DuPont Canada Hydrogen Peroxide Facility

Historic Project: Groundbreaking Work From Earlier in Fluor’s History

Client: DuPont Canada Inc.

Location: Gibbons, Alberta, Canada

Business Segment: Energy Solutions

Industry: Chemicals

Map showing the location of DuPont Canada Hydrogen Peroxide Facility

Executive Summary

Fluor provided detailed engineering, procurement assistance and construction services for this grassroots 36,000-ton/year Hydrogen Peroxide Facility in Canada.

Client's Challenge

The project had two major parts:

Inside Battery Limits (ISBL) included all design areas containing process units. These units were a duplication of an existing DuPont Canada plant in Maitland, Ontario. Modifications were made in order to adapt the plant to Alberta conditions (winterization, seismic, building codes, etc.).

Outside Battery Limits (OSBL) included an access road, a railway spur, a truck loading facility, tankage for product storage, piping tie-ins to local utilities (natural gas and potable water) cooling water, steam generation, hydrogen generation and purification and an effluent outfall to the North Saskatchewan River.

Extensive studies were performed to develop a plant design that had minimum impact on the environment.

Fluor's Solution

By using and improving on the original design of the ISBL, the project team reduced engineering, fabrication and installation costs substantially. The project was completed under budget and in 22 months, which was a significant improvement in schedule from the original plant.

Special efforts were made throughout the project to keep the local community fully aware of facility and environmental developments. For example, town hall meetings were held, an open house at the plant with site tours was conducted, green areas were maintained around the site, and the involvement of local labor and services was maximized.

Conclusion

The plant was mechanically completed and signed over to DuPont in 1991. A small team of tradespeople assisted with start-up and commissioning.

An enviable construction safety record of zero lost time accidents on 1.25 million hours worked was established on the project, which involved 800,000 field craft hours (indirect, direct and subcontracted).