MUSCAT -- A major achievement has been recorded by Al Hassan Engineering Company SAOG, the Contracting SBU of the Al Hassan Group, with the award of certificates of authorisation from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) for the use of the 'S' and 'U' stamps in its production facilities. The ASME "S" Stamp is for the manufacture and Assembly of Power Boilers as per ASME-BPV Code section -- I; while the ASME "U" Stamp is for the manufacture of Pressure Vessels as per ASME-BPV Code section --VIII DivI
Since 1916, ASME has accredited companies to certify that their products, services and quality systems comply with ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel (BPV) Code, which establishes the rules governing design, fabrication, and inspection of boilers and pressure vessels during manufacture and assembly. The ASME Code Stamps are regarded as a hallmark of acceptance and certification and indicate that the product conforms to the latest edition of the ASME BPV Codes. The ASME Code Stamp is accepted in over 100 countries as a means of meeting their government safety regulations. AHEC is now one of the few companies in Oman to be accredited with these prestigious certifications.
"This is a real feather in our cap," explains Peter Hall, CEO, AHEC. He added, "ASME accreditation is extremely challenging to achieve, and now, following inspection of our manufacturing facilities at Ghala, we have ASME approved production facilities to serve our clients in Oman and the UAE." Hall said the ASME accreditation will enable AHEC to produce the whole range of components in-house and thus significantly improve delivery of traditionally long lead time products like Boilers. Hall credited this achievement to the visionary leadership of Maqbool Ali Salman, MD, Al Hassan Group and complimented the Quality Assurance and Quality Control Department of AHEC for achieving this milestone.
AHEC has diversified its activities into Boiler and Pressure Vessels Erection, Installation and allied works and is presently engaged with leading EPC contractors for this scope of work. AHEC is erecting Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSGs) as part of the 1000 MW Sohar Aluminium Power Plant Project (Oman's Largest Power Plant Project) with Alstom-France. AHEC is also executing the job of Once-Through HRSG Contract for Gulf Steam Generators -- a subsidiary of NeM, a leader in the field of steam generation based in the Netherlands. Another project involving steam generating equipment is the Cogeneration Plant being executed for Hirbodan-HICO FZE at ORPC's Mina Al Fahal Refinery which includes two HRSGs and one auxiliary boiler.
AHEC is the first publicly listed Omani contracting company which has executed major EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contracts in Oman with reputed clients like PDO, ORPC, SNC Lavalin, Alstom and Enelpower. AHEC has vast experience of over 25 years in Contracting in Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and Instrumentation Construction works in Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals, Power, Water and Wastewater sectors. AHEC's Quality Management System has been accredited with ISO 9000 since 1996.
It is currently ISO 9001:2000 certified. AHEC has to its credit, a range of welding qualifications for Duplex Stainless Steel (DSS), Stainless Steel (SS), HDPE Fusion Butt welding, Aluminium welding, Alloy steel welding (P11, P22, P91, etc), Dis-similar materials welding, Hot Tapping, Hydro testing, GRE Jointing and a track record for its quality achievements. Said Peter Hall, "The addition of ASME "U" & "S" stamps certification will enable AHEC to meet both quality and time requirements set by its clients. This is a very definite sign of our continuing and dedicated commitment to quality." With such an enviable track record, experience, expertise and above all the management's commitment to excel, AHEC is poised for significant growth and development.
By Staff Reporter
© Oman Daily Observer 2008
