K+S Potash Dufferin, Saskatchewan, Canada
Marshalling resources to manage risk in the world’s harshest conditions
Constructing with limited access to key resources
Located in a remote region of Saskatchewan, an Alberici joint venture constructed the main processing facility at the Legacy Project potash mine. Under a $148 million contract to K+S Group, one of the world’s leading fertilizer producers, the new facility produces 3.2 million tons of potash per year. Construction of the expansive processing plant included installation of more than 26,000 tons of structural and miscellaneous steel. Alberici crews also set approximately 500 pieces of equipment weighing up to 270 tons each, including 90 piping and electrical modules.
Self-performing to control cost and schedule
Close coordination and detailed sequencing plans were developed due to the large number of owner-supplied equipment modules that had to be installed within nine multi-level, enclosed structures. Alberici’s ability to self-perform fabrication and erection of steel for the entire project allowed our team to implement just-in-time deliveries. This provided optimal control of cost and schedule for this critical scope of work.
Our people and equipment make the difference
In addition to its isolated location, project challenges included a fast-track schedule that peaked during the winter, where high winds battered the site and temperatures regularly plummeted below negative 40-degrees Fahrenheit. Due to the booming construction market in western Canada, the project also faced a lack of available skilled labor and intense competition for in-demand heavy equipment. Alberici controlled these risks by providing equipment from our fleet and augmenting the local workforce with our travelling craft personnel. More than 300 workers and 10 cranes (including an 850-ton crawler) were on site during the peak of construction.