’s printed over the heart.

“It’s part of the mindsight,” he said.

“The biggest [risk] right now is to put production before safety, because you’re excited. But this is the last thing you [want] to do,” he said.

The operations crew must remain efficient and follow the plans to ensure things are done safely, he said.

For Poirier to commit to employee safety is also a means to set an example. If he didn’t practice what he preached then why would anyone else?

“What you say you’re going to do, do it.”

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

A message from Haisla Deputy Chief Councillor Taylor Cross

Congratulations to Rio Tinto on this milestone of first pour.

KMP was good for the Haisla Nation in regards to employment, training, experience and contracts.

As full operation nears, the challenge will be getting our members full time employment for the life of the smelter.

Congratulations to Rio Tinto Alcan and the Kitimat Modernization Team on the FIRST HOT METAL at the new smelter!

EMPORIUM BUILDERS SUPPLIES LTD.

n w o r g e m o h r You retailer!

611 Commercial Ave. Kitimat 250-632-3157

SERVING KITIMAT AND AREA FOR OVER 45 YEARS.

11

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

A message from MLA Robin Austin

AP40 is the new standard The company Aluminium Pechiney originally developed what is known as the AP technology.

In 2004 then-Alcan purchased the company, and now-Rio Tinto Alcan will be deploying the AP40 technology in their modernized smelter.

There’s a lot of trade secrets behind the technology which is replacing the

original söderberg process, but Rio Tinto Alcan does note in company documents that the improvements to health, safety and the environment through AP40 is world-class, which also, to the benefit of RTA, comes at a lower cost.

Among the key benefits of AP technology is that it is extremely energy efficient, and comes with

modern digital monitors and computer control systems.

AP technology provides the lowest greenhouse gas emissions in aluminum production in the world as well, according to a 2003 survey.

Basically when the company talks about the high level of recycling and emission reductions (page

14), it comes primarily through AP processes.

“The new smelter will be equipped with the most modern AP pre-bake technology,” reads company

Along with many other invited guests, RTA managers and Local 2301 workers I was delighted to attend the auspicious milestone of the new smelter’s first hot metal.

It has been a long journey to get to this point with multiple challenges to overcome.

I want to congratulate all those involved over the last many years who have played a role in the modernization project. It is terrific for not only Kitimat, but the whole Northwest to see this major capital project nearing completion.

It will guarantee a major source of family supporting jobs for a couple more generations and shows a level of support for the Northwest economy that bodes well for the future.

material on AP. “The modernization will consist of up to 384 pots housed in four buildings, increasing Kitimat’s current production capacity to 420,000

tonnes per year.

The pots will operate at an optimum amperage of 405 kA; increasing overall operating efficiency considerably.”

The most reliable airport in Northwest BC

Congratulations Rio Tinto Alcan

on the first pour of your Modernization Project

With the AP40 technology put in to use at the modernized smelter it helps increase material recycling and lowers emissions.

www.yxt.ca

12

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

Floating beds come to KMP For just one afternoon in April 2014, the scores of people filling the lobby of the Delta Spirit Lodge, a re-fitted Estonian ferry to serve as housing for contract workers, were not workers themselves but community stakeholders and business people, on hand for the official blessing and opening of the ship.

The vessel, which was able to house about 600

people, was already opened to its guests, people located temporarily in Kitimat for the Kitimat Modernization Project.

Fo u r- h u n d r e d - fi f t y beds were committed, said Bridgemans Services’ partner Brian Grange, who was in attendance for the opening on April 24, 2014.

Bridgemans and the Haisla partnered to bring the ship to Kitimat.

The ship traveled for

45 days to get to the north coast and hit rough weather in the English Channel and near San Francisco before arrival.

It’s a 10-deck ship, 580 feet long and 100 feet wide. By comparison the Northern Expedition ship of BC Ferries, which services Prince Rupert to Port Hardy, and to Haida Gwaii, is 507 feet long.

- Files from Northern Sentinel, April 2014

Congratulations to Rio Tinto Alcan, Haisla Nation, community of Kitimat, unions and contractors for a job well done!

Nathan Cullen, MP, Skeena-Bulkley Valley Terrace 112-4716 Lazelle Avenue T: (250) 615-5339 TF: (888) 622-0212 cullen@parl.gc.ca www.nathancullen.com

A worker checks an electrical system at the modernization work site.

®

We look forward to continuing to work together to build the economies of Kitimat and the Northwest.

Robin Austin, MLA, Skeena Kitimat 213 City Centre T: (250) 632-9886 F: (250) 632-9883 robin.austin.mla@leg.bc.ca

Congratulations Rio Tinto Alcan.

Advanced Metals Processing Technology

For reaching another milestone and getting another step closer to completion.

Congratulations Rio Tinto Alcan Another Milestone Reached!

Proud to be part of the Kitimat Modernization Project.

Derick Stinson, Plant Manager 221 Enterprise Avenue Kitimat BC V8C 2C8 Phone 250-632-2717 Fax 250-632-2719

www.pyrotek.info

tel 250-632-4831 • Kitimat BC

13

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

Future of the camp Rio Tinto Alcan’s work camp for modernization may see more life under future projects.

Kevin Dobbin said the ATCO trailers are leased so it will be up to that company to decide where they will go once the project closes out.

