Phoenix Equipment Completes the Purchase, Liquidation and Site Dismantlement of Shutdown Chemical Plant in Ohio
Perth Amboy, NJ (PRWEB) March 01, 2012
Background
A major US oil refinery and petro-chemical producer closed its aniline plant almost ten years ago due to changing markets. The aniline plant was located within a larger facility that still operated many other chemical process plants. As part of a corporate initiative to exit non-core businesses, the entire site was put up for sale. However, prior selling the entire site, the client was motivated to sell and remove all assets associated with the non-operating portions of the site, including the aniline plant as well as a thermal oxidizer area, boiler area, exhaust stack area and boneyard.
The Solution
Phoenix Equipment leveraged the ability to purchase and resell chemical process equipment to drastically reduce the cost of the associated demolition and environmental work. Phoenix safely dismantled and rigged out, at its own expense, over 45 pieces of process equipment for resale, including: (4) 90,000 gallon bullet tanks - 250 psi; Multi-Stage Pfaulder Wiped Film Evaporator System; Ammonia Recovery System; Riley Stoker Boiler System; Callidus Technologies Thermal Oxidizer System; (2) Stainless Steel Scrubbing Systems; Stainless Steel and Carbon Steel Packed and Tray Columns; (25+) Vertical and Horizontal Stainless Steel and Carbon Steel Shell & Tube Heat Exchangers.
The various areas removed in the asset recovery work at the plant presented numerous problems, which had to be solved safely and economically by Phoenix Equipment.
The Aniline Plant, covering over 80,000 square feet of space, had been shut down over 10 years ago, including the closure of water and chemical sewers in the area. The plant records showed that the equipment and piping had been cleaned, but an Alumina pellet catalyst might remain in two reactors and residue might remain in several heat exchangers. Phoenix could not verify the extent of the areas clean-up operation from 10 years prior, so they set-up an equipment/piping clean-up area within the Aniline Area, set up water to the clean-up area, and connected the clean-up area to the active chemical sewer in an adjacent active area. Using appropriate PPE, Phoenix Equipment's workers line breaked the piping at the equipment connections and low points, moving the equipment (i.e. columns, heat exchangers, etc.) and piping to the clean-up area as necessary. The two reactors in the Aniline Area did contain Alumina catalyst, which was tested. Through Phoenix Equipment's contacts, they were able to find a recycler for the catalyst, instead of expensive landfilling, and saved significant money.
The four 90,000 gallon bullet tanks that were removed were in a diked area surrounded by soft earth. Phoenix Equipment's PE designed a cost effective dunnage system, allowing the crane to sit close enough for safe and economical lifts.
The area housing the Riley-Stokes Boiler system also contained a 150'0" high column to be removed. The area was surrounded by elevated active pipe bridges and an active tank storage area. Sparks emanating from Phoenix Equipment's cutting operations had to be minimized. They devised a system to contain the sparks and, using a manlift and a 300 Ton crane, were able to dismantle the column.
The Therminol Oxidizer was located beneath a remaining steel structure, which supported active equipment and piping. The Oxidizer had to be sectionalized and carefully removed.
The 10 person crew spent seven months at the Ohio plant to safely perform the project without any injury or incident. Phoenix utilized a Daewoo 450 Excavator equipped with a shear, a Komatsu PC300 Excavator equipped with a grapple, various cranes ranging from 65 Tons to 500 Tons, various manlifts, skid steer dozers and forklifts. The crew worked with the plant's employees to time all operations in the plant's active areas.
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