REC Solar Grade Silicon to Begin Structural Erection of Major New Washington Plant Amid Brisk Pacific Northwest Construction Activity

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas). REC Solar Grade Silicon (Moses Lake, Washington), a subsidiary of REC Group (Oslo, Norway), is nearing completion of civil/site preparation for a new polysilicon manufacturing plant being constructed next to REC’s existing plant in Moses Lake, Washington. Construction of the $600 million project began during summer 2006 and is not scheduled to be complete until the third quarter of 2008. This is one of a slew of industrial projects expected to reach construction this summer in the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

Essentially a silicon refinery, the project will involve the installation of new proprietary fluidized bed reactor technology, which the company claims will increase efficiency. The new plant will double capacity of polysilicon manufacturing up to 13,000 metric tons per year, when complete.

REC hired Flour Corporation (NYSE:FLR ) (Irving, Texas) as the engineering, procurement, and construction management company for the project. The main reactor building will be 200 feet tall and total approximately 36,000 square feet. The Erection Company (TEC) (Arlington, Washington), a signatory contractor of Ironworker Management Progressive Action Cooperative Trust (IMPACT), is spearheading building erection. The project, which will require 45-50 ironworkers, will be staffed out of local 14 in Spokane, Washington, which has about 530 active members.

The Pacific Northwest has been inundated with industrial projects as of late keeping local 14 busy. Donny Patterson, Business Manager for local 14 stated, “Our local covers Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho and Western Montana. All but a few of our ironworkers are busy working on jobs, and it is going to get busier.” Three other major projects are scheduled to begin construction this summer in the area, including a new biodiesel plant in Warden, Washington, a shutdown at Hanford #2, and a shutdown at Boise Cascade.

The REC project will require 900 construction workers during peak construction. This is an 80/20 union shop construction project meaning that 80% of the project will utilize union contractors and the remaining 20% will utilize open shop contractors. The mechanical portion of the project is split between two firms, both of which have mobilized on site and are currently involved in construction planning. Harder Mechanical Contractors Incorporated (Portland, Oregon) will provide mechanical services for the main reactor and steel structure. Haskell Corporation (Bellingham, Washington), a 100% union contractor, will provide the remaining mechanical portions of the project.

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