Aggreko’s rapid response assists refinery

The integrated refining and energy trading company was thrust into an unexpected situation at its Lavera refinery in France when the air blower of the site’s fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit unexpectedly failed. As the blower is crucial for catalyst regeneration, its malfunction took the unit offline, majorly impacting production and risking the company’s financial bottom line.

Faced with this deteriorating set of circumstances, Petroineos stakeholders leveraged their long-standing relationship with Aggreko to devise and mobilise a tailored solution to mitigate the unfolding situation. Any remedial works would need to be executed in an ambitious two-month timeframe, restarting the FCC unit and allowing normal operations to resume while limiting potential financial losses.

Following a three-week consultation and clarification phase, the Aggreko engineering team sized the installation to accommodate two different flow rate scenarios corresponding to the FCC’s two operating modes. The result was a large-scale solution delivered and installed over a month, comprising a combination of 32 Stage V-compliant thermal and electric compressors supplying 2000 t of oil-free air in line with Class 0 8573-1 standards.

To power this equipment, Aggreko provided two PowerMX2 Stage V generators alongside four 600 kVA generators, limiting carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and particulate matter emissions while also optimising fuel consumption. A final week was dedicated to testing and commissioning to ensure full operational readiness and optimised performance before the solution was fully deployed.

A spokesperson at Petroineos explained: “We have worked with Aggreko since 2017 – they know how we work, and this was vital to avoiding an unplanned plant shutdown when the FCC unit failed. The compressors they were able to provide, all within record time, meant we were able to avoid further unscheduled downtime and limit the financial impact of the unit’s unexpected failure.

“Situations like these are very fraught, so we appreciated the responsiveness of the Aggreko team and the round-the-clock support they were able to offer. It’s not an exaggeration to say this could’ve been a crisis if not for their swift intervention.”

The bespoke solution Aggreko supplied had a significant impact on the refinery’s operations, allowing the FCC to remain operational for 45 days. As a result, the refinery was able to avoid a costly shutdown and maintain all-important production continuity.

“Petroineos is a valued partner and the trust we have built over almost a decade came to the forefront during these challenging few months,” concluded Gilles Revial, Petrochemical and Refining Sector Manager, South of Europe, at Aggreko. “Our history together meant that at times like this, we could quickly implement proven practices and operational insights gleaned from previous projects.

“Considering the extremely tight timescales on this project and the consequences of any delays or failures, these insights were crucial in helping us develop and deploy this bespoke compressed air solution. When something goes wrong, it is vital that ensuing remedial works can be smoothly and reliably executed. We’re proud to say that was definitely the case here.”

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/refining/09032026/aggrekos-rapid-response-rescues-stricken-refinery/