AK Engineering Awarded Services Contract for Lucite

AK Engineering Services, part of Aker Kvaerner, has signed a long term alliance agreement with Lucite International. Aker Kvaerner will perform life cycle engineering services for a range of projects at Lucite International's facilities on Teesside in the UK.

Effective immediately, the agreement for engineering design, project management, and environmental, health, safety and risk consultancy services covers a range of projects at Lucite International's Cassel Works. From smaller scale plant modifications to major plant upgrades and debottlenecking activities, the projects are expected to require some 35,000 to 40,000 man hours per year. The duration of this agreement is initially for a minimum of three years - valued at £3m over this period - with the facility for further extension.

Lucite International's Cassel Works is a top tier COMAH (Control of Major Accident Hazards - ref. Note 4) site and is the largest monomer (methyl methacrylate) production facility in Europe. It is also a producer of methyl methacrylate (MMA).

AK Engineering Services have been providing mechanical maintenance support, overhaul support, design and engineering services to Lucite over the last five years, as well as working on EPCM projects for the MMA - Monomer 8 Project, and EPCM involvement on the more recent Seal Alliance Project with BASF.

This alliance agreement is one of several similar agreements Aker Kvaerner has in Europe for companies such as General Electric and BASF.