MechChem Africa July-August 2022

Overcoming boiler failures Over the past 24 months there has been a marked increase in companies requiring emergency boiler systems to keep their steam operations functioning. Is this a result of cut backs on maintenance and upgrades? asks Jonathan Probert of EP Steam “I n recent months we’ve not only seenmore of our clients inneedof emergency boiler hire, but we’ve also seen their demand for capac can be out of commission for many months, causing downtime losses that can cripple a business,” he warns. Temporary solutions are available, however. Replacing a single regular boiler unit can be accomplished within a matter of days, while a full tempo rary solution of boilers, along with water treatment, fuel supply and control systems, can take a month or two.

plans in place to quickly and easily facilitate the installation of emergency boilers should the need arise. Furthermore, they should have a strategy to reduce their hire time to as short as possible.” Making sure that the facility’s steam system can quickly be reconfigured and switched to an emergency boiler when it is delivered is critical, he says, while access to the site must be clear and an on-site team should know in advance what to do to help facilitate a successful installation. In addition, he advises businesses to review their maintenance schedules and procedures. “Keep in mind that operating a temporary boiler is significantlymore expen sive than one’s permanent coal-fired boilers. Therefore, the focus should always be on running the temporary boilers for aminimum amount of time.” With the current harsh economic land scape heavily impacting the industrial sec tor, Probert says it has never been more important to have a capable steam solutions provider on speed-dial. “Being sure of who to contact in theevent that essential operational equipment fails, is the onlyway to ensure that yourbusiness remains resilient,” heconcludes. energypartners.co.za

ity increase – far beyond the typical volumes we’ve experienced in previous years,” says Jonathan Probert, Head of Business Devel opment for EP Steam – a division of Energy Partners and part of the PSG group. “Many of the requests we’ve received have been for unplanned maintenance events, but we’ve seen even more requests for large-scale planned maintenance, which we consider a positive sign of growth.” Probert says that while boiler systems tend to be a durable and reliable part of most operations, plants do sometimes have to shut down, which can result in insuf ficient standby capacity. “A steam system

This is still short when compared to the extended period that a steam system can be out of commission should a serious malfunction occur. “The fact is, steam-reliant businesses are more likely to need emergency boiler hire services now. Being prepared for the unplanned is part of good risk management, and companies that are heavily reliant on these processes should ensure they have

34 ¦ MechChem Africa • July-August 2022