Keops Altech (previously Keops Isis), a member of the multibillion rand JSE Securities Exchange-listed Altech group of companies, has been awarded a contract exceeding R10 million for the Operations Management software required for the addition of a third potline at the Hillside aluminium smelter outside Richards Bay. The project is due for handover in December 2003.
Under the contract, the Operations Management software for various sectors and facilities at the smelter will be upgraded including: the substation which will be fitted with a new GIS distribution system capable of handling 22 kV power loops; the casthouse which will receive two new horizontal direct chill casting lines, four new furnaces as well as a new water treatment and cooling system; and the carbon plant which will be expanded by an additional half a baking furnace (two fire) with one furnace tending assembly and one 25 ton auxiliary crane. A fume treatment plant will be added and the anode assembly storage building will be expanded by five rows.
Engineering, procurement and contract manager, SNC-Lavalin Murray & Roberts, awarded the tender to Keops Altech to build on a track record between the two companies that includes three contracts each for the original and Mozal upgrade contracts as well as other contracts on the Hillside expansion project that also includes the scada for non-turnkey operations.
Keops Altech has an experienced team, established quality and project control mechanisms and an unblemished track record for large-scale projects that significantly reduces risk for any customer. In addition, Keops Altech offers a wide number of technology solutions such as Wonderware, Aspentech, OSI Soft, Siemens and Honeywell to Hillside. These were all jointly evaluated with Hillside's unique requirements in mind. As the project schedule is tight and new technology may result in increased risk both in terms of schedule and functionality, it was decided to also upgrade the Oracle solution previously developed. Keops Altech has extensive experience in developing and delivering such solutions and was therefore equally suited to the task.
Says Keops Altech project manager Schalk Claassen, "Keops Altech is one of the industry's leaders in industrial system integration. Our expertise and focus on the process industry has resulted in positive company growth despite tough competition and an IT industry under pressure." He said that it had enabled the company to employ additional specialists to ensure that delivery was on time and within budget. He said sound project management methodologies and an absolute commitment to quality were the distinguishing trademarks of a well-executed contract, and that he was confident that the Hillside Expansion Project would be no different.
About Keops Altech
Keops Altech is the leading provider of manufacturing execution and control systems to the South African processing industry and a well-established integrator of multilevel industrial information systems. The company traditionally operated in the metals industry, but is currently growing its presence in virtually all sectors of the manufacturing industry. Besides expanding into Africa and increasing its local client base, Keops Altech's strategic goal is to provide clients with added value by increasing operational efficiency through the implementation of and redesigning operations management practices and business processes and enabling systems, whilst simultaneously providing conceptual solutions for the integration of current and future IT architectural building blocks.
For more information contact Schalk Claassen, Project Manager, Keops Altech, 012 643 6900, [email protected]
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