Vale Canada, one of Canada’s largest mining companies, has purchased Intergraph^® SmartPlant^® Materials as its supply chain management software at the Long Harbour Nickel Processing Plant located in Long Harbour, Newfoundland, Canada. After an extensive review of the software capabilities and the business needs of the project, and in a commitment to maintain procurement transparency, Vale replaced its existing solution with SmartPlant Materials, a solution the company has successfully implemented in its Brazilian operations.

SmartPlant Materials will be used mainly for tracking previously procured materials as well as changes in material requirements as the project continues.

Vale Canada owns licenses for other Intergraph products, including SmartPlant P&ID, SmartPlant Instrumentation, SmartPlant Electrical, and PDS^®, which also are scheduled to be used and integrated on the Long Harbour plant. This project marks Vale’s first implementation of SmartPlant Materials for a Canadian CAPEX project. 

Gerhard Sallinger, Intergraph Process, Power & Marine president, said, “SmartPlant Materials will enable Vale Canada to optimise its materials management process for increased time and cost savings on this important project. We are pleased the company recognized the benefits of Intergraph technology.”

Intergraph says “SmartPlant Materials is the only solution available on the market that fully supports the unique materials management processes needed in the process, power, and marine industries, offering a total materials management and subcontract management solution for their plants and projects. It is proven technology and has been adopted by industry-leading engineering firms around the world – users of SmartPlant Materials report improved procurement efficiency with lower risks and costs through accurate and effective materials management.”

The picture is from Fluor, which performed EPCM services for the plant. It comprises a port site and a plant site, and was completed in 2013.