It has been almost one year since we started our journey to build a new biorefinery in Denmark, located at the Port of Hirtshals , a major development area for the maritime industry. Our double digit million Euro investment has come a long way, despite seasonal weather challenges such as heavy wind and snow, thanks to the hard work carried out by the Biomega project team and our suppliers, including the NCC – a leading Nordic construction company.
As of today, the new biorefinery is rapidly taking shape and remains on schedule, according to our local project manager Jørgen Marvig, for completion this summer.
A milestone achievement
At Biomega, we are proud of our roots. So, as is tradition in the Scandinavian region, when the last beam is placed on top of the structure during construction, we host a ‘topping-out’ or ‘topping-off’ ceremony for all those involved with the project.
Dating back to medieval times, a topping-out ceremony is a project milestone, with history records stating that an evergreen tree was placed on top of the building to ward off evil spirits and appease the tree-dwelling spirits of those that had been cut down for lumber. Now, a more formal ceremony takes place and can include the positioning of an evergreen tree or a leafy branch on the final steel beam to symbolize growth and good luck 1 .
To celebrate this momentous occasion, Biomega held its topping-out ceremony on 20 th January, inviting our suppliers and customers down to the build to honor the fantastic work that has been carried out so far.
Presenting at the ceremony, Biomega CEO Stig Petersen praised those involved in the project for their hard work: “Our factory is taking shape and will house equipment for the world’s most modern biorefining processes. Thanks to all our customers, suppliers and project teams who joined us today to celebrate this milestone achievement. ”
Ambitious upcoming schedule
With a completion date set for the summer, the project team has no intention of slowing down. Comprising of two levels, the ground floor will contain raw material storage, production equipment and finished product storage, while the first floor will house administration, welfare and additional production equipment.
To stay on schedule, NCC will continue constructing the first floor of the factory, alongside supporting our project team to install 100 tonnes of machinery on the ground floor. Working side-by-side, both teams will need to co-ordinate to hoist several large tanks down through the roof, while machines – weighing between five and seven tonnes each – must be brought in through the side of the building before the panels are installed.
For project manager Jørgen Marvig, this is an exciting time for the build: “As soon as we start to install the machinery, the biorefinery starts to take shape. We are working closely with NCC to co-ordinate each step of the build and are looking forward to seeing it in its final form this summer. ”
You can read more about the project on the NCC website (Danish). To keep up to date with the biorefinery’s progress, make sure to follow our social media channels on Twitter and LinkedIn . Or to learn more about how we can support your business with our sustainable human and pet product range, contact us here .
References
1. David Power, ‘Topping Out: What do you know about the tradition’, 2014
