Client: SABIC Petrochemicals UK
Location: Teesside, UK
Sector/Industry: Petrochemical, Oil & Gas Refinery
Completion: 2012 -2025
Project Background
SABIC acquired Huntsman’s European Chemicals and Polymers Division in 2006. The purchase included the cracker plant at Wilton, the aromatics business at North Tees and a paraxylene plant. Both the Wilton and North Tess sites still retain operational assets, located within the Teesmouth National Nature reserve, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and the habitat for protected bird and river species.
Demolition Challenges
RVA was appointed as the Client’s Engineer and CDM Principal Designer (a UK statutory HSE duty holder role) for the planning and tendering of a number of significant work packages, over a period of several years. RVA’s in-house specialist team also supported SABIC personnel throughout the execution of these projects through to completion.
The works were complex and often involved distressed assets where no reliable data or records existed. Due to the age of some of the plant, significant qualities of asbestos, process residues and other hazardous materials were identified and required careful removal and disposal under controlled conditions.
Key Project Statistics
- 23 individual contracts, working with six different contractors appointed to execute the works
- The 2 largest distillation columns in Europe, at 110m high, and an additional 25 columns were safely dismantled
- 3 chimney stacks reaching up to 125m were demolished
- A hyperbolic and 10 package cooling towers were removed
- 50 furnaces, 6 spheres and more than 100 storage tanks were sequentially dismantled and demolished.
- A jetty adjacent to an operational water route to the site was also removed
Project Management Highlights
RVA supported SABIC on developing the overall costed plan for preparation, decommissioning, isolation and demolition.
RVA reviewed all risk assessments, lift studies, method statements and monitored on site compliance during the works.
Outcome
A staggering 58,500 tonnes of scrap were salvaged for reprocessing, with 44,000 tonnes of additional waste, including 8,750 tonnes of asbestos safely removed in line with the circular economy objectives, achieving a recycling rate of 98%.
Client Testimonial
SABIC’s senior demolition manager added, “The focus for this entire project has been safe execution, by design. Detailed planning and expert decommissioning engineering have been the foundations for the safe delivery from start to finish. This is no mean feat, given the inherently high-hazard nature of the works and the sheer number of hours invested into the programme.
“The team from RVA has undoubtedly played its part in helping deliver a successful project outcome. RVA’s project managers worked diligently and collaboratively with both the SABIC team and all the demolition contractors, to meet the project business drivers of an excellent HSE performance, within the sanctioned budget and in line with the agreed schedule; a marvellous achievement and one of which the RVA team should be very proud.”
