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BusinessExcellence Weekly ISSUE No. 74 | www.bus-ex.com
Yantian International Container Terminals:
Carrying a region forward After a momentous year the future looks equally bright
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rand refinery:
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3-6 February, 2014
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business excellence
Business John O’Hanlon Editor johanlon@bus-ex.com Will Daynes Editor wdaynes@bus-ex.com Matt Johnson Art Director mjohnson@bus-ex.com Louise Culling Production Designer lculling@bus-ex.com Richard Turner Director of Sales rturner@bus-ex.com
Business Excellence brings you content from leading business influencers and strategic thinkers providing inspiration and guidance to help you and your business grow. We showcase some of the best examples of successful organisations from around the world giving you a unique insight into how they operate.
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
Contributors Scott Russell Halogen Software
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Michelle Drolet Towerwall
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issue No.74
6 6 operations
Putting Talent Management on the CEO’s Agenda
10
An integrated talent management strategy can improve performance to a significant degree.
10 top ten
Top ten Things To Know About Mobile Security
A few common-sense ways to foil persistent cyber criminals and protect data in transit.
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14 Yantian International Container Terminals Carrying a region forward
2013 has been a momentous year for Yantian International Container Terminal and, as Managing Director Patrick Lam explains, the future looks equally bright.
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contents
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24 Rand Refinery Responsible gold
As the largest integrated precious metals refining and smelting complex in the world, and one of the London Bullion Market Association’s Good Delivery Referees, Rand Refinery founded at Germiston in 1920, carries a great responsibility to the industry and is an ambassador for African gold.
36 Hydrocol
Making things happen
44
Hydrocol has made its name by being experts in developing infrastructure projects on a large scale and its legacy can today be found throughout Ghana.
44 BBT-SE
Fast track below the Alps
The Brenner Base Tunnel is one of those infrastructure projects that has an historical as well as an engineering dimension – symbolizing cross border collaboration as much as a free market in Europe.
56 DRS Construction & Project Management
Constructing Chile’s future
The construction industry in Chile has been booming in recent years as the country experiences remarkable economic growth. DRS Construction & Project Management is one of the main players within the construction sector.
66 Damus
Underpinning Trinidad & Tobago’s prosperity
66
Damus is a privately owned company fulfilling an essential role in advancing the upstream and downstream oil and gas industries that promise to define the Caribbean over the coming decade.
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Operations
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H
ow many times have you heard organisations make the declaration, “Our people are our greatest asset.”? Now for the next question… How many of these organisations actually practice what they preach? The sad truth is that far too often people pay lip service to the expression “our people are our greatest asset,” but fail to support it through their talent management processes, practices and programmes. And that’s just unfortunate — because more than ever before, research by leading firms demonstrates the link between mature, integrated talent management programmes and business success. Talent management: A broad definition Broadly defined, talent management is the implementation of integrated strategies or systems designed to increase workplace productivity by developing improved processes for attracting, developing, retaining and utilizing people with the required skills and aptitude to meet current and future business needs. Investing in talent management: What your CEO needs to know When building a business case for adopting talent management best-practices, and
“When organisations invest in a talent management strategy, they have a lasting competitive advantage in their people” 8 |
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integrating as well as automating processes, some Human Resources professionals still find it a struggle to make their C-level executives understand the urgency and strategic value of the investment. Researchers and analysts provide some compelling reasons why an investment in talent management should be a highpriority on every organisation’s corporate agenda. So, if there is any doubt as to the value of effective talent management, here are some numbers that will assuage any reservations from the C-Suite. • McKinsey’s ground-breaking War for Talent studies determined that companies with strong talent practices outperformed their peer group, earning 22 percent higher shareholder returns. • Watson Wyatt, using its human capital index, found that good people practices can increase a company’s value by as much as 30 percent. • Russell Investments reports that firms on the Fortune “100 Best Companies to Work for” list outperform the S&P 500 and the Russell 3000 by as much as 10 percent. • Stanford professors O’Reilly and Pfeffer found that a change of one standard deviation in an index of human resource management practices produced increases of $20,000 to $40,000 in stock market value per employee. The bottom line here? Talent isn’t just important — it is (or should be) a competitive advantage. It’s all in the strategy For companies to gain competitive advantage from their people, they need
Operations
to develop a strategic and integrated approach to talent management that drives high performance across the entire organisation. The value of an integrated talent management strategy is that it provides a focus for investment in human capital and places the subject where it belongs — higher on the CEO’s agenda. Aligning talent strategy to organisational strategy According to the CIPD (the professional body for HR and people development), “Ensuring that talent strategy is closely aligned with the corporate strategy must be a priority. Strategic analysis from the business perspective should feed into an HR forecast, which can help shape an organisation’s tailored approach to talent management.” What are the costs of a misaligned organisation? As shown in the Project Management Institute’s Pulse of the Profession In-Depth Report: Talent Mana gement, “High-per for ming organisations are more than twice as likely than low-performing organisations (69 percent and 31 percent) to have talent management programmes aligned to organisational strategy.” So, as you can see, competitively speaking, alignment is a must. Companies that do recognise the importance of best-practices talent management as a competitive advantage have increased focus on and investment in programmes. Here are just some of the key business drivers for building the case for talent management.
• I ncreased productivity: the top performer differential is 2.5 to 10 times that of an average employee (Sullivan, 2008). Other studies of knowledge intensive organisations, like IT or healthcare, have shown the gain can be as much as a 100 to 200 percent. The more top performers you have, the greater the organisation’s productivity. Hiring better people to fit into the organisation and nurturing your existing top talent are key. • Improved organisational readiness: 70 percent of organisations have an insufficient pipeline of talent for critical jobs (Charan, 2008). • R educed costs: Implementation of employee and manager talent management self-service processes results in an average 20 percent reduction in HR transaction costs (CedarCrestone, 2008). In conclusion When organisations invest in talent management strategy that drives higher productivity, and better results, they have a lasting competitive advantage in their people. At least, that’s what the numbers tell us. So the question is, with all the value it brings, why wouldn’t CEOs want to put creating an integrated talent management strategy at the top of their agendas?
About the author Scott Russell is a Certified Human Capital Strategist and Regional Manager at Halogen Software covering the UK. www.halogensoftware.com
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top ten
Things To Know About Mobile Security A few common-sense ways to foil persistent cyber criminals and protect data in transit Words by: Michelle Drolet
Top Ten
CHOOSE DEVICES 8 CAREFULLY
Not all devices and platforms are created equal – some are more secure than others.
APPS 7 CHOOSE CAREFULLY
Don’t blindly trust that third-party apps meet your security standards and requirements. You are responsible for ensuring compliance, so do your homework.
6 USE ENCRYPTION
Encryption should be mandatory for your data in transit. Consider encrypting in the cloud as well if you want to ensure there’s no exposure risk.
IS 10 MALWARE ON THE RISE
The threat of malware on mobile platforms is growing steadily as more and more cyber criminals target mobile devices in increasingly sophisticated ways.
