How we kept the gas flowing during an upgrade at a major manufacturing plant.

When a London-based manufacturer needed to upgrade its commercial gas connection while keeping the site operational, our Service Delivery team designed, built and commissioned a tailor-made solution to the problem.

The factory needed to carry on working 24/7 with no interruption to the gas supply, so there was no opportunity for a night-time or weekend shutdown. We had to work while the customer worked. So the first task for Senior Integrity Engineer, Mark Tarran, was to develop an engineering approach that kept the gas flowing at all times.

Another part of the project was removing a vent stack, 25 metres high and 36 inches in diameter, next to the factory’s main loading entrance. We replaced it with a new design that reduced the gas footprint at the compound by 50%. Other tasks included futureproofing all the remaining original pipework, by replacing the supports, grit blasting, and painting to T/SP/PA/10 (four-coat system).

Through it all, we maintained the gas supply to the site, allowing our customer to continue operating with minimal inconvenience.

Mark Tarran summarised the project: “After identifying the problems, we designed a solution that achieved what they wanted, within a timeframe acceptable to all. Despite the coronavirus lockdown postponing activity on site for several weeks, we still managed to commission the new installation in June. Through it all, we maintained the gas supply to the site, allowing our customer to continue operating with minimal inconvenience.”

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