CULTURE shock, a language barrier, having to train local workers, and an inability to source materials locally have hampered Barclay Mowlem in its design and construction of Pha Lai 2 Coal Handling Plant in Vietnam - and continual pilfering of materials has made the project even more challenging.

But the Australian constructor has by now nearly finished the project. Commissioning is well under way and the target date for completion is November 2001.

Sumitomo Corporation of Japan awarded the contract for this project in March 1998.

The design and construct contract for the material handling plant incorporates a receival system for the coal from a rail unloader and four barge unloaders.

Coal is distributed to the various open and covered storage areas with a total capacity in excess of 250,000 tonnes. Covered storage comprises four sheds with a capacity of 34,000 tonnes each.

Coal is stacked in the covered storage areas in specific ratios to allow the blending of good quality coal with poorer qualities and then recovered with Schade reclaimers for delivery via conveyors to the boiler bunkers.

The system is designed for operation by about 10 people. All conveyors and machines are interlocked for automatic start up and stopping.

Barclay Mowlem project manager Peter Jackson said the system is designed to allow one person sitting in a central control room to reclaim the coal and deliver to the bunkers.

He said: "This level of automation has surprised the operators currently being trained in the use of the system.

"They are accustomed to labour intensive systems adopted in the Russian designed and built Pha Lai 1 Power Station, constructed some 18 years ago, adjacent to the present site," Jackson said.

September 2000 saw the commencement of the commissioning for the plant. Up to 10 people from Australia have been involved in the process.

This has been a lengthy process hampered by continual pilfering of materials built into the project, the inability to source materials locally and the quality of electrical installation work done by the erection contractor.

The first coal was delivered in March.

On-the-job training of the Vietnamese workers is being undertaken as well, and with the language barrier and lower educational skills, this is proving to be a formidable task.

The commissioning engineer at Pha Lai, John Urane, said, "Vietnam is experiencing an economic boom. Everywhere you go families are making bricks. You might pass dozens of kilns along a 10km stretch of river.

"This same industriousness drives economic growth that will be further enhanced by infrastructure built by companies like Barclay Mowlem," he said.

Source: www.infolink.com.au

• Cultivating a response [ 12/11/2008 12:40:34 ]