IS 9 BYOD A CHALLENGE
There are obvious benefits to the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) trend, but it also creates IT challenges and exposes your company to new threats.
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1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0
0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 1
1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0
0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
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Mobile security
5 REQUIRE AUTHENTICATION
Without authentication in place a lost mobile device serves as the keys to your kingdom and anyone who finds it can gain entry to everything.
YOUR 2 TEST DEFENCES
You can spend millions on a mobile security system, but how do you know that it works if you never put it to the test? Get third-party experts without prior knowledge to try and break it.
4 CONTROL CONNECTIVITY
Your file servers may be safe and secure behind a firewall, but it’s all for nothing if mobile devices share files on unsecure public Wi-Fi networks or via Bluetooth.
AN 3 MAINTAIN AUDIT TRAIL
Ensure that every point of entry is identified and every action creates a trail which can be clearly followed. You must see the flow of data in order to protect it.
1 ENFORCE MDM POLICY
You can have the best Mobile Device Management policy in the world, but if you don’t monitor, test and enforce it then it’s useless.
About the Author Michelle Drolet is founder of Towerwall, a data security services provider in Framingham, MA with clients such as PerkinElmer, Smith & Wesson, Middlesex Savings Bank, Brown University and SMBs. michelled@towerwall.com
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Carrying a reg
2013 has been a momentous year for Yantian Internation Container Terminal and, as Managing Director Patrick Lam explains, the future looks equally bright
written by: Will Daynes research by: James Boyle
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Yantian International Container Terminals
gion forward
nal
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YICT
I
n the early 1990s, a period of time now recognised as being the dawn of China’s economic take-off, the country’s import and export industries were very much in their infantile days,” explains Patrick Lam, Managing Director of Yantian International Container Terminals (YICT). “It was against this backdrop that the Central Government and the Shenzhen Municipal Government resolved to develop a large container port at Yantian, in Guangdong Province, China. This would become a reality when, in October 1993, the State Council approved the founding of YICT, a joint venture between Hutchison Ports Yantian Limited and Shenzhen Dongpeng Industry Company Limited, now the Yantian Port Group, which would be responsible for the construction and operations of Yantian Port.” Now, twenty years on, YICT has developed into one of the most innovative and technologically advanced container handling facilities in the world. A natural deep-water port, it exists as the leading gateway serving import and export container traffic generated by its immediate cargo hinterlands. With a total of 16 berths and a yard area of 373 hectares, YICT has built up an extensive cargo base which attracts some 40 major shipping lines that provide approximately 100 weekly services linking to major ports worldwide. Over the last two decades, Yantian Port’s annual throughput has risen consistently and in Lam’s opinion this can be put down to a number of key factors that continue to drive business growth. “There are a number of factors that have contributed to our success since 1993,” he continues. “These include
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373 hectares Size of YICT’s yard area
internal qualities that we possess as well as external factors, from the fact that Yantian Port boasts the longest contiguous berth in the region and strive to deliver excellent service based on state-of-the-art terminal facilities, IT systems and a skilled workforce, to our on-going strategy to serve megavessels incorporated in port construction, facility design and terminal management system. Furthermore, we cannot forget that Yantian Port represents the gateway to the Guangdong Province trade catchment area, one of the densest manufacturing regions in the world.� Of course more recent years have also brought with them a wildly unpredictable economic climate. One by-product of this has resulted in shipping lines widening their efforts to reduce costs and achieve economies of scale. They have attempted to do so by deploying more mega-vessels, entering into more vessel sharing agreements with other companies, and consolidating levels of traffic at large ports. So while traffic volumes through Yantian Port have steadily increased, it has not been immune to an economic climate that has helped create several unique challenges for YICT that it needs to overcome. “The trend of deploying ever large vessels is increasingly becoming the norm, presenting
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YICT
a challenge to all terminal operators,” Lam states. “YICT, however, is well-positioned for the challenge. Not only are we physically capable of servicing mega-vessels, thanks to our technical expertise, operational efficiency, state-of-the-art systems, and skilled workforce but we are also able to provide these vessels with the fast turnarounds they demand.” YICT’s ability to respond to changing
market conditions and customer demand not only shines through in its ability to sustain high traffic volumes, but also in the countless awards and honours it has been presented with over the years. In 2005 it was presented with the award for Best Global Container Port of the Year for 2005-2006 by the Global Institute of Logistics (GIL) in London. What made this
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“Looking ahead, we remain convinced that southern China is still one of the most dynamic regions in the global economy�
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YICT particular award so special was that it meant that YICT was recognised by GIL as the first port operator to be awarded such an accolade, and it represented the first ever international award to be granted to a Chinese port. In recent times YICT has been proud to accept a number of other titles and has been recognised as being among the top ten container terminals in China, the top six container terminals in intermodal services in China, and for its technical innovation in the utilisation of LNG tractors at the terminal to create sustainable tractor operations. The latter award was presented by the Container Brand of the China Ports Association. One other award of particular note was presented to YICT in 2008. Presented by the World Health Organization and General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China, the International Sanitary Port award is proof positive of the standards that YICT has achieved in its efforts to become a green operator. “Care for the environment remains a core priority for us and as such we continually review our sustainability and green practices,” Lam enthuses. “As well as being a pioneer when it comes to the use of LNG to power our fleet of 260 container tractors, we have also
set out to reduce port emissions and save fuel through the use of electric power rubber-tyre gantry cranes (RTGCs). Today we have 150 of these RTGCs in use, as well as a further 19 hybrid RTGCs, which run both on both electricity and diesel, helping to reduce fuel and carbon emissions by 40 percent.” YICT also considers itself to be something of a catalyst for community vitality. In this role it continues to contribute towards a number of worthy causes, including caring for the elderly within the community, offering summer camp placements for students from the rural areas of Southwest China’s Yunnan Province and organising summer internship programmes for local university students. 2013 has been another year of milestones for YICT, beginning on 8 January when it
