Fulton Hogan and its partners Fonterra Cooperative Group, GEA Process Engineering, Ebert Construction, Calder Stewart, and Babbage Consultants are the award-winning team behind the construction of the world’s largest milk processing plant – Fonterra New Zealand’s NZ$500M, 12 hectare milk processing facility in Darfield, Canterbury.

The New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards recognizes outstanding leadership, innovation, and excellence in engineering projects, people and practice. The team were presented with the “Chemical Bio and Food” and “Excellence in Engineering for Safety” awards.

Chemical, Bio and Food

Fonterra’s Darfield plant, the largest of its kind in the world, is capable of processing 7,000,000 litres of milk a day. This project was completed in only 2.5 years. This short timeframe tested project management and the overlap of design, procurement and construction.

Fulton Hogan, delivered infrastructure works on the project, including earthworks and drainage, post-tension slab construction, fencing, watermain, sewer and waste water, pump stations irrigation, pond construction, pavements and specialist surfacing.

Excellence in Engineering for Safety

This “Excellence in Engineering for Safety” prize recognizes outstanding activities that promote excellence in health and safety.

With the key message “We’re Going Home Safe Today”, the project team created a community focusing on relationships as well as engaging the entire workforce to take an interest in their safety and wellbeing.

This inclusive community approach saw a 55% reduction in TRIFR compared to Fonterra’s last major construction project.