REC Silicon: Part 4
Fluid Bed Reactor Upgrade
Project Details
REC Silicon upgraded their Fluid Bed Reactor Facility to supply high purity polycrystalline granular silicon for solar and electronic grade customers. New polishing and annealing equipment, and robotic packaging was installed.
The complexity of the construction was considerable. Space allocation, equipment locations, utility routings, control system integration, and contractor/owner coordination were keys to success. 3D modeling was extensively used for sequencing and installation planning.
A phased startup drove construction sequencing and commissioning and required a keen eye for daily safety permitting and safe work practices.
Key Project Challenges
- Complex retrofit of a spatially constrained process area.
- Aggressive schedules driven by commitments to customers
- Construction sequencing to support a phased rolling startup
- Remote location and a tight labor market presented challenges securing experienced contractors and labor
IPC Solutions
- Created detailed schedules and installation trackers feeding a master schedule for progress and forecasting
- Detailed Warehousing tracking of owner sourced materials
- Close coordination of contractor manpower and materials to ensure sufficient resources to make progress. Management of Change Orders.
- Contracts were Multiple Prime Contracts direct to REC Silicon
Owner’s Benefit
- Early knowledge of building permit requirements allowed timely hiring of specialty contractors and ensured a smooth design, building permit application, and execution process.
- Schedule delays were minimized by effective management of the labor and material supplies.
- Progress tracking systems allowed for timely and accurate review of change orders, reducing or eliminating significant change order costs.
- Successful project execution resulted in improved relationships between REC and local contractors for future projects.