Streamlining Turnarounds: The Power of Well-Planned Cooling Solutions
Given the process-driven nature of petrochemical plant operations, integrating solutions that significantly impact yield volume, quality, and profitability is essential. Enhancing cooling provision during turnarounds can have a critical impact on overall plant profitability, especially as these turnaround periods incur high levels of expenditure while reducing revenue generation.
Indeed, inefficient cooling processes can present costly logistical challenges that dictate shutdown durations while also posing questions for on-site safety and sustainability. This is especially inopportune in a European petrochemical sector currently navigating a challenging business landscape characterised by weak margins, overcapacity and high energy costs.
These factors, coupled with an ageing infrastructure where European crackers average 45 years old place significant pressure on refinery managers to maximise efficiency with limited resources and higher production costs compared to global competitors. This situation is further underlined by findings from Aggreko’s series of Process Matters whitepapers, which surveyed 604 process engineers working in the British, German, French, Belgian, Dutch and Luxembourgian petrochemical industry. As part of this research to assess this sector’s priorities in more detail, it found that cooling equipment used on site was five years old on average and many being even older – a worrying sign in a sector where efficiency is key.
High energy prices and stringent decarbonisation legislation further complicate the situation, particularly for an industry that operates on an 'always-on' model to maximise yields. For example, nearly 90% of Process Matters respondents expressed concerns about the impact of current power equipment on refinery operations, underscoring the inefficiencies hampering site processes.
Indeed, inefficient cooling processes can present costly logistical challenges that dictate shutdown durations while also posing questions for on-site safety and sustainability. This is especially inopportune in a European petrochemical sector currently navigating a challenging business landscape characterised by weak margins, overcapacity and high energy costs.
These factors, coupled with an ageing infrastructure where European crackers average 45 years old place significant pressure on refinery managers to maximise efficiency with limited resources and higher production costs compared to global competitors. This situation is further underlined by findings from Aggreko’s series of Process Matters whitepapers, which surveyed 604 process engineers working in the British, German, French, Belgian, Dutch and Luxembourgian petrochemical industry. As part of this research to assess this sector’s priorities in more detail, it found that cooling equipment used on site was five years old on average and many being even older – a worrying sign in a sector where efficiency is key.
High energy prices and stringent decarbonisation legislation further complicate the situation, particularly for an industry that operates on an 'always-on' model to maximise yields. For example, nearly 90% of Process Matters respondents expressed concerns about the impact of current power equipment on refinery operations, underscoring the inefficiencies hampering site processes.
Triumphing in Turnaround Trials
Taking these concerns into account, integrating cooling solutions that can significantly impact turnaround times is essential. Against a backdrop of ageing infrastructure and equipment, maintaining effective supplier relationships and adopting innovative approaches to this core process will be necessary to shorten turnarounds and improve overall plant competitiveness.
The need to do so is even further emphasised by the skills shortages currently affecting the sector, with a study by Accenture suggesting that 30% of the sector’s employees are over 50 years of age and likely to retire in a decade or so. It is therefore imperative that refinery and turnaround managers seek out third-party expertise from organisations experienced in keeping turnarounds on track while reducing costs and emissions through well-specified and efficient cooling solutions and services.
From cooling reactors to lowering temperatures during water treatment to meet environmental directives, a prospective partner should offer in-depth knowledge and advice throughout the entire turnaround cycle. This expertise, enhanced by data analytics and live monitoring, should be leveraged at every stage of this vital process.
By proactively engaging supply chain expertise well before turnarounds, refinery managers can better achieve cost and efficiency gains. Indeed, expanding the time window associated with turnarounds may become a necessity as skills shortages become a more prominent issue. With this in mind, transitioning from a more reactive, year-long approach to a pre-emptive, multi-year turnaround planning strategy can greatly benefit petrochemical plant stakeholders. This shift, which encompasses planning, execution, and post-project review, allows for easier procurement of more efficient cooling equipment well in advance of critical turnarounds – a major benefit where each day offline during these periods can cost millions.
A Million Pound Saving on an Italian Job
Reducing these timescales is invaluable for refinery managers navigating the petrochemical sector’s complex challenges, and again emphasises the importance of sourcing supportive partners that can provide holistic, all-encompassing turnaround expertise. The Aggreko Process Services (APS) team, for instance, leverages its vast experience to design system skids incorporating the company’s specialist temporary fleet of chillers, cooling and very low temperature equipment. This shortens the cooling cycle and helps refineries decrease turnaround time or remain on schedule during the critical path while also prioritising safety.
These benefits can be seen in a recent, formidable challenge the APS team faced from one of Italy’s largest refiners. The company was asked to reduce the standard five-day reactor cooldown period to three days, while also optimising maintenance efficiency to save £1 million per day.
Traditionally, cooling processes such as hydrotreater, hydrocracker, and reformer catalysts have been major bottlenecks during this maintenance process, greatly impacting project timescales and overall profitability. Considering this, and facing no margin for error due to immense cost implications, the Aggreko team delivered a solution from design to decommissioning in just three weeks.
In a ground-breaking move, the team shifted from traditional nitrogen to hydrogen for rapid cooling. Aggreko’s bespoke system included mechanical chillers, heat exchangers, centrifugal pumps, process drums, power generators, and extensive pipework. This innovative approach exceeded expectations, reducing the cooldown to just one day and saving £4 million in potential downtime.
Cooling Down Sector Pressures
As this example proves, bespoke hired cooling and chiller technologies play a pivotal role in key turnaround processes. By reducing cool-down periods and optimising maintenance efficiency, these solutions can help European refinery and turnaround managers navigate the petrochemical sector’s complex challenges, ensuring greater competitiveness and sustainability.
The cost, time and emissions savings offered by these specification strategies will be pivotal for a European petrochemical sector facing significant infrastructure, labour and energy pricing challenges. Aggreko's innovative solutions and expertise in scaling temperature control for specific turnaround requirements may prove invaluable for under-pressure refinery and turnaround managers. By engaging these solutions and services on longer timeframes, the industry can ensure competitiveness and sustainability in an increasingly challenging business landscape.