To meet project challenges, Fluor has increased the size of the Madrid Office from 40 to over 700 professionals, primarily to support this important project. Supplementing the local hires, a truly international taskforce was assembled with representatives from several Fluor offices. An additional team of 100 engineers is worksharing the project in the Gliwice Office.
Since most of Fluor´s knowledge networks operate in English, and all client standards and required deliverables are in Spanish, bilingual communications have been a way of life since the start of the project. For that matter, 85 percent of the project taskforce in Madrid is fluent in both languages.
Fluor assisted Repsol in attaining the environmental permit in March 2008 and continues managing permitting activities for the project, which has required a thorough understanding of local codes and regulations. The new refinery borders an environmentally sensitive area and the preservation of indigenous flora and fauna has been a concern. Furthermore, to minimize re-grading the naturally sloping terrain of the Escombreras Valley, the site features several terraces, varying in height from 35.5 meters above sea level for the Hydrocracker Unit to 22.5 meters for the Sulfur Handling area, which created unique challenges in design and construction.
By leveraging more than a decade of projects executed in Spain, having extensive knowledge and experience in refineries all over the globe, a highly mobile and multilingual workforce, and a proven commitment to safety, Fluor is assisting Repsol in making their vision of the new Cartagena Refinery a reality.