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YICT officially handled its 100 millionth twentyfoot equivalent unit (TEU). Achieved in the space of 18.5 years, this feat set a new record in container port history. “This milestone follows YICT’s 2007 performance when we became the world’s first container terminal to reach an annual throughput exceeding ten million TEU,” Lam highlights. “With “100 Million TEU and beyond” as our slogan, YICT is committed to overcoming all challenges and reaching new heights in the years to come.” YICT followed up this achievement in July 2013 when it welcomed the inaugural call of the world’s largest container vessel, the 18,000 TEU Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller. This marked the beginning of a new phase for the port, which to date has seen approximately 95 percent of the world’s super mega-vessels with carrying capacity in excess of 10,000 TEU calling in on a regular basis. “Looking ahead,” Lam concludes, “we remain convinced that southern China is still one of the most dynamic regions in the global economy, and that the port sector, as one of the key drivers of economic growth and a gateway for exchange and communication, will remain robust for the foreseeable future. For our part, we will continue to harness our strengths as the preferred-port-of-call for super mega-vessels and constantly create customer values through service excellence and innovations.” For more information about Yantian International Container Terminals visit: www.yict.com.cn
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Resp
As the largest inte the world, Rand responsibili
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Rand Refinery
ponsible gold
egrated precious metals refining and smelting complex in d Refinery founded at Germiston in 1920, carries a great ity to the industry and is an ambassador for African gold
written by: John O’Hanlon research by: David Brogan
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Rand Refinery
H
oward Craig was brought in from the oil and gas industry over three years ago: his mission to breathe new life into one of South Africa’s key businesses. Rand Refinery, since 1967 the sole producer of Krugerrands and gold bars destined for the bullion banks of the world along with gold bars, is the pipeline to the market for the greater part of Africa’s gold doré – the semi pure product from the mines. Two of the largest gold mining companies in the world AngloGold Ashanti and Gold Fields between them own over 80 percent of the company: the remaining shares are held by DRDGOLD and Harmony. After 90 years the company found itself with sound but outdated processes and equipment, and faced new realities as well as changes in the global market for precious metals and the products made from them. “The first thing that needed doing,” he says, “was to establish where the company was headed, then decide what should be done to get there.” It was clearly important to make the operations sustainable: much of the technology used in the refinery itself, the smelter, the mint and the assaying operations was outdated. The shareholders were keen to invest in automation, and the brand was ripe for a makeover. It was, he says, every CEO’s dream, and today his relish for the task remains palpable. The intervening years have been spent putting this policy into practice, acquiring the best available technology and at the same time matching the company’s skills levels, enabling systems and culture to create a new brand identity that,
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while retaining the core competence of refining, would be ‘instantly recognisable as a symbol of infinite quality, sophisticated simplicity and unquestionable integrity.’ Though the market for gold and precious metals has shifted eastward in recent years, it is still centred in London, where in May this year alone gold to a value of $39.8 billion was traded, and $3.28 billion of silver. This trade is handled by the London Bullion
Marketing Association (LBMA), with which Rand Refinery has been accredited since its inception in 1920. In 2004, that relationship was elevated when Rand Refinery was appointed one of five referees that monitor LBMA’s Good Delivery standard introduced in 2001, and authorise new refineries to trade, set the standards for the market and evaluate them technically. There are just five Good Delivery referees
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Rand Refinery
2004 Year Rand Refinery was appointed a LMBA Good Delivery Referee
in the world and Rand Refinery is the only one in the southern hemisphere. It was a huge testament to the standing of the company and its reputation in the industry. “Being an LBMA Referee is something we cherish,” says Craig, “but it brings with it a massive responsibility. We have to make sure our own technical standards are at the very top of the tree, and always set the benchmark for honesty and integrity in the industry. We look on that reputation as a gift from our former employees and management over the years, and we nurture that heritage and aim to pass it down to the next generation.” Till last year only the bullion banks could be full members of LBMA; refineries had associate membership. However in May 2012 the five referee companies were admitted as full members, a singular honour. He talks about the responsibility of LBMA membership, and it is true that a lot of pro bono work and travel is involved. That is not a problem for Howard Craig. One of the key roles of the referees has been to develop with the LBMA a set of guidelines on responsible gold. Since January 2012, the LBMA requires that all Good Delivery gold refiners comply with the LBMA Responsible Gold Guidance, formulated to ensure that conflict gold, or
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gold produced using unsafe practices, child labour or human rights abuses did not enter the supply chain. As the processor of up to 80 percent of all the gold mined in Africa Rand Refinery took a proactive part in the process. “We got in touch with the World Gold Council to understand the miners’ point of view, the OECD which had published its own guidelines, and, for the downstream trade, the Responsible Jewellery Council.”
There’s an element of self interest here, he admits. The concept of conflict gold has its roots in Sierra Leone and the DRC, but it is vital that the whole of African doré production is not stigmatised. Rand Refinery has long had its own systems to monitor its customers and track every batch they send, using third party auditors to check its own processes. “We can therefore not only say that we have met the LBMA Responsible Gold
“We are replacing our silver circuit with a completely new one, using best in class technology always with a high degree of automation”
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Rand Refinery
Guidance but that we can ourselves certify the origin of every ounce of gold we receive and that we have followed the whole train of custody from source to our refinery.” Neither is it enough to show that African gold is overwhelmingly ‘responsible’ as defined by the guidelines. By and large these certify where it has not transgressed. He is keen to tell the untold story that presents gold production across the continent as a force for good. “Wherever you look the mining houses are investing large sums in social, health and education programmes – they are in fact investing in Africa’s children. The fight against malaria and HIV/ AIDS, deficiency diseases and poor hygiene
goes hand in hand with school building, sanitation and clean water programmes and local agriculture schemes to paint a positive picture that opposes the cases of exploitation that do undoubtedly still occur.” Turning the role of policeman into a marketing opportunity was a short step. In May this year Rand Refinery launched its RandPure brand to augment the finished products it makes at the refinery. Not only are these products certified under the WGC and LBMA guidelines as being traceable and free from conflict gold, but they are also certified as coming from virgin gold doré. That means they do not contain any recycled or scrap gold whose provenance is
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harder to trace. That pleases the downstream market, and the miners like it too, because it ensures that their WGC certified conflict free bars don’t get mixed up with ‘grey’ gold at any point down the line – in other words the logistics chain is as responsible as the production and refining streams. The launch of RandPure was part of a broader strategy, Craig explains. “One of the things we quickly realised when looking at our strategy after my arrival was that Rand Refinery had not launched any new products in about ten years – maybe longer. We were missing some key classes of
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product. One was minted products – the high end investment bars that normally come, beautifully designed and stamped, in fine packaging with tamper-evident seals. We also said there was an opportunity in jewellery products, and both these types of product can be branded RandPure.” The company invested in setting up a minted product line which can mint both bars from 100 down to two grammes as well as coins. It then started to set up a global distributor network to ensure there were robust marketing channels for these products. To penetrate the European market Rand
Rand Refinery
