Almost exactly two years to the day from the signing of the contract, Iraq‘s first sugar factory was commissioned. What happened in these two years sometimes went well beyond what is considered “business as usual“ at BMA.
A collective achievement
It was the BMA Group‘s largest job by far in recent years (see also BMA Info 52/2014). And as the size of the project grew, so did our scope of responsibility: engineering services, project management and supplies for the whole plant – including the storage of raw materials and the finished product, packaging,
and many other processes outside actual sugar production. For our customer, the benefit was clear: one contact meant that overall responsibility for the project lay with a single partner.
Mastering this challenge required perfect collaboration between all partners. This is a so-called “soft factor” – whose importance in a project of this size should, in fact, not be underestimated. The proof is in the result: collaboration between the Iraqi customer, designers and managers in Tunisia, and engineers and technological experts in Germany was a great success. In a concerted effort, experts from all areas of BMA worked on the project:
- BMA MENA acted as the party to the EPCM contract for general engineering services and the supply of a range of equipment, and as coordinator of local equipment manufacturers, suppliers and construction workers on site.
- BMA Germany supplied the complete process engineering and the key equipment for the main process stations, as well as handling procurement and project management.
- BMA Automation designed and built the switchgear substation and process control system.
A promising start
Only the best was good enough for our customer Etihad Food Industries in reaching his business goals. And it was ultimately our combination of state-of-the-art equipment, high quality manufacturing made in Europe, and a reliable partner in the MENA region that won the BMA Group this contract.
The new factory and the superior quality of sugar it produces will secure our customer an excellent position in the Iraqi market. But the highly positive result for all partners goes well beyond the factory itself.
For Etihad and the BMA Group, it is the start of a long term partnership. BMA MENA now boasts one of the most impressive customer references in the region. And for BMA Automation, it was an opportunity to prove once more their outstanding performance in a large scale international project. Last but not least, BMA Germany was delighted to have won one of the largest orders for equipment in the past business year.
Dr Mohsen Makina
BMA MENA Industries
info@bma-mena.com