That being the case, he said there have been

The farewell to the Delta Spirit The Delta Spirit ship embarked on its next journey after floating away down the Douglas Channel, from Kitimat in May. The departure of the Delta Spirit Lodge, Rio Tinto Alcan’s floating worker accommodation vessel, was said to be a sign of the project’s rapid-

ly approaching conclusion, company spokesperson Kevin Dobbin said in May. “We’ve started our transition, we’ve peaked around 3,200 - 3,400 people and now we’re starting a pretty quick transition, close-out,” said Dobbin earlier in the year.

The Delta Spirit ship itself — its actual official name is the Sija Festival — was contracted for housing until the end of March, with a one month extension requested by Rio Tinto Alcan.

The ship is owned by Bridgeman Services.

Boat accomodation is Kitimat history The Delta Spirit ship was just the latest in a history of the aluminum company using ships to house workers.

Back in the 1950s the Delta King paddle-wheeler was the iconic floating accomodation during the original smelter build.

As Kitimat historian Walter Thorne wrote for a Northern Sentinel It’s Our Heritage column, Kitimat’s iconic Delta King was a ship with a story to tell.

A selection from his October 2012 column: “Even though it rested on our shores for a scant seven

years, it was present for some of the most important days of our history.

The Delta King, a 285 foot (87 meter) vessel, was parked on shore at Hospital Beach for the better part of the 1950s, right through the start-up of the Alcan/Kemano project.

The Delta King arrived here on May 8, 1952 after a three week journey, under tow from San Francisco. The 30 year old veteran riverboat had been stripped of its paddle Continued on page 29

thoughts to re-using the trailers in other projects in the area, and even potentially using the existing camp site for other possible projects.

“It could be. I wouldn’t rule it out, but again it’s timing for the other projects,” he said, also noting it’d be a decision by ATCO as well.

Congratulations Rio Tinto Alcan ~ Another memorable milestone achieved ~ Heavy Transport Commercial & Residential RV & Boat Storage 2131 Forest Ave., Kitimat 250-632-4191

www.dialnorder.ca Congratulations Rio Tinto Alcan for acheiving another milestone in this great modernization phase ~ The first hot metal is flowing.

RE/MAX Kitimat Realty 3-528 Mountainview Square, Kitimat www.kitimatrealty.com

250-632-7000

Congratulations Rio Tinto Alcan

on the first Hot Metal production Yet another spectacular milestone achieved.

CONSTRUCTION

ENTRON

ROAD BUILDING CONTRACTOR COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL PAVING & EXCAVATING CONCRETE SUPPLIERS ASPHALT PRODUCTS SAND & GRAVEL 306 Haisla Blvd., Kitimat • Tel 250-639-9141 • Fax 250-632-5048

To Rio Tinto Alcan on this milestone. ......................................................................................

www.northsave.com

14

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

Emissions possible: taking emissions down Rio Tinto Alcan is following the three Rs when it comes to how clean they’re going to run the new smelter.

Now that they’re operating on new AP40 technology, the company can recycle the process’ by-products much more efficiently which will reduce almost all of their emissions, in some cases quite dramatically.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) will see the largest single drop from 212 tonnes a year down to three, a 98 per cent reduction.

Particulates will go down by 80 per cent, which includes things like dust.

Fluorides will drop 72 per cent, from 600 to 168 tonnes a year.

Greenhouse gases too will go down 36 per cent, from nearly 1.4 million tonnes a year to just under 900,000 tonnes a year.

The only emission

“The technology enables us to be a better operator.” from the smelter which will rise is sulphur dioxide which will increase 56 per cent.

Reducing their overall emissions by nearly 50 per cent comes from a combination of their gas treatment centre and their fume treatment centre.

While their older technology could recycle byproducts to a degree, the AP40 makes it far more manageable.

“The pots are way more efficient, way better control than the old ones,” said Poirier.

Basically everything in their production line is part of a large recycling loop.

A component in Rio Tinto Alcan’s gas treatment centre.

Carbon from the spent anodes is broken down and used to make new anodes.

Emissions treated in the gas treatment centre also gets re-

turned to the production cycle, which keeps it from being released in the air.

“The technology enables us to be a better operator.”

As for the sulphur dioxide increase? That aspect of the smelter is under an appeal, but the company, through its SO2 Technical Assessment Report

(STAR), says that SO2 can be safely emitted by the air with limited risks to water, soils, vegetation and human health.

They say the

height, velocity and heat of the SO2 will affect the dispersment of the emission and will add one per cent in health impact risk for people in Kitimat.

WE’RE PROUD TO BE A PART OF YOUR SUCCESS. Congratulations, Rio Tinto Alcan!

Coast Mountain Wireless is the only authorized Motorola™ two-way radio dealer west of Prince George.

Toll-free 1.855.638.0577 3650 River Drive, Terrace, BC V8G 3N9

www.coastmountainwireless.ca

Motorola and the Stylized M Logo are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office. © Motorola, Inc. 2005.

CMW 4828d (Alcan First Metal ½ page ad).indd 1

17-07-15 11:18 AM

15

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

Supporting all of Rio Tinto Alcan's helicopter transportation needs since the first hot metal in 1954.