“Rand Refinery’s RandPure brand is the only gold product that can claim complete knowledge of the source doré through to the fabricated product” Refinery set up an exclusive distributorship with a Geneva company called International Gold Trust (IGT). The distributor’s own account is a measure of Rand Refinery’s standing. “This exclusive appointment provides IGT with the world’s highest quality
gold ethically sourced and provided by a refiner whose integrity and market standing is unprecedented. Rand Refinery’s RandPure brand is the only gold product that can claim complete knowledge of the source doré through to the fabricated product. At no point in time does the metal leave the control of Rand Refinery giving a unique product to the consumer – responsible gold sourced from the earth, not from recycled products.” Also in May Rand Refinery appointed Dallas-based Dillon Gage Metals as its exclusive distributor in North America. For the minted products, a trading team was set up in Singapore two years ago to explore the very large market that exists for gold products in India, China and East Asia. To be able to supply the anticipated demand this will generate, new equipment for producing minted products has been installed, and cast bar production lines at Germiston have been modernised and its level of automation increased using state of the art robotics. Alongside its launch of the RandPure brand and the new range of options for customers to invest in gold came the announcement in May of a jewellery range produced in partnership with South Africa’s largest jewellery manufacturer OroAfrica. Since RandPure can only apply to gold manufactured under
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Rand Refinery direct control of Rand Refinery, OroAfrica set up its own facility within the refinery. The range, starting with rings and sold under a new brand name, Absolute, are expected to sell very well in the markets where it is available, currently South Africa, Canada and the USA and Hong Kong – and customers can be confident they are buying certified virgin gold, responsibly mined and containing no scrap of untraceable material. Investment will continue till all parts of the refinery have been thoroughly modernised. “We are replacing our furnaces shortly, and replacing our silver circuit with a completely new one, using best in class technology always with a high degree of automation.” The refinery’s smelter, he adds, will be a major driver for growth in the years ahead. With an annual capacity of 1,500 tons, it uses a pyro-metallurgical process to concentrate low grade materials into a semi concentrated product that is further purified at the main refinery. Additionally it has a recently added copper circuit that can produce up to 500 tpa of copper cathode from the scrap feed, much of it from Asia. To streamline the process Rand Refinery has now set up an assaying facility in Singapore, to give its Asian customer a same-day service and much faster payment. In the coming five years, he hopes, local in-country pre-treatment facilities could speed up the supply of recycled gold and silver to the main refinery. For more information about Rand Refinery visit: www.randrefinery.com
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Hydrocol
Making things
happen
Hydrocol has made its name by being experts in developing infrastructure projects on a large scale and its legacy can today be found throughout Ghana
written by: Will Daynes research by: David Brogan
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Hydrocol
O
ver the last two decades and that they are blessed with the flexibility the West African country and adaptability required to prosper in of Ghana has successfully this market. By possessing such a high evolved into a stable and degree of local knowledge, the company mature democracy. Hand-in- has been able to bring together the type of hand with this development has been the public-private partnerships that have seen emergence of its blossoming economy, one Ghana continue to make massive strides in that continues to grow ahead of the average infrastructure development. for the African region, with GDP growth The primary operations of the company registered at 15 percent in 2011 and 7.9 can be found in the activities of the two percent in 2012. areas of its business, those being Hydrocol Analysts now predict that the Ghanaian Infrastructure and Hydrocol Energy. The economy will have expanded rapidly once former is a pioneer when it comes to large again during the second half of 2013, growth scale projects that have the ability to greatly that is bench marked on enhance the lives of the the continued expansion of communities in which they the country’s service sector, are established. higher oil production and Water projects represent improved energy supply. several of these life Hydrocol was established enhancing projects. One, the Ghana’s GDP growth to facilitate investment in Befesa Seawater Desalination rate for 2012 Plant in Nungua, is a perfect large scale water utilities example of Hydrocol’s and infrastructure projects in Ghana, areas of massive importance efforts to support the development of local for a country that was quickly finding communities within Ghana. The company itself becoming a centre for national and was granted the 25 year concession to build, international business activity. Headquartered own, operate and transfer this project by in Ghana’s capital city of Accra, Hydrocol Ghana Water Company Ltd (GWCL), and it has built itself on the back of its ability to is executing it in partnership with Abengoa leverage international partners with the Water and Sojitz Corporation of Japan. Once financial, technical and operational capacity complete the plant will supply approximately that ensures that the solutions it provides are 60,000 cubic metres of potable water per day tailored specifically to local requirements. to GWCL for onward distribution to TeshieHydrocol understands local business Nungua and surrounding areas of Accra in and realises that in order to implement a the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. A similar project, the Western Region project successfully it is fundamental that all parties are familiar with the unique Seawater Desalination Plant, is also currently peculiarities of doing business in Ghana under development in city of Takoradi. This
7.9%
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Weekly Because a month is a long time to wait... Your weekly digest of business news and views www.bus-ex.com
Hydrocol reverse osmosis treatment ENDSIGHT CONSULTING plant will again supply potable Looking to expand your company’s international portfolio? water to GWCL, this time to The most promising high-growth markets for the next 20 the tune of 100,000 cubic years are in Africa. Chinese, Indian, and other international metres per day, a figure that competitors have already made that bet… and they’re not will almost double GWCL’s wrong. Don’t let revenue, profits, and market share sit current production capacity there for others to take. Give Africans a better alternative – they’re looking for one. supplying the twin cities of info@endsightconsulting.com Sekondi and Takoradi, and the surrounding areas. Hydrocol Infrastructure’s expertise also extends to power distribution. An example of its efforts in this field can also currently be found in the Western Region of the country where it is partnering with engineering and construction company Abeinsa on the construction of a 400MW combined cycle power generation plant. Working in collaboration with the Volta River Authority, the two companies are helping to address some of Ghana’s power generation challenges by creating a facility that, when complete, will help to fill a critical supply gap in Ghana’s power infrastructure. Hydrocol Energy, on the other hand, was established as a result of the Ghanaian government’s expressed commitment to promote indigenous companies in the country’s relatively new oil and gas sector, and ensure effective capacity building which
“in order to implement a project successfully it is fundamental that all parties are familiar with the unique peculiarities of doing business in Ghana” be weekly | 41
“the company has become a leading figure when it comes to creating collaboration at the cutting edge of public-private development� will facilitate a more competitive sector. Hydrocol Energy specialises in offering bespoke consulting and advisory services for the oil and gas sector, with one of its biggest strengths being its ability to
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leverage on the strong relationships it has developed, particularly the relationships it has with key institutional figures that are proactive and instrumental in decision making in the country.
