ATP finds the right chemistry for Petrochemical project in Thailand
PTT Global Chemical (PTTGC) is Thailand’s largest petrochemical and refining company. They own and operate production support facilities such as jetty and buffer tank farm services for chemicals, oil and gas, as well as produce and distribute utilities such as electricity, water and steam.
Working in an extremely hazardous environment, the risk of explosions from fire and gas leaks meant the company was in need of a fire monitoring solution that enabled them to take early action to safeguard their workers and critical assets.
ATP Solutions was strongly endorsed as the right team for the job by ST Control, a Thai engineering and design company familiar with ATP’s ability to analyse a site’s unique setup and put together a plan and project team to deliver an advanced fire monitoring solution. After a lengthy due diligence process, PTTGC recognised that ATP had the right capabilities to engineer the most reliable, high quality fire monitoring system.
With the green light given, ATP and ST Control teamed up to embark on a joint discovery process, gathering all the information needed to understand exactly what PTTGC required from their solution. The process revealed the need for an explosion proof fire monitoring system that could be controlled both locally and remotely to provide the client with better visibility of potential obstructions. With the equipment and items being shipped to Thailand, ATP would need to pass an inspection for DNV, an international classification related to maritime environments.
The process also revealed that all equipment in the hazardous area must adhere to Zone 1 hazardous certification, including the entire monitoring unit and the local control station. ATP would need to ensure all equipment installed in hazardous environments is ‘Ex’ rated to provide complete peace of mind that the products installed would not create sparks or an explosion.
Getting it right
With all intel in place, ATP and ST Control devised a jet spray-controlled foam monitor that could be controlled locally and remotely, allowing the client to take action early to suppress the threat of fire from either the jetty area or the main control building.
Orion was selected to manufacture the Fire Monitoring system due to its superior technical knowledge and status as the only manufacturer of Zone 1 classified remote foam monitors. With a brushless motor, the Orion foam monitor fit the bill as a robust and flexible product.
An end-to-end integrated solution
ATP oversaw the entire project to make sure that the design solution met the client’s expectation and the system installation went smoothly. This included close checking of flow, pressure and discharge rates to ensure everything was working with precision accuracy. ATP was regularly joined onsite by ST Control, who also worked alongside Orion to supervise the installation of the foam monitoring system.
As with any technical project, there were many challenges along the way, with ATP’s extensive experience in hazardous environments meaning any problems were overcome with ease. Initially, Orion experienced internal monitor testing issues that held up the assembly process on site. Then as installation progressed, ATP identified the output shaft housing had failed, as the bearings were slightly smaller in outer diameter. With ATP overseeing the project, swift action was taken to ensure these hold-ups didn’t affect the project schedule by liaising with Orion to ensure a new faceplate was ordered immediately.
Overall, the team engineered a high-quality system that was commissioned and delivered on time in seamless working order. To ensure an easy transition, ATP supported the client to beyond handover, with Orion running the training for PTTGC personnel to ensure their team can safely operate and maintain the monitor, as well as react with confidence in the event of an error. It’s all part of ATP’s commitment to complete peace of mind when delivering solutions in hazardous environments.
Moving forward with confidence
PTTGC was thrilled with the final solution since installation. Reports have indicated increased safety and easier operation, largely thanks to the flexibility of remote operation from the main control room combined with local control in the field.
Looking towards the future, PTTGC has already made plans to once again team up with ATP to implement the same Ex rated fire monitor system for an expansion project on the same site.