Canadian Helicopters congratulates Rio Tinto Alcan on reaching an incredible milestone in the Kitimat Modernization Project.

Terrace BC 250-635-2430

16

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

Rio Tinto and their strategic partners saw opportunity.

The result is one of the largest private construction projects in B.C. history, which will dramatically increase capacity and substantially decrease emissions.

Triton Environmental Consultants is proud to have been part of the landmark Kitimat Modernization Project in partnership with the Haisla First Nation.

W E S AY T H E S K Y I S T H E L I M I T.

TRITON-ENV.COM

17

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

CONGRATULATIONS

RIO TINTO ALCAN

On Your Completion of this Phase of the KMP Modernization Project!

NECHAKO GROUP OF COMPANIES

TERRACE, BC 5720 HIGHWAY 16 W. 1-800-665-5051 WWW.NECHAKO-NORTHCOAST.COM

Design-Build Construction Services Our exceptional knowledge of concrete slipform construction O allows us to deliver a diverse range of project solutions. a

Innovative Solutions for Building Value!

FWSgroup.com Phone: 1-800-553-0007

Email: info@fwsgroup.com

WINNIPEG | C A LG A RY | VANCOUVER | FARGO

18

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

NEED A LIFT? OVER 20 FULL SERVICE BRANCHES

CAT • JLG • Skytrack • Taylor • Jungheinrich • Tico • Manitou • Pettibone • Hyundai • Mitsubishi • Combilift • Carer • Spydercrane • Aislemaster • Advance • Airman • Magnum • Wacker Neuson

Congratulating our Partner Rio Tinto for Producing Hot Metal with their New Smelter! a great milestone for them & our community SMALL TOOL RENTALS

new

used

STACK IT 1-866-LEAVITT

parts

|

rentals

REACH IT |

training

|

service

LIFT IT

www.leavittmachinery.com

19

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

Sim-ply high-tech training techniques On the way towards Rio Tinto Alcan’s Kitimat Modernization Project journey they have pushed ahead efforts to get employees trained for operations.

One of the more interesting aspects of work site training — which is not a phrase that typically elicits excitement — is a virtual crane simulator at the Learning Centre at Roy Wilcox that mixes the safety of video games with a near-total replica of the new smelter’s potline cranes.

On first glance it looks like a computer game. In front of the operator’s chair, on the other side of replica bars — to copy the look of the real thing — is a large screen.

An image is transmitted via a projector in the floor behind.

On the other side of the simulator is a bank of computers, making sure each action by the operator creates an entirely realistic reaction on screen.

The screen itself shows a 3D rendered world inside an aluminum smelter’s pot room. The operator does everything they’d do in true life, of course making sure to avoid all the expected dangers.

There are animated people and vehicles rendered on screen.

As the machine activates the room — the room inside Roy Wilcox — fills with the sounds of a potroom, including the noises of vehicles beeping loudly in reverse gear.

A worker on the floor — the fictional 3D floor — stares up at you, absent-mindedly tapping his palm with a wrench.

More sound, this time like a jackhammer as the crane breaks through the a molten crust.

“It’s a very high tech simulator because when you sit in it, it’s a replication of exactly the same cab of a real crane that we’re commissioning as we speak,” said Gaby Poirier, General Manager of BC Operations.

He said a cap with a sensor will even move the display as the user moves their head.

Despite its arcade-like experience it’s still a challenging course.

Trainees take nearly 40 hours on the sim before moving to on-site training.

In the non-modernized Rio Tinto Alcan smelter, crane operators didn’t get the luxury of a simulator; straight to the real thing.

The cranes themselves, and the simulator, are made by ECL, which is actually a Rio Tinto owned company.

Poirier says the training is very effective and some operators have said the real cranes have even been more forgiving than the simulator is.

One of the more amusing differences of the new crane system versus the old is the fact that all the controls are effectively reversed from how they used to be.

Operators tend to overcome that obstacle fairly quickly.

The company will run all their operators through the simulator and Poirier says

CONGRATULATIONS

RIO TINTO ALCAN Class A Electrical Contracting Firm specializing in Institutional, Commercial, Industrial, Multi-Unit Residential, Design Build, Data, Control Work, CCTV, Fiber Optics, Service Work

Rio Tinto Alcan re-purposed a former Kitimat elementary school to provide high-tech training for its workforce which would be using updated technologies on the potlines in the modernized smelter. there are over 200 persons who need the training.

As for the future of this simulator, the company will hang on to it in Kitimat however it won’t always reside in the Roy Wilcox Learning Centre.

The company has held a lease on the building for approximately two years but the company says it will hold on to the former elementary school only for the life of the project.

Once RTA gets their smelter back to

what they call steady-state they’ll begin phasing out use of the building.

The building’s been fully used so far.

A lot of general training takes place on the school grounds as well as some trades training and electrical, says Poirier.

The simulator could find itself at the RTA site in the future once Roy Wilcox, for RTA’s purposes, closes down.

“You don’t need a big facility like [Roy Wilcox] to train people in a steadystate smelter,” said Poirier.

Congratulations to

RIO TINTO ALCANControl.

KITIMAT Simulate.

Measure.

And prot. on this great accomplishment!

Simulate. prot.

