Work continues at Iowa plant – Alert
Despite a change of subcontractors at the Wever, Iowa, work site, OCI NV’s Iowa Fertilizer Co. reiterated today that actual work at the site never stopped.
According to OCI, on Friday April 17, 2015, Orascom E&C USA Inc. (the EPC contractor) reassigned all work that was being carried out by one of its subcontractors to three other subcontractors, all of which have existing on-site experience, in order to improve construction supervision and productivity. The former sub-contractor was responsible for portions of the mechanical, electrical and instrumentation work in the ammonia and downstream process plants.
The company said the replacement subcontractors, which include an Iowa-based subcontractor, have demonstrated high levels of quality and productivity on the work they have performed to date and these factors were considered in the EPC contractor’s decision to re-assign work to the replacement subcontractors. The replacement subcontractors were close to completion of portions of their original scope, and would have been reducing their workforce in the coming months. Additionally, qualified labor from the former subcontractor is being reassigned to the replacement subcontractors. The company said in construction projects of this size, it is common for subcontractors to be exchanged.
OCI said all other site activity and construction on the Iowa Fertilizer project continues to make progress. The project remains on schedule for completion in the fourth quarter of 2015.