A Bright Spot in a Dark Place

By John Altdorfer
All photos by Anne Louise Jürgensen

You could say things are looking pretty dark in Mosjøen, Norway, but that’s no reflection on an advanced carbon anode manufacturing plant that Bechtel is designing and building there.

It’s dark because during the middle of the winter, the sun shines only for three hours each day in Mosjøen, which is less than 160 kilometers south of the Arctic Circle. In fact, from the town’s vantage point at the end of a fjord about halfway up Norway’s coast, the brightest star in the sky barely nudges above the horizon during December and January.

Yet Bechtel Project Manager Kurt Bolser sees plenty of bright spots on the nine-hectare site of the new plant, jointly owned by aluminum giant Alcoa and Elkem ASA, one of Norway’s largest industrial companies. “This project, which Bechtel is designing from the ground up, is going well,” he says. “It’s the largest carbon anode plant ever built, and a great opportunity to show what the company can do.”

Carbon anode electrodes made at the plant will be used to produce aluminum at an Alcoa/Elkem smelter in Mosjøen and at a big smelter Bechtel is building for Alcoa in Iceland. The first batch of anodes is scheduled to be shipped in April 2007.

For a company with less experience than Bechtel at working under harsh conditions, the Mosjøen plant’s many challenges might literally blow away any optimism—not to mention construction materials and equipment. Along with the long days of little or no sunlight, gale-force winds make it necessary to lash trailers, materials, and even portable toilets to concrete blocks and other heavy objects.

“In December, the winds blow off the water and rush between the mountain ranges on either side of the fjord, creating a tunnel effect,” says Construction Site Manager Doug Omichinski. “They can reach hurricane force in a hurry. Just about anything that’s not tied down can end up in the fjord.”

A strong breeze now and then isn’t the only weather-related problem jeopardizing activities of the site’s workforce, which will peak at 600. Throughout much of the year, precipitation is in the daily forecast. Annual averages reach up to 1.7 meters of rain and more than 2 meters of snow, which can start falling in significant amounts as early as the start of October. As might be expected, the volatile conditions pose considerable safety-related issues.

“There are a lot of ‘trip-and-slip’ hazards due to rain, snow, and ice,” says Omichinski. “Sometimes, just getting workers to the site can be a problem. We have to stay on top of things as far as spreading sand on roads and pathways to prevent falls.”

Falling also is a concern when employees are working “at height.” With the plant’s roofline passing the 30-meter mark, workers stick to ground-level tasks when precipitation and wind pose hazards.

Safety is paramount at all Bechtel projects. At Mosjøen, Polish contractors provide mechanical, electrical, and civil/structural labor, with some support from local Norwegian contractors. While Poles brought a strong work ethic to the job, their safety practices didn’t always measure up to Bechtel’s standards. “The Polish crews are smart and hard-working,” says Omichinski. “I wish I could take them with me on other jobs. But we needed to bring them up to speed on safety.”

With three different languages spoken on the site, translators made sure that everyone was on the same page regarding safety. In addition, all safety posters and written materials appear in English, Norwegian, and Polish. Judging from the project’s safety record, the message is getting through loud and clear. By September 2006, the site had recorded 1 million job hours without a lost-time accident since the start of construction in March 2005.

Bolser is even more pleased that employees shared those learned lessons outside the workplace. “Last summer, the town held a food festival,” he says. “We donated use of a tent for the event, and our crews worked shoulder to shoulder with the townspeople to set it up. It was gratifying to see them apply our safety standards to the task, while giving the local residents a few pointers.”

Bechtel also is intent on making sure that the project has minimal impact on the community and local environment. “We’re building the plant on reclaimed land dredged from a nearby river that flows into the fjord,” says Omichinski. “We are working with the customers, Alcoa and Elkem, and have put controls in place to make sure that we don’t contaminate the water.”

The plant also is less than 100 meters from homes in the town. The project permit sets a noise limit of 65 decibels until 6 p.m., and 55 decibels during the second shift that ends at midnight. “We haven’t had many complaints,” says Omichinski.

Keeping the noise down and waterways clean is just a start. The company meets regularly with the mayor, police, health officers, and other community officials to ensure that everyone involved with the project respects the town and its residents.

“We’ve been well received by the community,” says Bolser. “And we worked hard at building that relationship. Like this plant, we built it from the ground up.” 

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