AutomationMeasure. solutionsControl. for heavyAnd industry We are proud to have been part of this project from its concept to completion Simulate.

Measure.

Control.

And pro and are looking forward to another 60for years of metal from this new plant. t.

Automation solutions heavy industry Automation solutions for heavy industry

PROUDLY SERVING NORTHERN BC COMMUNITIES SINCE 1960

HEAD OFFICE: 1931 Ogilvie Street Prince George, BC V2N 1X2 PH: 250-564-7685 FX: 250-563-5257

TERRACE OFFICE: #2-3138 Kofoed Drive Terrace, BC V8G 4M5 PH: 250-638-8993 FX: 250-638-8998

WWW.BRYANTELECTRIC.CA

Focusing on electrical, controls, and instrumentation systems, our multidisciplined project controls, teams know customers’ processes.

Our Focusing on electrical, andour instrumentation systems, our team, supported by simulation and control that we exclusively multidisciplined project teams know ourtechnology customers’ processes.

Our

own, develop, and make sure your plant up quickteam, supported byimplement, simulation helps and control technology that starts we exclusively Focusing on electrical, controls, and instrumentation systems, our ly, safely and pro tably.

We apply the right technology to deliver signi cant own, develop, and implement, helps make sure your plant starts up quick-

multidisciplined project teams know our customers’ processes. Our

benets: increased reliability, improved higher production and ly, safely and protably.

We apply the right quality, technology to deliver signicant team, supported by simulation and control technology that we exclusively lower costs. benets: increased reliability, improved quality, higher production and

own, develop, and implement, helps make sure your plant starts up quick-

lower costs.

ly, safely and protably. We apply the right technology to deliver signicant

www.andritz.com We accept challenge! and benets: increased reliability, improved quality, higherthe production

lower costs. www.andritz.com

We accept the challenge!

20

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

The history of getting to the starting line Malcolm Baxter, December 7, 2011, Northern Sentinel It has been a long a winding road to last Thursday’s announcement.

So forgive me if I shorthand how we got here.

How long that road is depends on what you pick as the starting point.

For some it would be the Kemano Completion Project plan of the late 1980s - that crashed when the NDP provincial government of Mike Harcourt, egged on by Gordon Campbell, then leader of the Liberal opposition, slammed the door on KCP. But for most it would likely be the summer of 1997 when the province and Alcan announced they had reached a compensation agreement for that cancellation.

Then NDP premier Glen Clark proclaimed to a packed Riverlodge Community Room that they were announcing a new smelter and the creation of 2,000 jobs.

The euphoria was short-lived, however.

Following Clark in the speaking order, Alcan CEO Jacques Bougie quickly tossed a wet blanket over the event by stating categorically that they were not announcing a new smelter.

And cautioned people against rushing out and building new shopping centres and apartment buildings in anticipation of the good times rolling.

While the deal that had been struck offered incentives for Alcan to go ahead with a smelter project here, whether that happened would depend on market conditions.

In an interview after the event, Bougie told the Northern Sentinel that 2003-2004 was likely the optimum time span to take advantage of the deal. That window came and went and by then Alcan and the city were deep into the power sales war.

Slow forward - nothing moved quickly on this file - to August 2006.

Having won the first couple of rounds in the court battle and with the city going to appeal its defeat in the BC Supreme Court, Alcan announced in August of 2006 that it would be going ahead with a $2 billion modernization of the smelter which would produce around 400,000 tonnes of aluminum a year, nearly double its then production.

The company said construction could begin late 2007 or early 2008, but that was dependent on meeting three conditions: a

new power sales contract with BC Hydro, a long-term contract with the union, and environmental permitting.

Then it was up to the board to okay the expenditure.

All three conditions were eventually met.

In March 2007 Chief Justice Brenner of the Appeal Court found against Kitimat, saying Alcan could sell as much power as it wanted, anytime it wanted.

Four months later global giant Rio Tinto bought Alcan with the deal being finalized in October of that year.

In March 2008 RTA CEO Tom Albanese came to town and told the Northern Sentinel he was “excited” by the smelter modernization project.

But he indicated a longer time frame for getting it before the board of directors for approval.

While investing in KMP made “a lot of sense”, Albanese added, “anything that makes sense needs to also be well engineered. It’s just good business to make sure that rigour is in play.”

That meant a lot of engineering work had to be done over the next few months as well as updating to take into account changes in construction costs, for example.

As for a timetable for mod-

CONGRATULATIONS

RIO TINTO on the Hot Pour As Part Of Your

MODERNIZATION PROJECT Thank you for the business

“The Choice is Clear”

4456 Greig Ave., Terrace 1-800-474-7873

Rio Tinto Alcan ‘breaks ground’ with the formal announcement that they’d be modernizing their Kitimat aluminum smelter.

Rio Tinto Alcan photo ernization, Albanese indicated he expected the project to go before the board “later this year” Then the recession hit.

By the end of the year Rio Tinto was announcing job and spending cuts and some KMP contractors being told their services are no longer required.

However, Paul Henning still offered assurances that the overall goal remained the same: “completion of the rebuild.”

And events bore him out, even if at a somewhat sedate pace.

A few hundred million here, a few hundred million there and KMP kept inching forward, with acceleration this year to the extent that RTA was spending the equivalent of $1 million a day on the project.

