The Brief
A specialty chemicals manufacturer needed a major reactor and distillation upgrade but couldn't afford a prolonged shutdown — every week of downtime cost them €400K in lost production.
The Challenge
Connecting new process equipment to a live chemical plant without extended downtime. ATEX zone classification for the new equipment had to be managed alongside hot work in classified areas. The facility had limited laydown space and tight site access.
Our Approach
We designed the new installation to connect via temporary bypass systems, allowing a sequential cutover with only 72 hours of planned downtime per process unit — compared to the 3-week industry norm for this type of work. Full ATEX zone classification was completed before construction began. All hot work in classified zones was managed under a dedicated permit-to-work system with continuous gas monitoring.
Results
72 hours planned downtime per unit (vs. 3 weeks industry norm)
22% throughput increase post-commissioning
Zero ATEX incidents during hot work in classified zones