As part of the Diada dels Enginyers, an institutional celebration of the Association and the College of Industrial Engineers of Catalonia, which also celebrates its 160th anniversary this year, the IDP Engineering Group has been awarded the 2023 creativity prize for the drafting and project management of the industrial wood panel manufacturing plant of the Austrian multinational Kronospan in Tortosa (Tarragona).

The industrial wood panel manufacturing plant of Kronospan (world leader in the sector) in Tortosa is the largest industrial project to be developed in Catalonia by 2022, with an investment of more than 350 million euros and more than 100,000 m2 of constructed area and has received the institutional support of the Generalitat de Catalunya as a strategic project.

The IDP Group has carried out the technical services to develop the basic project and the detailed engineering in fast track format. This modality implies that the project is developed, in its detail phase, on demand of the production on site (which at peak times have worked about 1000 people) and prioritized, ahead of other considerations, the elements and facilities that enable the assembly of machinery and equipment that will serve the key element of the work, the press.

The use of the BIM methodology, of which IDP is the leader, together with a correct document management has been essential for the coordination of the multitude of services and elements of different companies that have been integrated in the project. Thus, having an updated and integrated model, it has been possible to make decisions, extract measurements, verify the absence of interferences, etc. in a fast and precise way.

The Austrian multinational Kronospan is one of the leading manufacturers and distributors of wood-based panels, special and decorative papers, as well as other associated value-added products, such as melamine panels, worktops, wall panels, etc. It already has 2 operational plants in Spain and several more in Europe.

Kronospan’s project is part of the circular economy sector by giving a second life to waste materials that are no longer in use, with a firm commitment to sustainability. Kronospan produces panels using wood waste from the sawmill industry and contributes to the value of wood as a limited raw material. Furthermore, it aims to obtain the highest possible yield from the input materials, generating as little waste as possible in order to achieve cost-effective production with the lowest possible environmental impact.

The event, hosted by journalist Raquel Sanz, took place on 21 June in the auditorium of the Industrial School and was attended by the President of the Barcelona Provincial Council, Ms. Núria Marín, Mr. Oriol Alcoba, Director General of Industry and Mr. Oriol Guell, President of Infrastructures of the Generalitat de Catalunya, who presented the award to the CEO of the IDP Group, Mr. Enric Blasco.