And so we arrived at last Thursday when, after months of pointing to its smelters in Kitimat and Quebec as the jewels in its aluminum crown, RTA announced the final and full approval of KMP. It’s been a long road indeed.

21

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

Kitimat thrives through construction boom As the world endured the 2008 recession, Kitimat was dealing with its own ghosts; a shuttered pulp and paper mill, which itself followed years after the loss of the Methanex plant.

The hope was a modernized aluminum smelter to kickstart the local economy, a project which itself was in a form of limbo, until November 2011 when the company’s board of directors formally approved the project.

The news was a welcome breath on the community’s smoldering economy, and kickstarted a four-year boom.

“There’s no doubt there was a lot of depression in the town,” said Kitimat Mayor Phil Germuth. “When RTA announced their modernization...it made a huge difference in the town and you can really see that and people see some hope in the community.”

In the community he began seeing old houses getting fixed up, and the town being busier with the influx of workers to construct the plant.

“We learned a lot, of course, from the RTA modernization project, things that will apply to future camps,” he said.

Kitimat naturally had growing pains from the multi-billion

dollar project.

Living out allowances, which gave workers a stipend if they chose to live off site, created a housing crunch in the community.

“Housing was the biggest [lesson] we learned. What an impact it had when there were the living out allowances, and what an impact that had of course on our rental situation. We went from having the highest vacancy rate in the province to very quickly having one of the lowest rates in the whole province,” said Germuth.

As well, health services at the RTA camp were limited at the start, which meant workers without a local family doctor would use the town’s emergency room for medical issues, emergency or not.

RTA addressed both of those issues, later removing the living out allowance incentive, and taking on more expansive health services at the camp which allowed only those with an actual emergency to use the Kitimat ER. “That made a huge difference, they eliminated the problem very quickly.”

Of course a sudden boom in economic activity was also thanks to the fledgling LNG industry in Kitimat with other companies

Kitimat Mayor Phil Germuth speaks at the first pour special event held in Henning Hall at the RTA site. embarking on early works. But it was the KMP project which provided the bulk of activity.

With the modernization construction rapidly concluding, Germuth said he sees the benefits not only in Kitimat but with the mon-

ey spent across all of the Pacific northwest.

And he’s looking forward to embarking on a process to develop lands recently gifted to the District of Kitimat from RTA. (See page 25 for more on that.)

As for looking ahead, Germuth says that for Kitimat the modernization project means a solid foundation for the community. “[It’s] very good to have that certainty for the next 60 years.”

FLOORING | CABINETS | WINDOW COVERINGS | INSTALLATIONS

TERRACE, BC CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR MODERNIZATION from SMITTY & THE TEAM AT FOUNTAIN TIRE TERRACE and thank you for your business Certified Technicians We specialize in: brakes, tires, & front-end alignment Off-road & Large Trucks 24 HOUR SERVICE AVAILABLE Call Smitty Smith today! Cell: (250) 615-7471

No matter what you drive, Fountain Tire Terrace has a solution for you!

4641 Keith Avenue www.FountainTire.com Phone: 250-635-4344 Fax: 250-635-4354 BK Smitty Smith MANAGER | OWNER smitty.smith@fountaintire.com

Serving the Pacific Northwest for over 27 Years!

• Certified Installations • Active in Commercial Markets • Free Estimates

4602 Keith Avenue, Terrace, B.C. V8G 4K1

1-800-665-1657

www.yourdecor.com Email: richard@yourdecor.com

Congratulations RIO TINTO ON THIS MILESTONE IN THE KMP MODERNIZATION PROJECT!

22

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

Airport gets lift from KMP activity Perhaps one of the most direct indicators of economic activity is how a local airport fares.

The Kitimat-Terrace Regional Airport has seen a real spike of passengers passing through it over the past few years, and the modernization project is one of the leading draws for the users.

In September 2013, traffic was up 30 per cent over the year before.

The airport manager Carman Hendry told Black Press at the time that he attributed the increase to a quickened pace of work at the modernization project, with help too from the Northwest Transmission Line work.

Fast forward to May 2014 and the record growth of the airport continued.

“It’s getting hard to believe the numbers. People in the [airport services] in-

“It’s getting hard to believe the numbers.” dustry we speak to are really wondering,” said Hendry in the 2014 Terrace Standard article.

A concerted effort to finish Rio Tinto Alcan’s Kitimat smelter rebuilding project and continued work by companies connected with the region’s potential liquefied natural gas industry were said to be at the core of the passenger traffic growth.

With the modernization rapidly concluding, the passenger numbers are beginning to drop a bit, which emphasizes how influential the project was to the airport’s growth.

The regional airport saw a lot of growth, thanks in no small part to the KMP project in Kitimat.

File photo

Simply wishing a great start-up!

Unions Continued from page 9 As a coalition they’ve faced some significant challenges for a project its size.

The inclusion of as many Canadian workers is among those challenges. Remember the 10,000 workers number?

Collecting that many trades from across Canada was no small feat.

“Close to 10,000 construction craft workers [came] through the site,” said Olson. “And I believe at its peak there were only three per cent temporary foreign workers.”

On average for the whole project there was only one per cent.

Having 99 per cent Canadian workers on a project this large is “unprecedented.”

