After Sasol Chemicals chose Fluor Corp. to provide front-end engineering and design (FEED) services for a new, world-scale petrochemical complex, including an ethane cracker and derivatives project under construction at a site adjacent to an existing facility in Westlake, Louisiana, Fluor selected Hanson to design the facility’s rail infrastructure. The project roughly triples the company’s U.S. chemical production capacity.
Hanson’s efforts included FEED and final design of north, east and west storage yards, a north loading yard, an alcohol loading area, an ethylene oxide loading area and multiple connection tracks. Hanson also provided design and design coordination for the installation of six rail scales (four static scales and two coupled-in motion scales), loading containment slabs and direct fixation track at five loading locations, a five-span rail bridge, railroad yard lighting, railroad crossing signals and gates at four locations, 20 at-grade rail/roadway crossings and lighting for numerous railroad yards and switches. A subconsultant provided railroad signal design services.
Hanson also provided final design services, including final construction documents, as well as construction support services, including submittal reviews, shop drawing review and responses to requests for information.
The owner’s new complex includes a 1.5 million-tons-per-year ethane cracker and six downstream derivatives units.
