sPeCIAL ArABAL - ALUMINIUM-Nachrichten – ALU-WEB.DE

ALUMINIUM INdUstry IN the GULf
Fig. 3: 3D model for FTC 1 (front) and FTC 2 (back)
3D models of the steel structure, equipment
and piping layout were combined into one
single model for the entire FTC.
Some additional items requested by the client
were implemented in the Danieli Corus
design, including a burner to reheat the gases
from the ABF in order to prevent acid condensation.
No substantial design modifications with
respect to the proven and tested Danieli Corus
design FTC’s were made, but numerous small
modifications were introduced in the design
and fabrication process in order to reduce the
required time from the start of the project until
mechanical completion and to supply the
FTCs meeting client’s requirements and specifications.
In addition, design and constructability
improvements that were identified in
previous FTC’s designed by Danieli Corus
were incorporated in these two FTC’s. This
includes the FTC compac design, in which the
stack and cooling tower are installed adjacent,
leading to structural advantages and more
convenient access for daily operation and
maintenance.
Due to these features, the time between
the start of the installation preparations and
the mechanical completion of the two FTCs
was only one year.
Operating environment
The construction of FTC 2 was nearly completed
at the end of August 2012, and cold
commissioning started at this time. One of the
major challenges during the commissioning
of FTC 2 was that construction work on FTC
1 was still ongoing, while FTC 2 was already
completed and being commissioned. This required
strict safety measures and careful coordination
of construction and commissioning
work to create a safe and secure working environment
for all employees.
This was achieved by
implementing an extensive
Lock-out Tag-out (LoTo)
system. This LoTo system
made it possible to conduct
both construction and
commissioning at the same
time in a safe manner. In
addition, the LoTo system
did not delay construction
work, while still ensuring
a safe working environment.
Construction was done
in cooperation with
DC’s affiliate company
Inbesco, with a solid base and extensive experience
in the middle East. Due to this successful
partnership, it was possible to complete the
construction work for both FTC 1 and FTC 2
in an effective way from quality as well as
safety and timing point of view.
Also client engineer Bechtel was closely
involved in the design, construction and commissioning
phases. The cooperation with Bechtel
was very fruitful and sped up the whole
process as Bechtel took care of issues that
could have led to delays. Also, weekly commissioning
meeting were initiated by Bechtel
in which potential construction and commissioning
issues were discussed and resolved.
Preparations
Commissioning checklists: During the engineering
phase of this project, a commissioning
manual was made and approved by Bechtel
and Ma’aden. This manual was used as a
guideline for this job. This included basic mechanical
equipment checklists for construction
completion and pre-commissioning.
Process parameter
tables such as pressure and
amperage values were noted
on the checklists as means
of reference.
During any future recommissioning
activities, the
original parameters would
be useful in re-establishing
the successful operation.
On site, these basic
guidelines were refined in
close cooperation of Bechtel
and Ma’aden to develop the
best hand over package to
the owner. The documentation
was used to evaluate
the performance and for future reference.
Safety: As with every construction project,
safety was given paramount priority. For
every stage of the commissioning, a thorough
checklist was made incorporating a complete
and detailed safety analysis. All aspects of the
safety plan were discussed with all contractors
and trade disciplines and mutually agreed
to comply with the project safety standards.
Also, Danieli Corus maintained its own LoTo
system to ensure a safe working environment
for all employees.
Cold commissioning
Fig. 4: FTC 1 (front) and FTC 2 (back)
Start-up / cold commissioning is the process
of placing a system or portion of a system in
operation for the first time under ‘live conditions’
to ensure correct plant functionality.
The cold commissioning started when pre-operational
testing activities had been completed
by the commissioning team. It was scheduled
to minimise interference with bake furnace
start-up.
FTC 2: Cold commissioning of FTC 2 went
satisfactory and was completed in time for
the dry-out of ABF 2. During the dry-out, the
FTC was operating in bypass mode and fumes
with high moisture content but no pollutants
were extracted from the ABF.
FTC 1: Cold commissioning of FTC 1 took
place in January and February 2013 and
took about four weeks in total, including all
pre-commissioning activities and turnover to
client. Because both FTC’s are identical and
some issues that had been found during the
commissioning of FTC 2 had been addressed
for FTC 1 already, the cold commissioning
went very smooth and no major issues were
found.
Due to efficient cooperation with Inbesco,
it was possible to resolve all punch list items
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