“Across the finish line with a smile” – Elomatic heads successful warehouse modernization project for Kiilto

The chemical storage facilities at the Turku production site of Kiilto had to be updated to meet the latest requirements. The loading and unloading area for the tanker trucks also had to be renovated. Elomatic successfully headed the project with effective change management despite the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic. Kiilto also praised the excellent team spirit during the project.

Finnish chemical industry solutions supplier Kiilto wanted to update the chemical storage facilities at its Turku production site together with the unloading and loading area for tanker trucks to comply with the latest technical solutions and requirements. In addition to storage, the company uses the loading area for loading products onto tanker trucks.

Elomatic takes over project management on the fly

The project began with basic planning back in 2018. Elomatic entered the picture in the fall of 2019, when Kiilto was looking for a project management partner and Elomatic was selected as the service provider. The project was implemented according to the EPCM model with a small modification: Elomatic assumed overall responsibility for the project, but the company that did the basic planning remained to do the implementation planning.

“Kiilto had their own project manager, but they needed expertise in preparing subcontracting agreements and managing timetables. We also provided them with expertise about everything that needs to be planned in advance in terms of project management to ensure that all the parts fit together: how to agree the scope of deliveries and how to know where to go,” explains Jarmo Kankainen, Project Manager at Elomatic.

“Our work was supported by excellent collaboration with construction management consultancy HTJ,” he adds.

Kiilto aims to focus on green chemicals

Elomatic also took responsibility for inspecting the plans that had already been made. Some of them had to be updated, for example because the town did not grant a building permit on the first try.

Based on the updated materials, Elomatic was able to start sending requests for tenders and making purchases in the fall of 2020. Strategic reservations had been left in the plans, as Kiilto was still considering, for example, the introduction of bioethanol.

“The decision to invest now and install a bioethanol tank was a solution that was in line with the company’s green ambitions, even though the price tag went up,” Kankainen explains.

Pandemic creates its own challenges

Just when almost all purchases had been made, prices suddenly rose due to the coronavirus pandemic. This also extended delivery times, and some of the negotiations had to be restarted. Construction work at the storage area finally began in May 2021, but the timetable only had to be extended by a couple of months. Overall, Kiilto was very satisfied with Elomatic’s work.

“Even though the global situation caused many twists and turns because of the pandemic and supply chain disruptions, we achieved the goals of the project and did so with a really good team spirit. By working together, we knew how to lighten the mood and overcome the challenges with a smile,” says Mira Kaunisto, Supply Chain Manager at Kiilto.

Kankainen agrees that their collaboration was easy throughout the project.

“As a project manager, I am grateful that Kiilto was so committed and able to make quick decisions. I can also praise Elomatic’s team: we even beat our hourly target,” he points out.

Work guided by a sustainable project plan

Jarmo Kankainen prepared a sustainable project plan with which he was able to evaluate the implementation and outputs of the project in terms not only of costs but also social and environmental sustainability, starting with how the disruption caused by the construction work should be communicated to local residents.

“Environmental aspects were included already in the list of requirements. In addition to enabling the use of bioethanol, we improved the collection of possible extinguishing water, for example,” Kankainen describes.

Occupational safety was also emphasized in the project.

“This project demonstrates our process plant expertise and our ability to manage projects successfully. I am especially proud of the fact that there were no accidents leading to absences during the project. This really is exceptional – the level of personal safety in our project was very high,” Kankainen confirms.