Hydrocol
Across both Hydrocol Infrastructure and Hydrocol Energy the company maintains a key supply chain on all projects under development. This includes a core base of local suppliers, who help bring local knowledge directly to the projects, as well as a collective of international suppliers and contractors who are capable of bringing industry leading expertise into a still evolving region. Hydrocol recognises that infrastructure is capital intensive. By selecting the right partners to participate in the right projects the
company has become a leading figure when it comes to creating collaboration at the cutting edge of public-private development in the utilities and energy sectors. This has provided Hydrocol with an invaluable foundation from which it can move ahead with its plans to continue to improve the landscape of Ghana in the years ahead. For more information about Hydrocol visit: www.hydrocolgh.com
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BBT-SE
Fast track below the Alps The Brenner Base Tunnel is one of those infrastructure projects that has an historical as well as an engineering dimension – symbolizing cross border collaboration as much as a free market in Europe
written by: John O’Hanlon research by: Abi Abagun
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BBT-SE
T
he Alps are Europe’s great natural boundary, cutting Italy off from the rest of the continent. Getting from one side to the other whether for purposes of travel, war or trade has been a headache ever since ‘the iceman’ Ötzi lost his life 5,000 years ago on the Fineilspitze, not 20 miles to the east of the Brenner pass. The Brenner was not used for regular traffic until the second century AD and remained a very minor crossing right up to the late 18th century when Maria Theresa caused a road to be built. It is however the lowest of the six major Alpine passes, which is why it was chosen as the route for the Brenner Railway from Innsbruck in Austria to Bolzano and Verona in Italy. However the railway still has to climb to fairly dizzying heights, reaching 1,371 metres at its highest point, on the border between Italy and Austria and overcoming the gradient by means of two spiral tunnels. That means it is a slow route, exacerbated by the need to change engines. Goods traffic between northern and southern Europe is constantly increasing and it is the goal for much of this traffic to be transferred from road to rail to protect the sensitive Alpine environment, which is a global heritage. The case for creating a ‘flat’ rail link, along which more of this freight can travel became compelling as long ago as 1971 when the International Union of Railways (UIC) commissioned a study for a new Brenner railway with a ‘base tunnel’ – a term which is a direct translation of the German ‘Basistunnel.’ By 1989 three feasibility studies had been drawn up which formed the basis
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Technological Partners:
BRENNERCOM. THE CLOUD REVOLUTION YOU CAN TOUCH. 3 SERVER FARMS 3 COUNTRIES ITALY, AUSTRIA, GERMANY 6 CITIES BOLZANO, TRENTO, VERONA, MILAN, INNSBRUCK, MUNICH
www.bcloud.brennercom.it
Südtirol • Alto Adige
Brennercom A fiber-optic network straddling the Alps: Brennercom brings high-speed data to BBT
the most dynamic in the European economy. Thanks to this transmission “backbone”, the offices and construction site of the BBT can “Lighting up” the work in the Brenner Basis use a fiber-optic access network (FTTH) Tunnel (BBT) is a fiber-optic data network, with a speed of 100 Mbit/s or a radio link at provided by Brennercom that allows 30 Mbit/s, achieved with MPLS technology, communications between the south side and which optimises the flow of administrative and the north side along the route between Bolzano technical information. and Innsbruck, where the offices of BBT are Brennercom has been present in the regional (voice connection is also provided in Bolzano) market since 1998 and is now increasing and between the two tunnel portals of Fortezza the range of services it offers to a wider / Franzensfeste and the intermediate one of geographical area. Optical networks, DSL Stafflach - Wolf. The operator of reference or, in areas with more difficult accessibility, for the enterprise market in Trentino - Alto radio links allow broadband services and the Adige as well as the Cloud Service Provider, necessary data infrastructure to be given to Brennercom has its head offices in Bolzano a large customer base, which numbers over and other offices in Trento, Verona, Milan, as 7,000 companies and government agencies, well as subsidiaries in Austria (Innsbruck) and providing, amongst other things, several Germany (Munich): all “nodes” in a high-speed business parks. fiber-optic transmission network that connects Top-level communication networks and IT a large transnational area which is one of services find a new synergy in Brennercom. The three new-generation data centres in Bolzano, Trento and Innsbruck, connected by one of the fastest transmission networks in the whole of Europe, are at the base of the innovative range of solutions based on the cloud computing model. Company clients can thus access data processing and storage as well as connectivity resources in a flexible and “tailored” way, with the additional guarantee of having information totally protected, thanks to top-level technology platforms, partnerships with the most authoritative international brands, international certifications and support by qualified personnel. Dr. Karl Manfredi, CEO
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www.brennercom.it
BBT-SE
for further planning of the Brenner Base The only way to create a high-speed line Tunnel, however it wasn’t until 2004 that across the Alps was to tunnel below them: BBT-SE, the Austro-Italian company that is the maximum elevation above sea level is building the tunnel, was formed. just 794 metres and the steepest incline just The BBT is much more than just a tunnel 6.7 degrees. The BBT is 55 kilometres long through a mountain. The ₏8.5 billion project, from Fortezza in Italy to Innsbruck North, funded by the EU and the Austrian and Italian however if you add it to an existing section governments, is the main built in 1994 that bypasses element of the new Brenner the city emerging at Tulfes, railway from Munich to the tunnel is 64 kilometres Verona. It is a key link in the in length, making it the priority EU project to create a longest underground railway 2,200-kilometre railway axis connection in the world. between Berlin in Germany Professor Konrad and Palermo in Sicily. Three Bergmeister was appointed quarters of this axis is CEO of BBT-SE in August 2006 Cubic feet of soil and has led the company ever already under construction extracted or actually operational. since. Bergmeister is best
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$8.5 Billion Total cost of the project
known as an academic engineer, with 400 scientific publications to his name. On the faculty of the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences in Vienna, he has taught construction engineering for the last 20 years, and in addition he has been the President of the Free University in Bolzano since 2010. However he has also acted as the technical director and head engineer of the company managing the Brenner highway. All that experience has stood him in good stead while negotiating the sometimes labyrinthine progress of the tunnel project. Work on the â‚Ź403 million first stretches of exploratory tunnel should have started in 2006, but it was two years later in 2008 work actually started. The original target date for the trains to start running through the tunnel was 2020: this has now been extended to 2025, though Bergmeister thinks that this is realistic. The design and method of construction of the tunnel are both unconventional: the twin 8.1 metre diameter main tunnels, one carrying northbound, the other southbound traffic, are separated by a third six metre ‘exploratory’ tunnel that is being built ahead of the other two. Connecting tunnels link the main tubes ever 330 metres, providing a high level of accessibility-and security. The exploration tunnel will be valuable as
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a drainage and service asset (it lies twelve metres below the main tunnels) once the other two have been built using a combination of blasting and tunnel boring, depending on circumstances, though 70 percent will be excavated using TBMs. The main reason for driving a pilot tunnel was a geological one, Bergmeister explains. “Though we know a lot about the geology of the Alps, it
was impossible to know exactly what rock conditions we would encounter. The tunnel has to cross something called the periadriatic fault, or seam: we know it is there but at that depth we don’t know exactly how it behaves.” The exploratory tunnel is important to obtain further information about the inside of the mountain and therefore plan the construction of the main tubes with a higher
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Management and design Offering integrated engineering services to the most demanding and qualified clients who are acutely aware of the need for careful design and planning to complete the work within budget and on time.
T. +390471099521 E. info@3m-engineering.it www.3m-engineering.it
Seen
Contact us today and put your company in the spotlight!
