The civil works at the Xycle plant are approaching completion; contractor Vrolijk is expected to finish its activities in early March. In this phase, where engineering and construction run in parallel, close coordination is crucial. Job Buijze, Mechanical & Piping Area Manager, and Luuk Straatman, Project Engineer & Area Manager, coordinate this process and share their perspective on working together and collaborating with contractors on site.

Luuk and Job were closely involved in the development of the plant’s technical design. They are responsible for engineering and procurement and act as the main points of contact for contractors during execution on site. Every day, they contribute to building an installation that converts hard-to-recycle plastics into high-quality feedstock for new polymers. “Altogether, we’re working with around sixty different suppliers to deliver this project,” Luuk explains. “That all has to come together seamlessly in the planning. It makes the project complex — but also a very rewarding challenge.”

Working towards this phase

Luuk has been involved in the project since 2020, while Job joined in August 2022. Together, they have spent years working towards this stage of construction. The current focus is on finalising the engineering and ordering the last components, allowing full attention to shift to site supervision.
“Because we jointly oversee engineering, planning and coordination with contractors, we can set priorities quickly,” says Job. “A lot is happening at the same time right now — from lifting in equipment from India to further completing the steel structure. Especially in this phase, managing interfaces requires close attention: who is working where, in what sequence, and how we ensure activities align smoothly without contractors getting in each other’s way.”

The finishing touches

“It’s really about the details now,” Luuk adds. “The final finishing touches. That takes a lot of time and energy. At the same time, we keep a close eye on the financial picture: managing variations, controlling costs and continuously looking for the most efficient and safest solutions.” In addition, Luuk is closely involved in process automation. “This is our first plant, so everything needs to be specified in detail for the software development. Ultimately, the goal is for the installation to operate at the push of a button.”

Proud of the collaboration

What are they most proud of? The answer comes without hesitation.
“Our collaboration,” they say in unison. “That we still manage to get along,” Luuk jokes. “But seriously — we complement each other well. We challenge each other a lot, and those discussions have led to constructive solutions and to the design that is now being built,” Job adds.

They also point to the collaboration with contractors and suppliers as a key success factor. “Everyone shares the same mindset,” says Job. “We work with a small core team and many parties where the owner or managing director is personally involved. You can feel that in the way we work together: cooperative, solution-driven and with a shared focus on the end result.”