News

We are delighted to have made it into the Top 50 in the ENR Ranking of the Top 225 International Design Firms.

The list of the International Design Firms is based on the revenue achieved by companies outside of their domestic markets. In 2022, ILF is ranked 47th.
Among the top 150 global design firms, ILF has achieved 124th place, with the ranking in this category being based on the overall revenue of the companies.

We would like to thank our numerous clients for the confidence they place in us! We will be happy to continue supporting you in the realization of your various projects in the future. We would also like to extend a special thank you to our more than 2,500 ILF-ers.
Thanks to your commitment, your reliability, your creativity and your great dedication we have achieved this together.

Thank you very much!

ILF was commissioned by the political municipality of Niederglatt (Switzerland) to perform the civil engineering works for a stormwater drainage system.

This paperless project was successfully executed in a consortium with B+B using the BIM2Field method. The microtunnelling works (DN 1400) over two reaches with a total length of 350 m were completed in July 2021. The civil engineering works have also been completed and included various shaft structures, an intake structure below the river water level and various adjustments to the existing sewer system.

Despite delays of around three months due to lowering of the groundwater level in the difficult subsoil conditions, ILF was able to complete the works within the originally planned time frame.

ILF joins the global movement of companies measuring and disclosing their impacts on the environment, society, economy and governance in accordance with international reporting standards.
The Sustainability Report 2021, which is now available, helps ILF to identify its strengths and weaknesses and to define mid- and long-term goals to reduce our environmental footprint and promote corporate sustainability.
We are proud to have taken this first step in making ILF more sustainable.

Read the complete ILF Sustainability Report here …

ILF is proud to be part of the Woodsmith Project – as a design consultant, working for Strabag’s UK branch to deliver the project for their client Anglo American.

The project in the Woodsmith Mine (ENG) comprises a 37-km-long Material Transport System (MTS) tunnel with a diameter of 4.7 m as well as associated caverns and ventilation shafts. Mined polyhalite will be transported through this tunnel, in an environmentally friendly manner, via conveyor belts underneath the North York Moors National Park, directly to the materials handling facility in Wilton for further processing. The polyhalite obtained will be used as fertilizer.

ILF has been providing detailed design services for the “Ladycross” steel lining shaft and the associated secant pile shaft in the same location.
In addition, ILF has carried out a CAT III check of the “Lockwood Beck” steel lining shaft design, parts of the MTS tunnel as well as the primary and secondary lining of the sprayed concrete lining tunnels.

NNPC (Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation), Nigeria and ONHYM (Office National Des Hydrocarbures et Des Mines), Morrocco, are progressing with the plans for their mega-project Nigeria–Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP). The NMGP, an onshore and offshore gas pipeline crossing the land and waters of 16 countries along the Atlantic coast, shall bring Nigerian gas to North Africa and further to Spain for the European market. The pipeline will not only supply the local markets with reliable energy, it will also support industrial and economic development, create a competitive regional power market and benefit all West African countries and their economies.

ILF and DORIS Engineering are delighted to carry out the Project Management Consultancy services for the FEED Phase II of this project. ILF and DORIS can make use of their combined expertise and provide fundamental support to the clients in the delivery of this strategically important project.

The PMC services cover the Onshore and Offshore Pipeline and Compressor Station Engineering, the Engineering Surveys, the Environmental & Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and Land Acquisition Studies (LAS) and the Project Implementation Framework. The project explores the potential for using renewable energy resources to power the pipeline and reduce the project’s carbon footprint.

“With ILF having already been part of the Feasibility Phase and FEED Phase I of this world-scale project, the award of Phase II to us demonstrates the confidence that our long-term clients ONHYM and NNPC have in our Project Management Excellence and Reliability in delivering world class projects,” said Carles Giro, Area Manager Industrial Plants of ILF.

When completed, the over 6,000 km long gas pipeline will be the longest offshore pipeline in the world and the second longest pipeline ever. It has a planned diameter of 48″ offshore and 56″ onshore, with a planned throughput of 30BCMa.
The project coincideswith the “Decade of Gas Master Plan” that Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari launched in 2020. On the Moroccan side, this landmark project is part of the South–South cooperation upheld by King Mohammed VI.

On behalf of the Swiss Federal Roads Office, FEDRO, ILF took the lead in the local site supervision in an engineering consortium for completing the works at the Belchen rehabilitation tunnel.

