Refining & Downstream

Distillation Tower Replacement

Pre-FEED > FEED > Detailed Design

Project Phase

74 weeks

Project Duration

9400

Hours of Engineering

Context

A European refinery needed to replace a corroded distillation tower during a planned turnaround. InSite delivered a multi-discipline solution that resolved salting issues, optimised tower design, and aligned all project elements for efficient execution.

Challenge

A distillation tower at a European refinery had experienced significant corrosion, necessitating a planned replacement at the next turnaround. Complicating the situation, the tower was operating under different conditions than originally designed for, leading to significant tray salting issues. While the causes were understood, a clear and effective solution had not been identified.

Solution

InSite deployed an experienced process team familiar with the unit to model the tower operation and define the process basis. The team specified the tower internals and coordinated with both the internals vendor and the mechanical team.

InSite’s mechanical team, with refinery tower installation experience, planned the replacement works in close collaboration with the refinery. Following a gap review for compliance with current standards, a tower mechanical specification was developed, along with technical bid evaluations and vendor document reviews.

A multi-discipline team delivered a complete set of IFC (Issued for Construction) engineering documents. Outcomes included; optimised design, risk mitigation, informed decision-making, efficient execution and collaborative working.