How to Have a Successful Plant Turnaround: Challenges and Strategies

An inevitable reality in the majority of businesses, from oil and gas to refining and chemical processing, is a plant turnaround (or shutdown). Turnarounds offer a crucial chance for identifying and fixing a variety of maintenance problems. A plant's overall efficiency and safety can benefit from a turnaround that stays within budget and schedule. However, if the turnaround takes too long or costs more than expected, the business may record a loss.

What is a Plant Turnaround?

A turnaround is a planned shutdown of all or a portion of a plant's regular operations. Operations frequently have to be stopped for upkeep, cleaning, equipment replacement, repair, resource upgrades, or to maintain regulatory compliance. To prepare the factory for normal operations to restart, employees and contractors put in extended hours of labour.

Turnarounds occur less frequently now than they did in the past, mainly to improvements in equipment reliability and maintenance practises. An organisation might plan a turnaround every three to five years, for instance, in the oil and gas and refinery industries. The cycle in chemical processing could last ten years.

Making Plans for a Plant Turnaround

Plant turnaround planning is a procedure that ensures project success via meticulous preparation and implementation. The following ideas can guarantee efficient turnaround management, assisting operators in making significant time and financial savings.

1.Think ahead

It's crucial for your organisation to establish turnaround goals. The foundation for turnaround development and success consists of setting goals, coming up with strategies, identifying tasks, and making schedules. Plan your turnaround project at least 8 to 12 months before the closure or turnaround is to take place. Here, management must clearly identify the tasks that must be completed by developing a set of criteria. A solid turnaround strategy enhances business process optimisation, reduces risk, and lowers expenses while reducing downtime, safety, and costs.

2.Plan for the Unknown Expect the Unexpected.

Any turnaround initiative will inevitably run into some difficulties or unanticipated events. It is possible to increase turnaround effectiveness overall by anticipating these elements. Your plan must cover all actions and projected outputs from one phase to the next. Even after taking them into consideration, it can be challenging to predict some variables, such as the precise amount of parts required during a specific turnaround. Waiting on a single component may result in considerable delays in work. Therefore, it's crucial to have a range of components, tools, and equipment available before the project starts. Certain parts should not be ordered after the project has begun. You can save time and money if you have the necessary equipment and components on hand.

3.Maintain Strict Quality Control

Maintaining strict quality control is a crucial element in a turnaround project's success. Only permit the use of premium parts and components...This will improve the efficiency of your turnaround. A contractor might accomplish a project with less expensive, lower-quality parts if the specification is too flexible. Therefore, uneven part quality results in unexpected performance, needless maintenance, and potential downtime.

A plant turnaround is a major endeavor. If you need help,?pletheon consulting is ready! Our experienced professionals will work with your operation to decrease turnaround periods and lower costs at any location. We have the people, programs, and experience to provide the support you need during crucial turnaround and shutdown periods. We’ve developed effective and efficient services that can help improve safety and drive project efficiency.?