In 2005, Steelworks of Huachipato, a subsidiary of Steel Company of the Pacific (CAP), developed a project for a new cryogenic plant to produce oxygen in Talcahuano. The facility was designed to produce 200 metric tons of oxygen and nine metric tons of argon per day. As a result, the company was able to increase its oxygen production to meet the requirements for producing 1,450,000 tons of steel per year and replace its current purchase of liquid oxygen.

Pares&Alvarez carried out the basic and detailed engineering, as well as procurement management across all disciplines, for the installation and interconnection of the oxygen production plant using cryogenic air distillation, within the Huachipato steel complex. The plant utilized technology developed by the U.S. company AIR PRODUCTS and was inaugurated in late 2006.

In simple terms, oxygen (gas and liquid) is obtained through a cryogenic air separation process. The only raw material is atmospheric air, which is purified and liquefied for subsequent separation into its components by distillation. After separation, the oxygen gas is recirculated through a heat exchanger to transfer its cooling capacity, thereby producing a product at room temperature.

The F4F Talca plant receives and processes organic waste like domestic waste, producing proteins and oils of high nutritional and functional value, as well as bioinput for its application in the agricultural industry, through the cultivation of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens).

The Plant currently has an authorized organic waste treatment capacity of 250 t/month and a current production of 5 t/month of flour.

Thus, PA Engineering Environmental Management prepared and submitted for evaluation, through an Environmental Impact Statement, a project that seeks to increase the capacity of the Talca plant, both in the reception and processing of organic waste from approx. 28 t/day to 100 t/day and the flour production capacity up to 100 t/month. The favourable resolution of the project was obtained within 8 months by a unanimous vote of approval.

This growth will involve, among other aspects, increasing the frequency of receiving organic waste; expanding the types of organic waste received and treated; and to increase both the storage capacity and the installed electrical power of the facilities. In addition, it may receive liquid waste for the process of preparing the food of the larvae, from the food industry (beverages or residual yeasts from the alcoholic fermentation process, from the agribusiness and livestock industry (residues from vineyards, fruits and vegetables), for a volume of 6.5 m3/day.

The project involved the expansion and modernization of the Prillex América Industrial Complex through the construction and operation of a new nitric acid and ammonium nitrate plant (PANNA), which increased nitric acid production and, consequently, raised ammonium nitrate production from 450,000 to 800,000 metric tons per year, according to the Environmental Impact Statement.

Pares&Alvarez developed the adaptation of the facilities outside the production area to provide the unit with the inputs, supplies, services, and raw materials required for its operation, in the quantities and conditions necessary for its functioning. The project required an investment of $230 million.

Verallia, considered a world leader in the glass packaging sectors for wines, spirits and food, produces more than 16,000 million containers each year for its more than 10,000 customers around the world. In Chile, the company produces glass bottles to serve mainly the wine industry, using the latest technology available in the manufacture of glass containers in its modern plant located in Rengo.

In order to maintain this leadership, Verallia decided to modernize its factory, which was enabled to produce 240 tons of molten glass per day through the operation of a melting furnace and 2 production lines with 120 tons/day of processing capacity each.

The constructed area of the factory was 4.7 ha, due to the fact that in recent years a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) tank was implemented that occupies an area of 525 m2, a treatment plant of “cullet” or calcín (glass from recycling) that occupies an area of approximately 591 m2.

The project carried out by Pa Engineering contemplated increasing the production capacity of the factory to total 405 tons/day of molten glass, for which the replacement of the current furnace was considered, because it fulfilled its useful life, with a new one that allowed the integration of the largest amount of molten glass, and the incorporation of a new production line of 165 tons/day.

To carry out this work, the building where the production is carried out was expanded, which also houses the new melting furnace and the new production line, plus an electrical room to supply the energy demand of the new facilities.

In addition, in the EPCM development, due to the increase in processing capacity at the factory, the expansion and modification of some of the existing facilities was contemplated, such as the finished product warehouse, truck loading yard, cullet tanks, process water plant, LNG storage area and parking lots.

An important point to note is that while the project was being developed, the production process never stopped, consequently, once the new furnace was implemented, the operation of the old furnace was deactivated. Achieving the above requires great planning and coordination of the entire team of specialists from the conception of the project to carry out the designs and define the construction sequence without altering the normal operation of the plant or risking the safety of the workers.

The project carried out by PA Engineering contemplated increasing the production capacity of the factory to total 405 tons/day of molten glass, for which the replacement of the current furnace was considered, because it fulfilled its useful life, with a new one that allowed the integration of the largest amount of molten glass, and the incorporation of a new production line of 165 tons/day.

To carry out this work, the building where the production is carried out was expanded, which also houses the new melting furnace and the new production line, plus an electrical room to supply the energy demand of the new facilities.

In addition, in the EPCM development, due to the increase in processing capacity at the factory, the expansion and modification of some of the existing facilities was contemplated, such as the finished product warehouse, truck loading yard, cullet tanks, process water plant, LNG storage area and parking lots. An important point to note is that while the project was being developed, the production process never stopped, consequently, once the new furnace was implemented, the operation of the old furnace was deactivated. Achieving the above requires great planning and coordination of the entire team of specialists from the conception of the project to carry out the designs and define the construction sequence without altering the normal operation of the plant or risking the safety of the workers.

The project for Maersk Container Industry was executed under the EPCM modality and consisted of the construction of a refrigerated container factory. The construction of the plant was approximately 70,000 m2 and was located on a 330,000 m2 site, producing 40,000 containers per year.

The project, which was developed under a PCM (Procurement & Construction Management) modality, consisted of the expansion of the glass container production plant and considered the installation of a new furnace and three packaging production lines. To this end, the existing industrial warehouse was expanded by 14,000 m2. In addition, the auxiliary systems associated with the main process (natural gas, diesel, fuel oil No. 5, LPG, air, plant water, drinking water, soft water, cooling water, treated water, firefighting water, firefighting foam and oily water) were expanded.

PA Engineering intervened in the proposal through the development of the conceptual engineering, estimating the investment necessary to carry out the project. Subsequently, we presented the basic engineering, in which the required processes were defined, then developed the detailed engineering in all disciplines and the management of the procurement of the equipment abroad.

Along with this work, the PA Engineering Environmental Management, worked on the archaeological survey and the obtaining of related environmental permits. Then the Engineering Management developed the construction program and provided the ground engineering, which allowed the required adjustments to be made to the details of the construction.

Orafti Chile commissioned a study of energy consumption optimization to the engineering office of its parent company in Germany. The objective of this study was to reduce the thermal energy consumption of the plant.

The project to reduce the energy consumption of its Inulin production plant began with the conceptual engineering study carried out by PA Engineering. The project included the piping to interconnect the new equipment and the replacement of existing lines, either due to hydraulic or material requirements. Then, basic and detailed engineering was carried out, which included modifications and new installations, the arrangement of evaporators, modifications to existing ones, installation of heat exchangers and transformation of existing ones, installation of pumps and tanks, assembly and/or modification of piping circuits, among others.