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degree of precision, he emphasises. “Such geological information as we started with was based on preliminary studies that have been going on for decades. More than 34 kilometres of drilling was done, in which over 27,000 cubic metres of stone were removed from the mountain, to evaluate the rock mass along the planned tunnel route.” During construction the spoil from the main tunnels will be removed through the exploratory tunnel, speeding up the latter stages considerably. “We are removing all the spoil from the main tunnels through the exploratory: it is moved all the way to the discharge site using a series of conveyors and no trucking will be involved,” says Bergmeister. In all there will be 17 million cubic feet of spoil to be disposed of, and this
BBT-SE
will come out through four access tunnels, of which the ones nearest the Austrian and Italian ends are already complete. The 1.3 kilometre Ampass access tunnel and the 2.4 kilometre Ahrental access, together with about a quarter of the exploratory tunnel on the Austrian side, have been completed. The Wolf access tunnel was the last to be put out for tender for an estimated contract sum of 140 million earlier this year, and is now progressing well. This is also the longest, at four kilometres. Currently, completion of the exploratory tunnel early in 2014 is a priority. TBMs capable of advancing 30 metres a day stabilise the ground as they go using piles and special grouting, and the tunnel is lined with 20 centimetre thick segments manufactured off
site using a steam system that accelerates setting. The cutters mounted on the face of the TBM cut the rock into chips which go into a hopper that drops them onto a conveyor belt at speeds up to 700 cubic metres per hour. The Brenner Base Tunnel will change the face of Europe’s infrastructure forever, says Konrad Bergmeister. “We have turned to the most innovative technologies and materials in designing this tunnel for a lifetime of more than 200 years!� he says. As a world authority in concrete engineering, his word is to be believed. For more information about BBT-SE visit: www.bbt-se.com
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DRS Construction & Project Management
Constructing Chile’s future The construction industry in Chile has been booming in recent years as the country experiences remarkable economic growth. DRS Construction & Project Management is one of the main players within the construction sector in this South American nation
written by: Will Daynes research by: Louisa Adcock
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E
ver since it was founded in 1989, DRS have worked tirelessly to forge a level of trust between itself and its customers based on a combination of experience, technical capacity and reliability. From its headquarters in Santiago, Chile, the company delivers comprehensive building projects services and works that enables it to successfully manage a project from its initial design stages right through to commissioning. Specialising in construction projects, DRS has also become expert when it comes to ensuring energy efficiency and environmental protection. “Over the course of nearly 25 years,” explains Administration and Finance Manager, José Manuel del Río, “we have steadily increased our market share, primarily in the construction sector from which we originated. At the same time we have invested considerable effort into developing our service offering to cater for other major industries. This has led to a situation where today we have clients operating in fields including telecommunications and the energy sector, and where we are now ourselves looking at mining related opportunities.” For more than two decades DRS has married its technical capabilities and state-ofthe-art equipment in order to expertly advise its clients on ways of creating the utmost added value to their projects, whilst always remaining flexible to their changing needs. Such qualities have led to the company today being responsible for implementing more than 3,000 projects in a wide range of fields, which have been estimated as being worth a total value of some US$7,000 million.
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DRS Construction & Project Management
OUR WORK IS HERE TO STAY
Costanera Center, SantiagoChile 300 mts height
From the most seismically active nation, we provide world-class comprehensive seismic engineering expertise to design the future skyline Structural Engineering/Seismic Engineering/Wind Engineering/Value Engineering/Peer Review/ Design of Seismic Protection Systems/Complex Engineering Consultancy/ Non - Linear Modeling and Analisys/ Building Information Modeling Consultancy/ Structural Field Inspection/Early Structural Cost Estimate and Cost Monitoring
/www.renelagos.com
DRS Construction & Project Management During the course of every project DRS implements a total management strategy that focuses on controlling nu m e r o u s v a r i a bl e s throughout a project’s life, including budget, quality, timeliness and safety. Quality and innovation meanwhile remain central pillars of DRS’ culture, with the company’s quality management system certified under ISO 9001 regulations. “We believe that there are three main pillars to our business that have helped contribute to
Vineyard wineries
our success over the years,” del Río continues. “The first of these is innovation. It has always been the case that we are always looking for ways of using new technology and internal
RENE LAGOS ENGINEERS Rene Lagos Engineers is an international engineering consultancy firm with the head office in Santiago of Chile and regional offices in Miami, Lima, Dubai and Beijing. The firm provides a full range of design and engineering services for major projects internationally. Rene Lagos Engineers bases its business strategy in time responsiveness, design creativity and technical expertise in optimizing design in order to reduce costs and simplify construction procedures, as key factor building up a long term and trustful relationship with clients. We invest in our people in the same way that they invest in us, by providing opportunities
to learn, to research and develop in an outstanding work environment. Projects include: • Hotels • High-rise buildings • Residential buildings • Retail • Mixed-use developments • Convention centers • Entertainment facilities • Special structures • Schools and health care facilities With 36 years of experience the firm has grown steadily both in magnitude of projects designed and the ability to develop and maintain an outstanding staff. Our expert engineers provide our customers with value engineered solutions to meet individual structural requirements towards sustainable design on every project, following the firm’s permanent commitment to exceed expectations. www.renelagos.com
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processes to better our service offering and our productivity.” It is this attitude that contributed greatly to DRS being presented with the Innovation Prize by the Chilean Construction Association (CCHC) in 2012. “The second pillar,” del Río states, “is flexibility, and not just as it relates to our ability to successfully enter into new markets, but the way we can quickly and effectively cater for our customers’ changing needs. Last, but certainly not least, our success is a result of the work of our people. We realise they are our most important asset and as such we constantly put a great deal of focus on their development and training. One of the ways we do so is through an area of our business
Installation of antenna in the Andes Mountains
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we call the DRS University. It is here that our most experienced employees are able to pass on their knowledge and experience to others within the organisation.” Chile as a whole has been one of a select few countries to have experience relatively sustained growth in recent years, growing close to six percent in GDP terms in the last two years and with 2013 expected to see the country recording a further growth rate of more than four percent. These events have helped create a boom period for the construction sector, meanwhile, with interest rates now falling an economic climate is emerging that is steadily enticing foreign investment into the region.
DRS Construction & Project Management
“We have been supporting the country’s growth in our own way by contributing to a host of major projects in crucial economic areas” “For our part we have been supporting the country’s growth in our own way by contributing to a host of major projects in crucial economic areas, from hospitals and schools to data centres, the latter of which is a highly skilled area of expertise in which we have completed some 37,000 square metres of projects to date,” del Río says.