“We’ve Give or take, he said 32 proved to the per cent of the workforce was world we can local (Kitimat, Kitamaat Village and Terrace), 57 per cent handle it.” from the rest of BC and 11 per cent from Canada-wide.

It was a safe project too.

Olson says that out of 10,000 workers, there were only 13 lost-time injuries in the entire project to now.

“Out of 10,000? Incredible.”

Czornohalan also points to WorkSafeBC numbers showing hundreds of thousands of lost-time injuries reported province wide every year, to emphasize the safety record of KMP. With the project nearing the end of its life and with unions looking ahead to the next big thing they see KMP as a starting point to having an experienced workforce.

“That’s where KMP has been important, working with BC building trades to build a knowledge base,” said Czornohalan. “So we leave the community, we leave BC with a greater capacity to handle the next mega project.”

Olson said he hopes to see KMP as the launch pad for other projects where those 10,000 people can find work next.

Czornohalan adds, “We’ve demonstrated that the northwest can not only support mega projects, it’s ready to house mega projects, and it’s willing to house mega projects.

“We’ve proved to the world we can handle it.”

Continued on page 26

10M

And thank you... with KMP and thanks to RTA, Bechtel and British Columbia’s Safety culture, Brasco and its workers have now reached 10M safe hours while building and helping the aluminium industry.

0

Joining in the celebrations...

to Rio Tinto Alcan on achieving this prodigious milestone!

S TANDARD TERRACE

626 Enterprise Ave., Kitimat Tel: 250-632-6144 • www.northernsentinel.com

3210 Clinton Street, Terrace Tel: 250-638-7283 • www.terracestandard.com

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

Keeping benefits localized The local workforce on modernization —that is people from Kitimat, Kitamaat Village and Terrace — peaked at around 1,200 people last September.

Tapping local expertise and skills was a priority for the company which looked at ways to spend as much of their $4.8 billion as they could on the area.

It was a goal to not let local people feel left out.

“We’ve heard lots of stories where big projects come in and they come in with big contracts and the local businesses are left out on the side,” said Kevin Dobbin, Manager of External Relations.

“We wanted to make sure that didn’t happen here.

“We’ve been selling this project as an economic stimulus for the region for many years...we wanted to

walk the walk.”

The thing that could limit local businesses from participating in the project was the typical scope of a contract for a mega project.

Terms of conditions on the project ran about 800 pages, noted Dobbin.

“For a local business it’s pretty difficult to move through that if you don’t have a legal team,” he said, saying they had lawyers shorten it but even that only got it cut down a whole eight pages.

The company went ahead with ‘turn page sessions’ where they had representatives go through the documents page by page so local business people could understand all the requirements.

The company also set priority zones for drawing workers. Priority Area 1 was Kiti-

mat, Terrace and Kitamaat Village.

Area 2 was the northwest of BC and the third was the province as a whole.

After they exhausted the worker supply from those they’d look at outside the area.

Many workers were trained locally through an RTA designed training program run through the Kitimat Valley Institute as well.

RTA created a training template for the jobs they needed in the contracts — brick layers, electricians, etc. — and Dobbin says it was very successful. One training program which had 120 students saw the entire class picked up by a contractor at the end, he said.

He said the company was able to directly spend $1.2 billion in British Columbia.

Rio Tinto Alcan went to lengths to keep people in our communities employed through the construction phase.

From here RTA plans to share their knowledge.

With a number of proponents for other mega projects knocking on Kitimat’s door,

Congratulations to Rio Tinto Alcan on reaching this exciting milestone!

Dobbin says they’ve talked to those proponents and shared their knowledge.

Those projects will of course also benefit from the large num-

ber of trained workers who are now finishing up the construction at KMP. Also to note, the Northern Development Initiative Trust saw the

benefit of RTA’s training program and adapted it regionally, running a series of ‘boot camps’ for businesses to tap in to Northwest opportunities.

We offer our CONGRATULATIONS to Rio Tinto Alcan now that hot metal is flowing at the modernized smelter.

We are pleased to have been able to contribute to this project.

Gateway Shipping and Transport • Shipping Agent Service • Marine Emergency Response For accomodation, call Kitimat Lodge at 250-632-6677

23

• Full Logistics • Water Taxi • Port Security

Tracey John Hittel • 250-639-4277 www.gatewayshipping.ca Kitimat, BC, Canada

GLACIER CONCRETE LTD. SINCE 1981

300 Sandhill Way, Kitimat • 250-632-7145 fax 250-632-3710

24

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

•

•

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

KMP legacy includes gift of land At a taxpayer friendly cost of $10 a large plot of land near Minette Bay has become District of Kitimat property.

The land, formerly Rio Tinto Alcan’s before the offer to gift it, provides the community with true, publicly owned waterfront.

Rio Tinto Alcan announced in an open letter November 12 that they were gifting the 156 acres of waterfront to the District of Kitimat.

The land is on the western side of the Kitimat Arm, at Minette Bay. In the open letter General Manager of BC Operations Gaby Poirier said that as RTA looks to having new neighbours at the smelter site, “it is important now, more than ever, to ensure the people of Kitimat continue to have direct ocean access.”

The site is just south of Minette Bay Lodge.

