Watertown DailyTimes
Alcoa selects engineering firm for modernization plans
Edited by : AL CIRCLE
2 min read
Alcoa is progressing in its plans to modernize its Massena operations by selecting an outside engineering firm.
The aluminum company has selected Bechtel Engineering, a worldwide firm with a presence in Montreal, to move its modernization plans forward, according to Alcoa spokeswoman Laurie A. Marr.
Local management has been working all year on the engineering and site plans for the modernization. Alcoa’s board of directors will ultimately decide whether to commit to the modernization by March 31, 2013, and local staff are using that time to hammer out all of the details and make Massena as attractive as possible to corporate officials. Alcoa’s commitment to modernization could ensure the company’s future here for decades to come.
Retaining Bechtel is another part of drawing up the modernization plans, Ms. Marr said.
“As part of the engineering and design work, we’ve had a team of Alcoa engineers working on it. You get to a certain point in the project and you need a bigger firm,” Ms. Marr said. “This is all in preparation for when we take the project to the Alcoa board of directors for approval.”
Bechtel will help Alcoa’s Massena team hammer out more details of the project, including a final cost estimate, Ms. Marr said.
The power contract Alcoa has with the New York Power Authority indicates the modernization project will be at least a $600 million investment in the community.
“The point of this is to have the resources that can help us get the engineering and design to a point so that we can have a more precise cost estimate,” Ms. Marr said.
Bechtel’s team has already begun its work with Alcoa’s Massena engineering team. Alcoa selected the firm earlier this month, Ms. Marr said.
“You progress through certain stages in project planning,” Ms. Marr said. “This is an important step forward for us ... This is another step in the journey.”
Alcoa kicked off 2011 with news it was restarting its idled Massena east facility and redoubled its efforts at that point to work toward the plant’s eventual modernization. If the board approves the plans, construction would begin as early as that June, Ms. Marr said.
The aluminum company has selected Bechtel Engineering, a worldwide firm with a presence in Montreal, to move its modernization plans forward, according to Alcoa spokeswoman Laurie A. Marr.
Local management has been working all year on the engineering and site plans for the modernization. Alcoa’s board of directors will ultimately decide whether to commit to the modernization by March 31, 2013, and local staff are using that time to hammer out all of the details and make Massena as attractive as possible to corporate officials. Alcoa’s commitment to modernization could ensure the company’s future here for decades to come.
Retaining Bechtel is another part of drawing up the modernization plans, Ms. Marr said.
“As part of the engineering and design work, we’ve had a team of Alcoa engineers working on it. You get to a certain point in the project and you need a bigger firm,” Ms. Marr said. “This is all in preparation for when we take the project to the Alcoa board of directors for approval.”
Bechtel will help Alcoa’s Massena team hammer out more details of the project, including a final cost estimate, Ms. Marr said.
The power contract Alcoa has with the New York Power Authority indicates the modernization project will be at least a $600 million investment in the community.
“The point of this is to have the resources that can help us get the engineering and design to a point so that we can have a more precise cost estimate,” Ms. Marr said.
Bechtel’s team has already begun its work with Alcoa’s Massena engineering team. Alcoa selected the firm earlier this month, Ms. Marr said.
“You progress through certain stages in project planning,” Ms. Marr said. “This is an important step forward for us ... This is another step in the journey.”
Alcoa kicked off 2011 with news it was restarting its idled Massena east facility and redoubled its efforts at that point to work toward the plant’s eventual modernization. If the board approves the plans, construction would begin as early as that June, Ms. Marr said.
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