The project includes the connection of 11 cross passages to the existing central tube, two service tunnels between the existing and new portal control stations, two crossing passages for the emergency services at the tunnel entrance, a smoke partition wall and an access ramp to the isolated construction site.
The excavation works with a 13.97 diameter TBM taking place at the same time as the structural construction works for the 3.2 km long tunnel were very complex with regard to logistics, design, planning and construction.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has appointed ILF to carry out a feasibility study for the development and upgradation of Agatti Airport.

This airport is the gateway to the Lakshadweep islands and is the only airport off the West Coast of India. The runway is to undergo a change in design and is to be extended to enable Airbus A320 operation. The terminal building, the apron, the runway end safety area (RESA) system and the taxiway are also to be upgraded for passenger flights. The upgradation of this airport is a challenge due to its special location, the required reclamation of land and the non-availability of local construction materials and labor.

Along with the feasibility study, ILF is also performing the surveying works and environmental studies for this project in which environment protection – e.g. marine and wildlife activities such as coral reef rehabilitation – will play a key role.

The Austrian supermarket chain and food producer MPREIS appointed ILF as the Owner’s Engineer for the largest single-stack electrolysis plant in Europe.

The now realized hydrogen plant, with its 3.2 MW pressurized alkaline electrolyzer, produces heat for the client’s bakery and fuel for a new fleet of hydrogen trucks.
Three 100 m3 hydrogen storage tanks (33 barg), a hydrogen refuelling station (350 barg) and a hydrogen trailer filling station have been constructed. A dual-fuel gas burner (H2/natural gas) heats the thermal oil system in the production facility.
ILF managed the technical interfaces of this project and was responsible for preparing and submitting the challenging permitting documentation to the approval authorities. Furthermore, ILF prepared the tender documents and supported MPREIS during the bid evaluations. All involved parties broke new ground with this project, and thanks to the pro-active cooperation at eye level, this innovative project has been implemented successfully.
ILF is proud to have worked on and successfully taken such a lighthouse project from the early conceptual design phase up to the construction supervision and commissioning support phases.

ILF has been chosen to be part of a 4,155 km² luxurious tourist destination project, focused on wellness, sports, lifestyle and culture. Located on the Red Sea coast, the AMAALA project consists of ultra-luxurious hotels and residential complexes, which will be built on land and offshore. ILF will take on the role of PPP Technical Advisor for the tender preparation and the bid evaluation and will provide advisory services for the commercial and financial close for the entire project, which involves the following utilities:

» Off-grid energy (generation, network and storage systems, including system stability simulation and energy modeling)

» Water (reverse osmosis plants, water networks and irrigation systems)

» Wastewater (sewage treatment plants)

ILF is proud to be part of such a remarkable and prestigious project. AMAALA, together with the other tourism destinations located on the North Western coast of Saudi Arabia, will be a turning point in the luxury tourism industry in the region.

ILF is proud to have been the Owner’s Engineer for the world’s largest reverse osmosis desalination plant, Rabigh 3. The Rabigh 3 plant is located in Saudi Arabia and produces 600,000 cubic meters of water per day.

After completing the project, ILF’s client, ACWA Power, and Saudi Brothers Commercial Company received the Guinness World RecordsTM title for creating the world’s largest plant of this kind. The ceremony was attended by Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture – His Excellency Abdulrahman Abdulmohsen Al Fadhli, the Chairman of ACWA Power – Mohammad A. Abunayyan, and the CEO of the Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) – Khaled Alqureshi.

ILF is pleased to join the tunnel engineering design team for the Eagle Mountain – Woodfibre LNG Pipeline project, led by Aldea Services Inc.

The project, located North of Vancouver (CAN), will expand the existing natural gas transmission system to transport gas to the proposed Woodfibre LNG terminal. The pipeline tunnel will be 9 km long and will comprise an enlarged rock chamber at the interface of rock and soil tunnels.
The ILF team is responsible for pipeline engineering and design and will execute the work from ILF’s Canadian office in Calgary, Alberta.

AkSu KMG LLP has awarded ILF a PMC contract for a Sea Water Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) Plant in Zhanaozen, Kazakhstan.

In light of the lack of water resources in the Western region of Kazakhstan, it was decided to build a modern water desalination plant with a capacity of 50,000 m3/day on the shore of the Caspian Sea. The current water deficit amounts to more than 20,000 m3/day. The project investment is estimated at approximately USD 150 to 180 million. It is planned to construct a SWRO plant with a capacity of 50,000m3/day, including pumping stations, a water pipeline (100 km), a water supply network, power supply and civil structures. The new plant will supply the city of Zhanaozen (with approximately 150,000 inhabitants) with potable water.

ILF will carry out an independent technical and commercial review of the feasibility study, including recommendations on how to set up the project.

