Vale's Concentrate Receiving Facility, situated within the Copper Cliff Smelter complex, required the replacement of two of its existing baghouses that had surpassed their operational lifespan.

These replacements were necessary to mitigate the risk of equipment failure, which could potentially cause operational downtime.

BESTECH was tasked with the replacement of the aging baghouses, including the updating of inlet and outlet ducting and compressed air piping systems. To enhance operational and maintenance efficiency while minimizing safety hazards, a stair tower equipped with lighting was designed to be installed beside each baghouse.

Previously, BESTECH had conducted a FEL 3 Study to plan the replacement of the baghouses. Anticipating the project’s stringent timeline, BESTECH identified the delivery schedule of the new baghouses as a pivotal risk factor to the project’s adherence to its timeline. To mitigate potential delays in equipment procurement, BESTECH advanced the project preparation by issuing a Tender specification as part of the FEL study.

Furthermore, BESTECH undertook an evaluation of the existing baghouse foundations and confirmed their ability to support the new installations. This evaluation and subsequent design decision to repurpose the existing foundations resulted in considerable cost and time efficiencies for the client. The proactive identification of the baghouse purchase as a critical project component and the early preparation of tender specifications for the new baghouses not only expedited the procurement process but also realized significant time savings, thereby underscoring the efficiency and foresight of BESTECH’s project management and engineering approach.