Project Ceres Urea Plant

Perdaman Chemicals and Fertilisers Pty Ltd are developing Project Ceres, which will be the world’s largest gas-stream ammonia-urea plant, with a production capacity of 2.14 million tonnes per annum (MTPA).

The plant is located within the Burrup Strategic Industrial Area on the Burrup Peninsula, approximately 10 kilometres from Dampier on the north-west coast of Western Australia.

Melchor is responsible for the provision of all labour, supervision, plant and equipment, materials and permits required to complete the formwork, reinforcement and placement of structural concrete across various structures.

Following Melchor’s successful commencement of the structural concrete package, the company was subsequently awarded the complementary detailed earthworks package. This scope includes all detailed excavation and backfilling works required to support the project’s structural foundations and infrastructure.

Melchor’s self-perform capability has been a key advantage on this project, which operates within a complex industrial relations environment. The company’s ability to manage a large direct workforce provides a level of stability, control and productivity that is difficult to achieve through reliance on subcontractors or labour-hire resources.

Key project challenges and highlights

• Working within a large, multi-disciplinary project environment

• Delivering a significant volume of structural concrete within a tight timeframe

• Managing the environmental conditions of the Pilbara region

• Coordinating the integrated scopes of detailed earthworks and structural concrete works

Key metrics

• 49,000 cubic metres of structural concrete

• More than 150,000 cubic metres of detailed backfill