Project Overview

The plant’s vacuum tower was nearing the end of its service life and needed replacement. The original vacuum tower PSV was vented to atmosphere; the revamped design redirected the PSV outlet to an existing flare header approximately 200 feet away, preventing atmospheric releases. The vacuum tower was simultaneously redesigned to handle higher back-pressure, with improved maintenance access and safety. Laser scan technology was leveraged to achieve minimal rework during construction.

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Execution Strategy

The project scope was divided into pre-shutdown, shutdown, and post-shutdown work phases. New lifting and tailing lugs were engineered and installed to safely remove the original vacuum tower. Vacuum condensers and ejectors, as well as adjacent piping, instrumentation, and electrical, were replaced at the same time.

The new tower was pre-dressed as much as feasible to shorten the duration of the turnaround. A new platform was custom engineered to integrate the existing access stairway with the new tower.

The design scope included all piping, structural steel, electrical, instrumentation and tie-ins to the existing plant. Electrical heat tracing was planned and installed post-shutdown.

Construction Coordination

Rally was responsible for coordinating the construction and providing field support. We worked closely with our Client and contractors to complete this project safely, on time, and under budget.

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