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Metsä Fibre’s bioproduct mill construction schedule challenges were overcomed
Kemi bioproduct plant schedule challenged builders – DC Works doubled the number of contractors and completed the instrumentation and automation installations on time
Metsä Fibre’s state-of-the-art Kemi bioproducts plant was a massive construction project where all phases of the work interacted. DC Works, the contractor for the automation and instrumentation installations, nearly doubled its workforce in the final stages of the project and did its part in the tight schedule to get the plant up and running on time.
Metsä Fibre’s Kemi bioproduct mill is the most efficient wood processing plant in the northern hemisphere and one of the most significant industrial projects in Finland in recent years. It produces pulp and other bioproducts and generates renewable electricity for the national grid. The modern bioproduct plant is world-class in terms of energy, material and environmental efficiency, and its complex processes operate entirely without fossil fuels. The plant will be operational in September 2023.
DC Works, which specialises in challenging industrial installations, worked on more than ten plants, seven of which the company carried out all automation and instrumentation installations.
“The collaboration worked from the start. DC Works’ experts got to know the site well and took responsibility. They also took safety issues seriously,” says Markku Savolainen, Project Manager at Metsä Fiber.
Flexibility of plans at critical moments
In some installations, the work schedule changed radically. This required partners to be flexible and able to adapt plans quickly, as any delay or mistake would carry a high risk of recurring problems.
“DC Works adapted very well to the changing project schedules. For example, they were able to resource the right people in the right place at the right time. On the other hand, when there was less work assigned to them, DC Works employees helped the other contractors,” says Savolainen.
When the automation and instrumentation installations started in earnest, more workers than planned were needed on site. In practice, DC Works ended up with 55 men instead of the planned 30, sometimes working up to 84 hours a week.
“We were able to close the schedule gap left by the previous jobs by adjusting the schedule of our other projects to free up workers. We have agreed working conditions with our skilled workers in a local contract, which allows us to work overtime. We also have an extensive network of partners and subcontractors,” says Marko Husu, CEO of DC Works.
At the plants where the start of work was most delayed, the work plan had to be changed and most of the work had to be done within three months.
“Our work management team went through the plans and identified those works whose completion was critical to the overall plant
Open communication guaranteed success
Metsä Fiber’s Savolainen believes that open and regular communication with DC Works was important for the success of the project. Things were taken forward in a spirit of cooperation, and discussions did not shy away from difficult topics either way.
“At DC Works, the quality of work and commitment were spot on. They genuinely wanted to succeed and get things done and listened to how we saw the situation,” says Savolainen.
Participating in and succeeding in a giant construction project requires contractors to be proactive and willing to take big risks on their part. Marko Husu sees winning the contract as a great vote of confidence from a big forestry company to a small company.
“In the past, we have focused on data centres and oil refineries, but our new foray into the forest industry was successful. We can only thank them for their confidence,” says Husu.