Providing power to a refinery in an extremely hostile environment to restart production

Power shortages in Iraq have been a recurring problem for several years, with most power plants not functioning at all or producing insufficient power to the people and businesses based there.

An unreliable grid has led to major oil companies and refineries in the country having to independently source their own power for their plants to continue production.

The Northern Refinery Company (NRC) which comes under the jurisdictions of the Ministry of Oil of Iraq (MOI), were unable to restart production due to no power grid availability near the site.

Having worked on a similar project with the Southern Refinery Company (SRC) of Iraq, which also comes under the MOI, the customer turned to Aggreko with full confidence for a complete power solution for their project.

Despite local experience and access to a wide range of equipment, providing power to this project was not going to be easy. The site’s close proximity to extremely hostile environments meant that we had to take extra safety precautions with bespoke training for our personnel.

Working on a project of this scale requires extensive planning – even more so in an environment laced with safety and security concerns.

Considering the unique requirements and challenges of the project, Aggreko worked closely with the client, liaising over several designs and layouts until an ideal solution was reached.

Speed of delivery was crucial for this project as production couldn’t be compromised. Having access to a global network meant we could supply the required equipment from our pool of regional depots in just a short span of time.

We provided 29 generators, capable of producing a total of 15MW power through two feeders of 11KV and 33KV, all shipped in from our regional headquarters in Jebel Ali, Dubai.

Owing to the location’s hostile environment, several safety procedures had to be put into place for the entire site, including staff accommodation being enclosed by HESCO security barriers with armed guards for 24/7 protection.

All personnel working on the project were provided with bespoke Hostile Environment Awareness Training (HEAT) to ensure a firm understanding and implementation of safety protocols within the site.

To ensure smooth running of the refinery with no shutdowns, we provided 15 technicians for the project who were stationed on-site around the clock. Following in-country labour requirements, 50% of the manpower was sourced from local areas, who were trained to handle our equipment while following strict safety protocols.

From the time we received the enquiry to the final completion of the power grid, it took us only three months to complete the entire operation including design, delivery and full installation.

Aggreko’s engineering excellence and bespoke safety training has enabled the refinery to restart their production with zero shutdowns. An uninterrupted power supply combined with our expert technical support has seen the refinery being able to maximize their output, producing 75,000 barrels of oil per day.

A major oil refinery which was unable to start production due to unavailability of a stable power grid is now bringing in an estimated revenue of $ 6.1 million per day.

Collaborating with several major refineries within the MOI has helped Aggreko secure a prominent position in the region for bespoke power solutions.