Black & Veatch worked about 1.9 million worker-hours without a recordable safety incident, even first aid.
Another significant accomplishment was the application of lean processes for the media and membrane loading processes, which were critical components of the commissioning schedule.
Over 1,000 confined entry permits were required to load media without any incidents. The company also designed rigging methods to eliminate the man-machine interaction. The process operated like a production line, saving critical days from the schedule.
To complete the project safely, on time and with the highest quality standards, Black & Veatch placed significant resources behind these processes to deliver the finished desalination facility.
Black & Veatch professionals from multiple U.S. states, the UK, India and Chile contributed to the project.
“On major projects like this, there are always ups and downs, but our team handled them with such professionalism that we didn’t get caught up in the emotional aspects of the six-year project. Our focus was on the client and what was best for the project.”
Brady Hays, Black & Veatch Vice President and Escondida Project Director
Black & Veatch earned the Distinction Award for Desalination Company of the Year at the 2016 Global Water Summit. In 2017, the EWS project won the Industrial Desalination Plant of the Year honor at the summit.
BHP also has sole-source awarded the Escondida Water Supply Expansion (EWSE) Project to Black & Veatch. The EWSE Project will expand the water production capacity by 800 liters per second (lps) and the water conveyance capacity by 1,400 lps. The EWSE Project comprises engineering, procurement, construction management services, pre-commissioning and commissioning services. The project began in June 2017 and is expected to be complete in May 2019.