Indeed, across Chile examples of DRS’ work and expertise can be found throughout a number of industry sectors, from retail and educational buildings to industrial and health care facilities. The latter is obviously one area of great importance for Chile and its population, and DRS have played a hugely important role in taking numerous health care facilities from concept to creation. Among its projects in this field are the Avansalud Clinic and the Tabancura Clinic, both in Santiago. The former was an expansion project of considerable scale and involved adding a further five underground levels and eight stories to the buildings existing two underground floors and six stories. With the expansion increasing the total area of the complex by 8,665 square metres to 27,229 square metres, the company was also required to carry out remodelling work to the existing building. Elsewhere, DRS’ work is also helping contribute towards Chile’s future growth through the various services it provides to educational projects across the country. Beneficiaries of these services include the Catholic University of Chile, Institute Inacap, and schools such as San Benito and Mount Tabor. When it comes to projects in the retail sector, DRS’ multi-disciplined team has been
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“DRS has also ventured into another area of expertise, that being the restoration of historical buildings�
W Hotel in Santiago
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DRS Construction & Project Management credited with assisting in the development of more than 800 commercial undertakings. These include projects on behalf of major clients such as D-&-S Saitec (Walmart Chile), Cencosud, Ripley, Mall Plaza and Sodimac, among many others. Espacio Urbano Viña Centro, the shopping mall brand from Walmart, was a project that saw the company involved in the management of five levels of the building and the creation of two underground car parking facilities, which saw DRS’ team working across nearly 85,000 square metres of space. Aside from retail, residential, educational and health projects, DRS has also ventured into another area of expertise, that being the restoration of historical buildings, a line of work that is much newer to this part of the world than in Europe for instance. Nevertheless, it is one that is of increasing importance and one that DRS hopes to see continue to grow as a way of maintaining the past two-centuries of Chile’s architecture and its cultural patrimony. When asked for his take on Chile’s ability to continue its remarkable path of expansion in the coming years, del Río highlights the fact that he sees the country’s growth as now exceeding the infrastructure present to support it. “As the country has prospered immigration rates have risen and thus the
Magdalena building in Santiago
population of Chile is expanding. This is now driving the demand for all manner of services, from supermarkets to schools and hospitals. It also means that there are increasing opportunities for us to become involved in large infrastructure projects including airports, ports and highways. Meanwhile, we will continue to look beyond Chile into places where we feel we can develop our strengths and accomplish in other South American countries what we have here at home.” For more information about DRS Construction & Project Management visit: www.drs.cl
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Underpinning Trinid & Tobago’s prosper
Damus is a privately owned company fulfilling an essentia advancing the upstream and downstream oil and gas indu that promise to define the Caribbean over the coming dec
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Damus
dad rity
al role in ustries cade
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Damus welder at work at the La Romaine facility
Damus
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s we have recently seen in our extensive coverage of Trinidad & Tobago’s state oil company Petrotrin and its engagement in the exploration, development and production of hydrocarbons as well as the manufacturing and marketing of petroleum products, this island nation’s near term future is largely defined by its onshore and offshore resources. Major and junior exploration companies are scrapping over new licences and preparing to pour billions of dollars into development projects. To succeed, though, they need to partner with competent local companies that can provide the support services they need, and this is where Damus, a key supplier to Petrotrin as well as the private sector, comes in. Established in 1973 the company has established some nine subsidiaries and affiliates since the time of its acquisition by the Mahabir family in 1981. Since then it has grown to become not only the largest mechanical fabrication and construction contractor in Trinidad & Tobago but the largest in the whole eastern Caribbean region. With a permanent staff of 200 augmented by a temporary workforce that can vary from 500 to over 2,000 depending on current projects, its services focus on the design, manufacture, procurement, installation and maintenance of almost every class of equipment required by the industry. Damus’ headquarters is at La Romaine to the south west of Trinidad. There it operates a twelve-acre yard which used to house its main fabrication operation until it built a much larger shop at Point Fortin, 30 kilometres to the south. This houses a
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GEORGE UNION’S
PIPE AND TANK COMPANY
The Best in our Industry George Union’s Pipe and Tank was first founded to meet the demands of the petroleum industry in Guyana, specifically as it relates to the manufacturing and fabrication of Industry-standard Tanks and pipelines. What we offer PIPING • Fabrication and Installation of pipelines for Petroleum products, including LPG. • Repairs and maintenance • Pressure Testing • Installation of Service Stations, hoists, air meters, etc., TANKS • Fabrication, erection and repair of vertical and horizontal tanks. • Installation of underground tanks at Service Stations. • Installation of LPG Tanks. TESTING OF PIPES AND TANKS • Thickness Testing (Ultra sonic) • Pressure Testing (Hydrostatic) • Tank Calibration CLEANING • Sandblasting, painting of Pipes, Tanks, etc; • Cleaning of Petroleum Storage Tanks
www.georgeunionpipeandtank.com
Damus 50,000 square foot workshop, George Union’s Pipe and Tank over 160,000 square feet of George Union’s Pipe and Tank are committed to a very high warehouses and an office standard of work, innovation and on-time delivery, this building on a 30-acre site, has allowed us to expand our operations in new frontiers, with the capacity to turn out always endeavouring to meet our clients varied needs and 300 tonnes of steel fabrication objectives. We have the privilege of serving very large multia month based on working national companies with operations in the Caribbean, North America, Europe and other parts of the world. one shift per day. TwentyHaving well over 35 years in business, with a highly skilled four hour operation will and trained workforce, customer satisfaction is guaranteed. add an incremental eighty www.georgeunionpipeandtank.com percent of production. The 24,000 square foot workshop at La Romaine is now mainly used for light fabrication work and the submarine pipe fabrication that the company performs for Petrotrin’s offshore Trinmar operations. It is worth dwelling for a moment on this work, as it illustrates Damus’ innovative approach to solving customers’ problems. “Petrotrin is investing significantly in its Trinmar fields” confirms Director of Overseas Operations Stuart Mahabir. There are two ways of installing the undersea pipelines that link the rigs and transfer crude onshore – you can either use a specialised pipelaying ship to position continuous coil or join sections in situ from specially adapted barges. However high mobilisation costs and availability issues make the former a very expensive operation. Trinmar continues to use Damus’ Atlantic LNG Plant built by Damus
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Protective and Marine Coatings
Providing a wide range of high performance marine and pc coatings. Addressing the needs of a worldwide Clientele in an ever changing operating environment. International Paints Available at:
Tel: 1 868 665 6260 / 1676 | Fax: 1 868 671 6518 For Technical Information contact:
Joshua Madoo: 1-868-788-5984, Email: joshua@integra-pc.com Anil Maraj: 1-868-741-3517, Email: anil@integra-pc.biz Denesh Ragbir: 1-868- 775-9067, Email: denesh@integra-pc.com
ANALYSER SERVICES TRINIDAD LTD. is a company registered in Trinidad & Tobago and in existence for the past 15 years. We are part of a group of companies headed by Norsk Analyse AS of Scandinavia. Our support center is staffed with highly trained and experienced technicians to service and support Analyzer, Sampling Handling Panels, and Gas Detection Equipment. Services we offer are; • Sales & After Sales Support • Preventative Maintenance • Service • Training • Spares Parts Tel: 868 679 3839 / 636 6576 | Fax: 868 679 3840 | Email: anaserv@tstt.net.tt
