PMFORUM Breaking News

Reported by Arnis Leikarts in Riga

The Latvian National Project Management Association (LNPMA)has announced the winner of the Latvian National Project Excellence Award in the Large Projects category is project "Bio-Venta bio-diesel plant in Ventspils, at 21F Ziemelu Street." The award was presented at an Awards Ceremony in Riga, Latvia on 27th May, 2009 during LNPMA's 9th International Project Management conference "Professionalism. Efficiency. Excellence."

Starting from 2008 Latvian National Project management association announces application to Latvian National Project Excellence Award. The projects are assessed according to the principles and criteria's of "Project Excellence" model provided by IPMA.

The bio-diesel plant in Ventspils, at 21F Ziemelu Street, which was put into operation in May, 2008 is the largest environmentally friendly fuel production unit in Latvia. The high-capacity bio-diesel plant complex consists of more than 20 various buildings and structures compiling a united production complex with state-of-the-art and environmentally friendly technology. The capacity of the new bio-diesel terminal reaches 100 000 tons of bio-diesel a year, which means that 300 tons of rape seeds are being processed daily.

The total investment in the bio-diesel terminal reaches more than LVL 57 millions (EUR 79 M). The contract value of the Applicant - Constructus SIA (Ltd.) - for construction works and installation of the plant equipment, amounts to LVL 27 millions (EUR 38 M). The construction of the biodiesel plant took 25 months in total and was performed in two phases.

Main parties of the project included The Client: Bio-Venta Ltd.; Construction supervisors from the client's side : Mrs. Ludmila Ovcinnikova and Mr. Janis Gaigals; Project manager from the client's side: Mr. Janis Adamsons; Technical Designer: Siltumelektroprojekts JSC; and General Contractor: Constructus Ltd.

The Constructus project team included:

• Mrs. Rita Markova-Gavrilova - project manager, and Constructus Ltd. construction department director with 27 years experience in construction
• Mr. Arturs Stagainis - chief construction manager with 14 years experience in construction
• Mr. Leonids Kravcovs - construction manager with 35 years experience in construction
• Mr. Valdis Grinpukals - project engineer with 8 years experience in construction
• Mrs. Mara Klestrova - project administrator
• Mr. Ugis Lapins - mechanical systems group manager with 14 years experience in construction
• Mr. Janis Lauks - ventilation and air conditioning systems engineer with 14 years experience in construction
• Mr. Sergejs Potihonins - electrical installation systems group manager with 28 years experience in construction
• Others.

Constructus provided the entire general construction works of the plant, construction of internal and external engineering network, as well as, installation of the plant equipment. The most complicated technological equipment was installed in close collaboration with suppliers from Germany and Austria, allowing the biodiesel plant to comply with all the latest European standards. In order to carry out this project, Constructus as general contractor attracted 54 subcontractors in accordance with specifics of relevant construction work. In the most intense construction period, i.e. from September 2007 till March, 2008 around 280 workers occupied the site.

Photo from left side: Girts Fisers (Chairman of the Board of Bio-Venta Ltd), Anita Ozolina (Chairwoman of the Board of Constructus Ltd), Rita Markova -Gavrilova (Manager of the Project)

Constructus Ltd. is one of the leading construction companies in Latvia with 15 years of working experience. Constructus offers a wide range of general contracting services, representing client's interests during the entire period of construction - right from the inception of the business idea, through the design, design development and pre-construction stages to the construction work itself and the post construction period. Since its founding, the company has been constructing and reconstructing residential buildings, hotels, water handling, production, commercial and industrial facilities in Riga, Ventspils, Valmiera, Daugavpils and other towns in Latvia. It has constructed facilities for worldwide and locally well-known companies such as Volvo Truck Latvia, Valdemara Centrs, Aizkraukles banka, A.C.B., Bio-Venta, Agrofirma Tervete, state agency Jaunie Tris brali and others. The company employs around 30 people, mostly project and construction managers, engineers, architects and other construction specialists. For additional information about Constructus Ltd. visit www.constructus.lv .

For additional information about the biodiesel plant, visit www.biodiesel.lv.

The Latvian National Project Management Association (LNPMA) is a non-profit registered professional body of project and business managers with the aim of strengthening project management in Latvia. LNPMA is the Latvian national member of the International Project Management Association (IPMA), Switzerland, the global federation of over 45 national member project management societies. The aim of LNPMA is to popularise and explain the importance of project management sphere for providing competitiveness of products and services in local and foreign market. For promoting this purpose LNPMA organizes seminars, educational services as well as annual international project management conferences and project management days in different regions of Latvia . LNPMA also has published journal "Project Management". For more information, visit http://www.lnpva.lv/index.php.