Mayor-at-the-time Joanne Monaghan said conversations about receiving land from Rio Tinto Alcan had been ongoing for approximately two years, and efforts really tied in to RTA’s past temporary closure of Hospital Beach due to their smelter construction.

Monaghan had said no firm plans have been established as to what the District will do with that land now that it’s in their hands.

Current Mayor Phil Germuth says a public process will begin soon to talk about what to do with the land.

In August last year, Vice-president of Business Development and Strategic Projects Paul Henning had hinted that land in Minette Bay could serve as a potential replacement if Hospital Beach had to be closed again in the future.

“We think that from a recreational perspective it could be a nice balance,” Henning told the Sentinel in August 2014.

Future construction at RTA’s wharf could mean more short-term closures at Hospital Beach due to heavy indus-

25

Some Rio Tinto Alcan land has been gifted to the District of Kitimat on Minette Bay, which the town hopes to develop into recreation spaces for residents. trial traffic, Henning had also said at the time, and the company wanted to find a “long term” solution.”

Surrounding the 156 acres, designated as DL 471, is another District of Kitimat-owned parcel just to the south along the water, with the remainder being privately owned lands, including two Rio Tinto Alcan parcels directly above DL 471.

Poirier said that the company had been working with the District for some time now and understood the public’s

interest in having access to the ocean.

Poirier said that with the possibility of new industrial developments coming, now was the best time to make the offer of waterfront.

He said there are still details to be worked out with the District as to the potential for opening up access to the land but the land is for Kitimat’s full use without restrictions as long as it’s used for public access and the community good, the company says.

Congratulations

The Mayor And Council From The City of Terrace

CONGRATULATES RIO TINTO ALCAN on the First Pour of Your Modernization Project

Rio Tinto!

From the Management & Staff

†

We’ll make you a fan ®*

250-635-3443

4924 Highway 16 West, Terrace, BC †Registered trademark of Boston Pizza Royalties Limited Partnership, used under licsense *Registered trademark of Boston Pizza International Inc.

26

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

Unions

There are thoughts for what to do with the older buildings at the Rio Tinto Alcan site, but nothing has been set in stone.

What’s next for the old site?

The modernization will leave some of the smelter’s older buildings un-used.

So what are the plans?

“Warehousing could be one of them,” said BC Operations General Maanger Gaby Poirier. “Potential other businesses could be one of them also, because we

have many local contractors that we’ll need with the new smelter to do anode stem repairs and potlining, and things like that.”

Potline five is already shut down, and three and four are still running so they’ll have to be turned off before RTA decides

what to do with them.

It will basically come down to the business end.

“It’s a business case,” said Poirier, saying they’ll have to see if the buildings are even stable enough to stand for another five or ten years.

Continued from page 22 Meanwhile the lessons from KMP aren’t just for those of the unions. Olson says the government has a lot to learn too for handling future projects.

“There are some lessons to be learned for the governments too because as great as this project is, if any of these LNGs go they’re even bigger,” he said. “So what do we need? We need the federal and the provincial governments to step forward on the infrastructure front. We need airport expansion. Bechtel just can’t do it on their own, we can’t do it on our own. We need the government to step forward and commit to things like airport expansion and additional flight capacity, and on and on and on.”

Czornohalan said the pressures are clear looking at KMP as its own community of 2,000 or so people, with buses and charter flights.

“At a point in time we’re effectively running a small town,” he said.

The reward from KMP is that they’ve managed it to be a “benchmark” project.

“We have achieved outstanding performance, we’ve benchmarked in Rio Tinto, we’re one of Bechtel’s better performing and we’re definitely B.C.’s best performing mega project,” he said.

“That has been partly fostered by the relationship in the coalition of unions. It’s been proven, it’s supported and more importantly endorsed by the coalition of unions.”

Olson adds that it’s important to note that the Kitimat project is the only project given a notice to proceed within the company during the 2008 recession.

Suffice it to say, all eyes were on the project in Kitimat and the people responsible for building it took the task to heart.

Union Carpenters building Kitimat since the beginning

Congratulations on reaching this incredible milestone, Rio Tinto Alcan!

CONGRATULATIONS

Rio Tinto Alcan

ON THE FIRST POUR OF YOUR MODERNIZATION PROJECT 4658 Lakelse Ave, Terrace

4603 Keith Ave, Terrace

125 City Centre, Kitimat

27

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

A view from Hospital Beach, looking towards where the expanded terminal will be once their permits are in place and construction takes place.

What else is RTA up to these days?

While the Kitimat Modernization Project takes up most people’s attention, it’s not the only project the company is dealing with.

By now the public comment period would have just closed for the planned expansion of their Terminal A. Rio Tinto Alcan last year entered an agreement with LNG Canada for the LNG company to use Terminal B, the former Eurocan wharf.

In anticipation of LNG Canada taking over that piece of land, RTA will have to expand their own wharf to meet capacity.

The expanded terminal won’t necessarily increase RTA’s export capacity, but will maintain it with LNG Canada taking on use of Terminal B. Perhaps among the most important factors of this project to the community is how it impacts water access, namely to Hospital Beach.

Manager of Media and External Relations Kevin Dobbin said there’s no long term plan for the beach closure although construction may result in temporary closures.

But at completion the plan is the community will still be able to use the facility.