Damus pipelaying barges, on which pre-fabricated sections of Integra Protective Coatings Ltd has happily partnered with pipe – ‘pipe strings’ – are Damus Ltd in their successful provision of quality work over welded together in situ. This the years. From providing appropriate coating products, is the most effective solution technical advice, inspection services to introducing the for the client, and was made latest in coatings technology. Integra’s direct relationship more effective when Damus with International Paints also ensures all projects and backup services are monitored by our global team. re-engineered its barges to joshua@integra-pc.com enable them to operate in sea conditions that would have delayed the work in the past. “This is industry best practice. The work is now done higher above water level – it saves both money and time,” says Mahabir. Pipelaying is a good example of the bread and butter work that Damus does, however in recent years it has distinguished itself by taking on and successfully completing some very high profile and complex projects. The first such project to be landed in 1998 lasted nearly a decade and involved the construction of a four-train gas liquefaction facility at Point Fortin with a total capacity of 15 million metric tonnes per annum (tpa) for Atlantic, one of the world’s largest producers of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). The EPC contractor for the $5 billion project was Bechtel Corporation of the USA, and Damus was Bechtel’s main mechanical
Integra Protective Coatings Ltd
300 tonnes Monthly capacity of Damus’ Point Fortin fabrication site
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Our Edge is Efficiency Advantage Lab Services Ltd. provides comprehensive laboratory testing services, which help physicians and other healthcare providers in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of disease and illness in patients. We also provide access to specialized clinical tests, used to detect cancer, monitor heart disease, identify neurological disorders and pinpoint individual allergies, among other things. You can rely on our adherence to the highest levels of quality assurance and our employment of state-of-the-art technology. For every test performed, we monitor the quality of the entire process from initial request, through test performance, to the prompt reporting of the result. Phone: 868.653.6993, 868.290.3211, 868.648.0549 | Fax: 868.652.8017 E-mail: rmaraj@advantagelabservices.com www.advantagelabservices.com
Stationery & Office Consumables Specialised Library Supplies Office Furniture & Machines Audio Visual Equipment Computer Supplies Self-Inking Stamps Printing Services
Quality Brands • Attractive Prices • Free Delivery • Knowledgeable & Responsive Staff
Damus subcontractor, completing Advantage Lab Services Ltd train one in 1999, trains two Advantage Lab Services Limited, located in San Fernando, and three in 2002 and 2003, Trinidad, is a company specializing in high technology with train four finally being Laboratory testing services. The business was established commissioned in 2007. “That to offer a high quality diagnostic service to Clinicians, was a major milestone for Hospitals, Nursing homes, Corporate Companies and the the company,” recalls Stuart community at large. Our Ultra modern facility and state of the art Laboratory Mahabir with pride. “At the complimented with our 25 years experience in Laboratory time the Point Fortin facility medicine provides a full range of Lab services including was the fourth largest in the Drug & Alcohol testing, Lipid Profiles, HIV, DNA Paternity, world.” Damus’ contribution Executive & UKOOA Medicals, Occupational Health Testing, included installation of all Ultra Sounds and ECG’s. above ground piping, static Advantage Lab Services Limited: Guided by the people we and rotating equipment, spool serve, provided by people who care. www.advantagelabservices.com and utility tank fabrication. More recently the company completed its largest job ever, showing its diversity in the very different field of power generation. Between 2009 and its commissioning in 2012 Damus was the main mechanical contractor for a new 720 MW combined cycle power plant (CCPP) built by Germany’s Ferrostaal GmbH for Trinidad Generation Unlimited (TGU) at La Brea. At the $740 million plant’s official opening in October 2013 Trinidad’s Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine hailed it as the nation’s most efficient, producing electricity at half the unit cost of other sources. Damus’ client list includes such major companies as BP, BG, BHP Billiton, Repsol and, of course, Petrotrin. To work with these companies presupposes best practice enshrined in certification, such as ISO 9001:2008, which assures the company’s quality management system (QMS) and the Safe-to-Work (STOW) accreditation. STOW assures not only safety but also environmental performance, stresses
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RM ENGINEERING
R.M. Engineering Limited is a Multi-Disciplinary Consulting Firm which provides services to Government, Institutional and Industrial Clients in the Architectural, Civil, Structural, Mechanical, Electrical Fields as well as Project Management.
Email: rm_eng_01@yahoo.com Telephone: 1 (868) 665 5575 / 671 9467 Telefax: 1 (868) 665 5575 Address: R.M. Engineering Limited 505 Centre Pointe Mall, Ramsaran Street. Chaguanas.Trinidad and Tobago
Stretching the Miles MILEAGE MACK offers the widest range of passenger, commercial and industrial tyres in Trinidad & Tobago. Our certified technicians provide sophisticated, professional, and highly technical services using state-of-theart computer diagnostic equipment. Mileage Mack is a certified member of the Tire Industry Association of North America (TIA) and Specialty Equipment Market Association.
inspired Your weekly digest of business news and views
Telephone: 1-(868)-657-1704 Email: sales@mileagemack.com www.mileagemack.com
www.bus-ex.com
Damus Mahabir. “Achieving that accreditation in 2012 was R.M. Engineering Limited was established on the 7th significant in that it confirmed January, 2005 and has been providing Consultancy Services that our workers were trained, since then. The company’s key personnel have considerable approved and recognised experience in the successful management and execution of a by the industry accepted wide variety of projects in Trinidad and Tobago. regulatory body in the local We actively aim to always satisfy our Clients by continuously improving on our operations and are proud to be associated energy sector. It affirmed with Damus Limited for whom we have been providing once and for all the company’s engineering consultancy services for over eight years. record of compliance.” rm_eng_01@yahoo.com Being a large employer, Damus recognises the importance of a well-trained and accredited workforce, he continues. “We operate a mixture of internal and external training, with an in-house syllabus for our junior engineers covering structural design, mechanical design and other topics. We also offer financial incentives to encourage them to acquire qualifications that may be required for our contracts.” Though the global economic situation is reflected in a current slowdown regionally, Damus is planning ahead for the O&G boom that is in the making. The port of Galeota on Trinidad’s south-eastern tip is central to Trinidad and Tobago’s deepwater acreage and its shallow water acreage on the east coast. It is also close to Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. If Portof-Spain is becoming the Houston of the Caribbean, as Minister Ramnarine states, he also proposes that Galeota should become a significant energy services hub for this part of the Caribbean. “We are planning to build a new fabrication facility on the east coast of the island,” says Mahabir. “It makes sense BP Bombax Subsea Manifold, built by Damus for us to improve our facility at Galeota to
R.M. Engineering Limited
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Damus take advantage of investment that is going to increase over the next five years.” While activity levels are reasonably high offshore, Damus continues to seek out downstream project opportunities. One significant opportunity coming over the horizon is a proposed $850 million petrochemical plant at the Union Industrial Estate in La Brea, to be built by a consortium led by Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI). The plant will produce a million tonnes a year of methanol and 100,000 tonnes of dimethyl ether (DME). If the project goes ahead, it would be the first new downstream energy plant in Trinidad and Tobago since 2010. Damus, as the only regional company with the experience, capacity and track record in delivering projects like this is well placed to capture particular construction elements of such a project. Meanwhile Stuart Mahabir is looking further afield in a region that is increasingly grappling with the conflict between traditional industries like tourism and fishing and the oil trade. Curacao, with its huge independent refinery is a case in point. But Damus will always maintain its standards, he assures: “We are proud of our reputation and our brand. We will always conduct business in a transparent way and never tarnish the good name we have established for ourselves. We hope our customers continue to recognise our efforts in providing excellent contracting services to the local and regional oil and gas industry.” For more information about Damus visit: www.damusgroup.com
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WHERE THE WORLD’S MINERAL INDUSTRY MEETS
ONLY GOING TO ONE MINING INVESTMENT SHOW THIS YEAR? MAKE IT PDAC. March 2 – 5, 2014 International Convention, Trade Show & Investors Exchange Metro Toronto Convention Centre Toronto, Canada convention.pdac.ca/pdac/conv/
Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada