Hulett Rolling Mill Aluminum Manufacturing Expansion

Historic Project: Groundbreaking Work From Earlier in Fluor’s History

Client: Hulett Aluminum (now Hulamin Extrusion)

Location: Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Business Segment: Urban Solutions

Industry: Mining & Metals

Map showing the location of Hulett Rolling Mill Aluminum Manufacturing Expansion

Executive Summary

The capacity of the Hulett Aluminum rolling mill was tripled from 50,000 to 150,000 tons per annum. Fluor and a joint venture partner provided the study and a cost estimate, followed by engineering, procurement and construction management.

Client's Challenge

The Hulett Aluminium, now Hulamin Extrusion, rolled products mill expansion included a new cold mill, a new hot mill, remelt furnaces, a can recycle plant, a CCAL plant and upgrades to the facilities for rolling equipment and plate finishing.

In addition to hiring Fluor, Hulett set up a technical advisory board of unit operations specialists drawn from Alcan and other rolling companies worldwide. Members of the board visited the site at key stages to provide input.

Fluor's Solution

Fluor, in a joint venture with Hatch Africa, conducted a study for the expansion, with Fluor providing the technology. The venture was consequently awarded a three-year extended contract for engineering, procurement and construction management.

The project scope encompassed a new remelt and hot milling line on a greenfield site across the Duzi River from the existing factory, a new cold finishing mill (single stand), uprating of the existing cold mills and a coating line on the existing site.

The Fluor venture also replaced and in some cases relocated equipment for finishing and circles production on the existing site, uprated and provided new utility systems and infrastructure and constructed a bridge across the river between the sites.