“We don’t plan on closing the beach at all, long term. But during construction it might be”.

Dobbin said the company has worked

closely with the Haisla and the community in putting together their expansion plan, which includes a barge ramp and dredging in the water. They’ll have to dredge three or four metres to accommodate their ships.

General Manager of BC Operations for RTA Gaby Poirier says right now they use their Terminal B for shipping out their metal but once Terminal A is extended that one terminal will serve the import of the raw material and metal export.

Celebrating the first hot metal at the new Rio Tinto Alcan smelter

We are proud to share in your success!

725 Commercial Ave., Kitimat, BC V8C 2K6 • Ph: 250-632-5070

28

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

Congratulations on your f irst Hot Metal Pour, Rio Tinto.

McElhanney began work in Northern BC in 1949, providing control and construction surveys for one of the most ambitious engineering projects in Canada to date – the creation of the world-class aluminum smelter in Kitimat and the 750,000MP hydroelectric power generation plant in Kemano.

McElhanney is proud to have provided a wide range of services to Rio Tinto from those early days through to the Modernization Project over 60 years later.

Congratulations Rio Tinto on another world-class project that will continue to support this community into the future. We look forward to many more years of working together with you in this community that we are all proud to call home.

Certified

www.mcelhanney.com

OQM

Organizational Quality Management Program

Engineering │ Surveying │ Mapping │ Community Planning │ Environmental

29

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

When construction becomes operation By mid-July, Rio Tinto Alcan was making good progress towards having all of their pots up and running.

On July 16 there were 17 pots, and approximately two pots were going online every day, on the way towards running all 384.

“The toughest part is the last 25 per cent, because when you start to be around 75-80 per cent of your capacity, all the equipment around has to reach nameplate capacity,” said Poirier.

The way they’ve been doing it is they start a few pots, take a pause, then start some more, to make sure everything runs properly.

Bechtel remains the projects EPCM contractor; that is the Engineering, Procurment and Construction Manager. But they’re responsibilities are quickly being tied up.

“The project will be declared totally finished...after ramp up.”

“There’s a three or four month period we call the performance test,” said Poirier.

Bechtel is responsible for the first couple of stages of the testing, namely the mechanical completion and the practical completion.

“Steady-state will come three years after the first hot metal. In 2018 it will be considered steady-state.”

Mechanical completion is essentially when a specific project is formally completed, last screw put in, the final weld complete.

Practical completion involves the inspection of those parts. Do the wires work the way they’re supposed to, is everything plugged in to the right place?

After that is a stabilization process that includes industrial completion. That’s when the equipment is put in to actual use.

Once all of those clearances pass, then the smelter transitions in to a steady-state.

“Steady-state will come three years after the first hot metal. In 2018 will be considered steady state,” said Poirier.

Accommodations Continued from page 13 wheel and steam engine. Although it was built for 400, it never housed more than 250 souls.

The ship’s boiler and gener-

ator supplied heat and power to the ship. At the time of the ship’s arrival in 1952, the Kitimat project was well into year two of construction The ship was floated

in at high tide, into a manmade trench, and as the tide receded, it was cut off from the sea with rock and gravel.

It remained land-locked for its entire service in Kitimat.”

Gaby Poirier speaking about the features of the modernized Kitimat smelter.

Celebrating this monumental milestone with Rio Tinto Alcan

Congratulations!

BOILERMAKERS BUILDING B.C.

• Pulp & Paper • Electric Power Generation • LNG • Oil & Gas www.boilermakers359.org

30

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

Congratulations Our Union, as Chair of the Coalition of Construction Craft Unions, congratulates and gives great thanks to Rio Tinto, Bechtel and all the Contrators, and the Haisla First Nations, for the first hot metal produced at the KMP. The original Kemano Project in the 1950’s was the birthplace of our Labourers’ Union, known at the time as the Tunnel and Rock Workers’ Local 168.

Now Local 1611 and our newest generation of membership, are proud to carry on the tradition at the KMP.

Head Office #200 - 19092 26th Avenue Surrey, BC V3Z 3V7 604.541.1611 or 1.800.663.6588

LOCAL 1611

Construction & Specialized Workers’ Union

“WE ARE THE LABOURERS”

31

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015

Congratulations!

ck ng Ba Looki 8 00 May 2

Into th July 2 e Future 015

Hatch Lapointe congratulates Rio Tinto Aluminium Group on its first hot metal pour.

Local Presence, Global Capability Lapointe Engineering, having been a part of the Kitimat Modernization Project since 2004, offers our thanks to Rio Tinto for their commitment and support to northwestern BC, notably the Kitimat community.

As Rio Tinto has evolved for future sustainability, so has Lapointe Engineering.

Effective June 1, 2015, Lapointe Engineering has joined the global family of Hatch and will continue to offer Project and Construction Management, Design Engineering, and Operational Performance services.

For more information, please contact: Alex Ramos-Espinoza, P.Eng. T: 250.639.4750 E: alex.ramos@lapointe-eng.com

At Hatch, the future is here. www.hatch.ca | www.lapointe-eng.com

or

Alex Pietralla T: 250.635.8883 | C: 250.632.1614 E: apietralla@hatch.ca

32

Rio Tinto Alcan Hot Metal July 2015