Vianode, an Elkem company, has awarded ILF a contract for the provision of engineering services for the Vianode Fast Track Project.

This project is part of the company’s effort to establish a large-scale production facility for synthetic graphite for lithium-ion batteries. The Fast Track Project comprises a production facility that will produce up to 4,200 tons of high-quality synthetic graphite per year. The facility will provide the framework and the expertise for a large-scale production facility with an annual capacity of 50,000 tons that will be built at the same location. The project is a brownfield development offering the possibility to utilize the existing building and utility systems. It is located at the Herøya Industrial Park in the southern part of Norway.

ILF’s main task will be to provide a cost estimate for both the Fast Track Project and the large-scale production facilities, as well as to deliver multi-disciplinary engineering services for the plant’s utilities.

SVEVIND Energy GmbH signed a contract with ILF to procure together with a partner the concept design study for its 20 GW green hydrogen facility in the Mangystau region in Western Kazakhstan.

In the Mangystau region, SVEVIND plans the realization of a 30 GW wind and solar PV farm powering a 20 GW water electrolysis industrial complex to produce about 2 million tons of green hydrogen per year from 2030to supply the Eurasian and the Kazakh’s domestic market. The development of the concept design is a further important step in the project development. The Mangystau region is most favorable considering the investment environment, an abundance of renewable energy resources and the proximity to water resources required for the electrolysis process.

Wolfgang Kropp, CEO of SVEVIND group said, “This Concept Design Study will be the first milestone in engineering the Mangystau green hydrogen project, a project unprecedented in scope, size and complexity aiming to deliver large amounts of green hydrogen and ammonia to Eurasian markets at competitive costs. We are glad to cooperate with ILF Consulting Engineers and ROLAND BERGER for this Concept Design, well reputable, very experienced consultants with broad knowledge in energy, hydrogen projects and about the region.”

Dr. Michel Kneller, Director of Hydrogen at ILF, highlighted, “ILF is excited to be part of such a ground-breaking project. We truly believe that hydrogen and its green derivatives are an important component of a sustainable energy policy and SVEVIND´s green hydrogen projects are an important milestone towards the scaling up of green hydrogen projects.”

The concept design study is aimed to advance SVEVIND’s planning across the whole value chain. Using the existing pre-feasibility studies results, a solid cost evaluation will be developed. Different technology routes will be explored to identify and pre-design the most promising options for the local conditions and project-specific demands. Finally, special attention is given to the transport options towards the destination markets in Kazakhstan, Europe, and China.

ILF concurs with the U.N. General Assembly’s vote from 3 March 2022 demanding an immediate end to the offensive in Ukraine.

As an act of solidarity with the Ukrainian people, ILF has donated 100,000 EUR to a humanitarian aid organization “Nachbar in Not” (Neighbor in Need), which like many others is providing immediate humanitarian support to the Ukrainian population within the country and abroad.

Gas Connect Austria GmbH contracted ILF to carry out a feasibility study for the reduction of emissions at one of their compressor stations.

In the considered station, three gas compressor units, each with a mechanical shaft power of approx. 11 MW, are installed. Each compressor unit is driven by a gas turbine. For the feasibility study, two approaches were investigated and compared from both an economic and technical point of view. Furthermore, the time required for the implementation of each approach as well as the potential of each approach for reducing emissions were evaluated.

The scope of the reconstruction work and the amount of investment required for each of the two approaches differs.

One approach would entail replacement of one of the gas turbine driven compressor units with a larger electrically driven gas compressor unit, capable of covering the entire basic supply of the station. The remaining two gas compressor units would consequently only be used when needed, enabling CO₂ emissions to be reduced by 95% and methane emissions to be reduced by 88%.

The other approach would not entail any major reconstruction works, but would still reduce emissions from the existing plant. Great potential for savings was discovered related to process vent gas. On the basis of these findings, ILF elaborated a solution for the reduction of emissions. When the gas compressor units are switched off, the natural gas remaining in the compressor lines is blown out into the atmosphere; therefore by re-compressing and re-feeding this process vent gas into the gas grid, methane emissions could be reduced by 80%.

As part of IG Nuovo Gottardo, ILF has won a contract for further design works for the 2^nd Gotthard road tunnel, the construction of which is scheduled to be completed in 2032. ASTRA, the Federal Roads Office, has extended the existing design services contract until the 2^nd tube of the Gotthard road tunnel is opened to traffic.

