The Netherlands is crisscrossed with rivers, dikes, and canals, as the waters of Europe flow to the sea. One of the thousands of canals runs directly adjacent to the Rijnmond Energy Center and on to Rotterdam, the world’s largest port. The canal serves as a vital means by which equipment and supplies are transported to the site. The joint venture has constructed a temporary dock on the canal to receive the goods.
Typically, large storage tanks are transported to the site in pieces and then fabricated. Because of the direct link to the harbor, however, BEJV’s Dutch subcontractor fabricated these large tanks entirely in their shop, and floated them to the site.
“Being able to do the welding and testing in an enclosed, controlled environment helped us shave time and cost off the tank fabrication task,” says Tom Patterson, Bechtel’s project manager.
But that’s not the only benefit of having water so nearby. “We take major suppliers, subcontractors, and our clients on tours of the Rotterdam harbor,” says Patterson. “It’s simply fascinating.”
