Cytec Canada is a world leader in the production of phosphine and phosphine derivatives. The company invests heavily in research and development of new products and applications and in manufacturing excellence initiatives to meet growing market demand.
In 2011, Cytec undertook an expansion of their phosphine plant in Niagara Falls. Cytec is committed to meeting or exceeding regulatory compliance and sustainability, while minimizing time to market. Adherence to the project schedule was therefore critical.
Ausenco provided EPCM services and was responsible for the commissioning program for this expansion project. Our scope of work included the design, tender and construction of seven new process buildings, as well as two new support buildings encompassing operations, administration and warehousing. The project included design of all civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation and control systems and was carried out on an accelerated schedule of less than two years.
As part of this project, Ausenco designed an expansion to Cytec’s main outdoor substation and a new MV / LV indoor substation to provide power to the seven new buildings with motor control centres located in each of the buildings’ electrical rooms. The scope included the design of a 0.6MW standby generator (natural gas and diesel).
Our work also included development of a new SCADA system for the expansion and the transfer of the process control of the original plant to the new system. The project incorporated over 3,000 new instruments / control valves. Process drawings were developed using 3D CADWorks.
Outcomes and achievements
At the time of the project, the client noted that this investment not only doubles its phosphine and phosphine derivatives manufacturing capacity, but makes it among the “largest and most technologically advanced phosphine plants in the world”. Project commissioning was completed in September 2014.
Our team received positive feedback from the client on our effective project management, including our strict project control procedures and oversight to deliver this complex project on an accelerated schedule.