The new main tube will be excavated using one TBM starting at each portal. The tunnel will be constructed using two shield machines as well as segmental lining. The excavation diameter will be 12.26 m. The northern section of the 2^nd Gotthard road tunnel will have an excavated length of a little less than 8 km, and the southern section will have a length of a little more than 8 km. The inner lining of the main tube will be installed in the rear section simultaneously to the excavation works taking place in the front section. While the TBMs will excavate the last few kilometers towards the breakthrough, the structural works for the tube will be completed in the area of the portals. In the course of the design works, the experience gained during projects such as the Belchen Rehabilitation Tunnel could be used to the advantage of the client.

The scope of work rendered by ILF, as part of the IG, comprises the design services for two large underground control centers and a total of 67 cross-connections, some with sub-stations and some with expanded tunnel roof sections accommodating stations for longitudinal ventilation.

Within the IG, ILF takes on the role of partial project manager for underground structures as well as for the TBM northern section and the mined cross connections and for the main works for the underground control centers. In addition, ILF is currently in the process of completing the design works for the northern external facilities – the realization of which is scheduled for mid 2022.

ILF has signed an exclusive engineering and project management consultancy services contract with Wafra Joint Operations (WJO).

As agreed within the contract, ILF shall deliver the entire range of engineering, consultancy and project management services required in upstream facility projects – from early concepts to FEED, all the way to Owner’s Engineering services, supervision and PMC services. ILF’s competence will be required for field redevelopment activities as well as for the upgrade, revamp and modernization of oilfield infrastructure by applying state-of-the-art engineering technologies and considering environmental and climate protection targets.

ILF looks forward to supporting WJO in achieving its ambitious objectives in a challenging market environment.

In 2017, ILF was commissioned by ÖBB Infrastruktur AG as part of the consortium “Northern Railway Line Team” (Austria) to prepare planning documents for the environmental impact assessment (EIA) submission.
Works related to the Southern section of the line were commissioned in autumn 2021. With the contract, an option for further tendering and detailed planning was also awarded.

The project “Upgrade of the Northern Railway Line on the Wien Süßenbrunn–Bernhardsthal Section” comprises the section from Wien Süßenbrunn (at km 11.900) to the state border next to Bernhardsthal (at km 77.993). The Northern Railway Line, which shall be upgraded over a length of around 66 km, connects 17 stations is being Austria’s oldest railway line (opened in 1838). The upgrade of the line will increase the speed at which trains can travel, from 120 or 140 km/h to 160 or 200 km/h, and will enable the structural facilities to meet state-of-the-art standards.

From a railway engineering and permit application point of view, the line has been divided into two sections (the Northern and the Southern section).
Permission for the Southern section was received in autumn 2021; and permission for the Northern section is expected to be applied for in spring 2022.

The entirety of the line (both the Northern and the Southern section) forms part of the “European Railway Traffic Management System (ERTMS) Corridor E: Dresden–Prague–Vienna/Budapest–Constanţa” as well as the priority projects “PP 22: Athens–Sofia–Budapest–Vienna–Prague–Dresden/Nuremberg” and “PP 23: Gdansk–Warsaw–Brno/Bratislava–Vienna”. Furthermore, the line is part of the Rail Freight Corridors 5 and 7 and the TEN-T Core Network.

The Royal Commission for Riyadh City in Saudi Arabia (RCRC) selected ILF as the Project Management Consultant (PMC) for the 1,700,000 m³/day TSE transmission network.
This network will provide irrigation water for one of the most ambitious urban greening projects in the world. Green Riyadh is one of Riyadh’s four mega projects launched by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, HM King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud, at the beginning of 2019.

7.5 million trees will be planted in all city features, facilities, and provinces, multiplying green spaces per capita share. All these plants will be irrigated by a network using only recycled wastewater, which is currently wasted. 83 native tree species that can survive Riyadh’s environment were selected for this project. The greening initiative will improve air quality and reduce temperatures (up to 8–15 °C in the shade) in one of the hottest capital cities on the planet. Consequently, the initiative will encourage Riyadh’s citizens to follow a healthy lifestyle and ultimately transform Riyadh into one of the world’s leading cities, following the strategic goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

The objective is to support the Green Riyadh initiative by establishing a complex and strategic recycled water network with a daily capacity of 1,700,000 m³ (approx. 400 Olympic pools). ILF will perform design review, procurement supervision, construction supervision and overall project management for three different lots in order to bring treated water from the city’s major waste water treatment plants to its final destinations.

By supporting the Green Riyadh initiative, ILF will not only contribute to the Kingdom’s long-term vision, but our teams will also work at the core of ILF’s very own mission statement, “improving quality of life.”