Promon completes expansion project for Alunorte
- 10/20/2005



Promon has just completed the engineering design for the second expansion of Alunorte, Brazil’s largest manufacturer of aluminum oxide (alumina). The project is a continuation of the partnership dating from 1978, when work began on implementing the facility at Barcarena in the Northern state of Pará. In this second expansion Promon assumed responsibility for all conceptual and basic engineering, as well as the detail engineering for a significant portion of the plant. The contract also covered planning and technical support for construction and assembly.

The second expansion comprises the installation of two new production lines (D and E), enabling Alunorte to increase nominal production capacity to 4,175,000 metric tons per year, from 2,375,000 tons currently. As a result it will become the world’s leading manufacturer of alumina, a commodity with a high market value as a raw material not just for aluminum but also for a wide range of other applications, including components for precision instruments. The new production lines are scheduled to come on stream in early 2006.

Promon has participated in Expansion 2, including the conceptual design stage, since early 2003. "Our involvement from the very start of the conceptual stage proves the importance accorded by the client to our capacity to transfer knowledge to the project, thanks to the experience earned from a 27-year relationship,” says project director Álvaro Bragança Jr.

Besides the conceptual design Promon’s responsibilities for Expansion 2 included basic engineering for all process areas and detail engineering for the Red Area and Interface Area. The Red Area is a key stage in bauxite refining where the alumina-containing component (liquor) is separated from the rest of the raw material. The liquor is then conveyed to the White Area, where precipitation of alumina crystals takes place. The Interface Area links all sectors of the plant.

The cutting-edge technology Promon used in this design work included the PDS plant design and 3D modeling system and Marian materials management software, streamlining production, enhancing reliability and integrating information far more effectively than traditional work methods.

"Because we have done key design and engineering work for Alunorte from the very beginning, several of our professionals are highly familiar with the plant and are still involved with the current stage of the project. So we were able to leverage our inside knowledge of the production process and existing facilities to minimize interferences and foresee possible concerns. Project implementation lead time was significantly shortened as a result,” explains Bragança Jr.


Promon’s experience at Alunorte

Promon produced basic and detail designs for the first two production lines and provided assistance with construction and assembly. Lines A and B have a production capacity of 1,100,000 metric tons of aluminum per year. This initial stage of the project began in 1978 and was completed in 1994. Expansion 1 (line C) began in August 2000 and was completed in January 2003 under an engineering, procurement and construction management contract (EPCM), expanding capacity to 2,375,000 tons per year.



About Promon Engenharia

Promon Engenharia is a Brazilian organization founded in 1960 and a leading provider of consultant engineering services in oil & gas, power, mining, steel and petrochemicals. It develops complete solutions ranging from conceptual design to project implementation and start-up.

Promon’s portfolio includes projects that have contributed greatly to the development of Brazil’s infrastructure over several decades, such as oil refineries, petrochemical plants, oil & gas terminals, hydroelectric, thermal and nuclear power plants, transmission systems, steel mills, mines, automotive and aircraft manufacturing facilities, and traffic and mass transit systems.

Promon Engenharia belongs to the Promon Group, which also includes Promon Tecnologia (telecommunications and technology), Trópico (a long-established supplier of equipment for telecom operators), and UTE Bahia (a fuel oil-fired thermal power plant located at the Camaçari Petrochemical Complex in Bahia).




For more information, please contact:
A4 Comunicação
Theo Carnier – theocarnier@a4com.com.br
www.a4com.com.br | +55 11 3088 4122




Promon completes expansion project for Alunorte