The Sequoia Project aims to build a second Ingeo biopolymer manufacturing plant in Thailand by NatureWorks, with construction work expected to be completed by the second half of 2024.
Biocomplex (NBC) located in Nakhon Sawan province, the new manufacturing facility will have an annual capacity of 75,000 tons of Ingeo biopolymer, expanding its global production to support growth in markets such as 3D printing and hygiene.
Sarens was chosen to carry out the lifting and installation work for the new plant's columns and exchanger. After mobilising all the equipment and assembling the cranes on site over the previous 9 days, the work could be completed on schedule.
The Sequoia Project was created in 2021, with the need for NatureWorks, a company dedicated to the manufacture of low carbon polylactic acid (PLA) biopolymers from renewable resources, to expand its global capacity and start construction of its second Ingeo biopolymer manufacturing plant in Thailand. Having completed site preparation in June 2022, the first construction works for piles, subway piping, stormwater management and tank foundations began, with completion expected in the second half of 2024.
Sarens, world leader in heavy lifting, engineered transport and crane rental solutions, was commissioned to carry out the lifting and installation of the columns and exchanger for the new plant. Since the lifting date was already predefined prior to the delivery of the equipment to the construction site, Sarens' main objective to meet the established deadlines was to have the cranes ready before the scheduled execution date.
This new facility is designed to be fully integrated and will include the production of lactic acid, lactide, polymer and the full range of Ingeo biopolymer grades. Biocomplex (NBC) located in Nakhon Sawan province, the manufacturing centre will have an annual capacity of 75,000 tons of Ingeo biopolymer, expanding its production globally and supporting growth in markets such as 3D printing and hygiene, as well as compostable coffee capsules, tea bags, flexible packaging and food products that demand sustainable, low-carbon materials and require high-performance attributes.
To meet the deadline, Sarens team transported cranes on hydraulic low bed trailers to undertake the project 384 km away from the yard to the job site. The operators involved in the project were also responsible for selecting in advance the cranes that, according to the engineering drawings, were best suited for the job. The CC2800, with a 60 m main boom and a 30 m folding jib, and the CC2000, with a 48 m main boom, were chosen for their unique features.
The mobilization of all the equipment took 5 working days, and the erection of the cranes on site took 4 days. After this, Sarens operators informed the client about the soil compaction, which was not suitable for the safe execution of the work. Once the problem was solved, the Sarens machinery got to work lifting the columns and the exchanger according to the GA lifting plan.
"We are working on the Sequoia Project, Nakhon Sawan province for three months, during the time there were no problems in the development and the transportation of the cranes and other equipment to the work site. In addition, we also had the necessary personnel to carry out the operations, including a supervisor, a safety specialist, two operators, two riggers and two signalmen. Finally, thanks to our team's extensive experience, we were able to complete the installation of all the necessary elements and ongoing installation shceduled," adds Socrates Kenan(Fleet and Operation Manager ) .
Sarens has more than 60 years of international experience in the development and installation of strategically important projects. In the energy sector, Sarens has been recently involved in the Clean Fuel Project works in Thailand, in the expansion of the S-Oil plant in Ulsan, South Korea, in the construction of the Petroperu refinery in Talara (Peru), and in the Skikda refinery in Algeria among others. Sarens was recently commissioned by PTSC M&C for the load out of an LQUP jacket weighing more than 4,500 tons in Vietnam that will be dedicated to the extraction of Oil&Gas in the Bay of Bengal.
About Sarens
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