There’s nothing like a good beginning, and the Cement Plant for AUCC Libya Panoramic Tour, which starts with a series of progressively detailed maps of the African continent, geographically zeroing in on Libya and the location of the cement plant – accompanied by a satellite-sounding ding – is impressive and functional. This is an area of the world many of us are unfamiliar with and it sets the professional tone for the rest of the tour.
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But first, some background: In northern Africa, FLSmidth has built a Greenfield cement plant for Libyan-based Arab Union Contracting Company (AUCC). (A ‘Greenfield Site’, not to be confused with ‘Greenbelt’, is defined as “land on which no urban development has previously taken place; usually understood to be on the periphery, of an existing built-up area.”) This virtual tour was shot in February/March 2005 as the 4200 tonnes per day plant was nearing completion.
In just the past couple years, the Middle East region has seen a surge in cement consumption, influenced by the Iraqi conflict, recent rebounds in demand in Turkey, and by the expanding markets of the countries that constitute North Africa. In Libya, UN sanctions were lifted in 2003, and the country has now applied for WTO membership; the country’s non-oil manufacturing and construction sectors have expanded to include production of petrochemicals, iron, steel and aluminium.
This new cement production line marks the emphasis the country is putting on expansion over the coming years. It’s located in the Elmergeb area, approximately 160 km east of Tripoli. FLSmidth describes it as a “model for dedicated teamwork between customer and contractors working together in achieving common goals”.
The Cement Plant Virtual Tour, produced by John E. Krøll of Virtual Works, features VRs from some 30 different points in the plant, enabling one to circle around and zoom in and out on nearly any machine or department, such as the bright blue EV hammer impact crusher, a beast of a machine supplied by FLSmidth Materials Handling. Other panos, available in formats for both dial up and high-speed connections, include the quarry, the crusher and apron feeder, silos, mills, and a view from the chimney.
How did Krøll come upon this rather unusual assignment? While doing maintenance on his 92 Citroen BX at a do-it-yourself garage at the Technical University in Lyngby (DTU near Copenhagen), Krøll’s excitement for QTVR triggered a fellow DIY-er, an FLSmidth worker, to introduce Krøll to their marketing department. There, he had an enthusiastic reception and was soon on his way to Libya.
Krøll initially sketched in 12 panos that would be suitable for the job, but quickly realized it would be far too few. “I think I photographed about 50 scenes enabling us to handpick the panos that covered the site in a balanced way - and the number landed at 30 panos,” he says. Being an architect helped him organize a sequence of shootings and incorporate them, with the inspiring collaboration of top-notch web designers, into an appealing and user-friendly interface. The shoot, however, presented some unique challenges.
Krøll spent one week on the site, a week when the plant was exposed to sandstorms, rainy grays, bright sunshine and everything in between. “Often the tonal range of the motive was very wide - forcing me to do some exposure blending,” he recalls. The quantity of dust on site resulted in him changing lenses less frequently than usual, and removing distracting objects and tidying up the site took considerable amounts of his time. Additionally, his presence at the site attracted a lot of “staring attention” from the workers, forcing him to ask them to mind their jobs. Staging staff presented a challenge; when faced with shooting a VR in the Central Control Room, an area not being used at the time, Krøll needed to call for “actors”, in the Cooler, hordes of orange-dressed workers were eager to appear in the shot.
The plant tour is accessible through a map and an image search, and is also available through the FLSmidth website. Because of the successful experience with the project, AUCC has decided to go ahead with a second production line.
Take a peek at Krøll’s current project, a tour of the Copenhagen Opera House. He is also beta-testing a new controller, which you can check out on his QTVR of Lepcis Magna, an ancient city of the republic of Carthage, located near Tripoli in modern day Libya.
