Introduction
Most plant relocations usually start off with a pretty straightforward reason for moving. Moving closer to the raw materials, leaving an antiquated factory or complying with new environmental standards are some examples. However, you soon discover that you are essentially starting from scratch when you enter the planning stage. You have to go back and re-evaluate every single piece of equipment, pipe rack, foundation block and safety interlock for the new site. Shiva Engineering Services (SES), one of the leading engineering and construction services companies in India, has got the kind of expertise, experience and professionals that relocation projects need.
Our front-end engineering design (FEED) services give you a solid plan of how to get the job done; our fabrication crew builds all the spools, supports and PEB components that are needed for the new site; and our construction and commissioning experts put the whole thing back together again until it’s running safely and smoothly. What it all adds up to is a competitive edge, because we design the new layout around future capacity and control cost, time and safety all through one single chain of end-to-end EPC services.
Challenges in Plant Relocation Projects
Most brownfield relocation projects start with outdated blueprints, modifications nobody’s bothered to document and equipment that’s too big (or too small) for the new space. Add on top of all that the usual round of permissions, pollution board approvals, building permits and whatnot. And then there’s the downtime issue. Every extra day you’re not running is lost production and lost credibility all over again. This is why SES’s brownfield project consultancy for the chemical industry is a must-have to tackle all these problems once and for all.
Engineering Foundation: FEED and Detailed Design
Relocation planning starts with a solid front-end engineering design (FEED) services package. A good site master planning, FEED package sets out the equipment list, utility load calculations, piping class revalidation, civil design and all the discipline-based checklists that ensure each EPC phase is going to go smoothly.
Our plant engineering services in Gujarat and across India rely on digital models, laser scanning, high-density point clouds and photogrammetry to capture what’s really going on in the existing plant. That turns into super accurate 3D models, where you can simulate the process of taking things apart, check crane access and virtually try out pipe routing solutions.
Detailed engineering services let teams know the kind of load that the support structures will have to handle, find out where all the equipment centerlines are and see what the wiring layouts look like in the electrical cabinets. Every single discipline – process, mechanical, piping, electrical, civil, instrumentation – feeds into one single coordinated design. That’s the single biggest reason why relocations actually get completed on schedule.
The EPCM Approach to Relocation Projects
Our expertise as one of the top engineering and construction services companies in India allows us to integrate all the disciplines and phases into a unified, smooth and manageable workflow. This incorporates everything – survey, FEED, procurement, demolition, logistics, construction, and commissioning.
It all kicks off with detailed engineering services mapping out the plan for dismantling. Equipment gets labelled, shut off, drained, blocked, cleaned and taken care of in a safe and controlled way. Meanwhile, our safety engineers take care of making sure all the HAZOP/HAZID results are worked into those dismantling plans so there are no surprises.
Procurement, logistics and scheduling run in parallel. We order anything that needs to be sourced well ahead of time. For fabrication, we build PEB buildings, utility bridges and pipe racks while the dismantling is still in full swing.
At the time of reinstallation, we make sure the foundations are done right using the anchor bolt templates, pipe racks get put up with the right elevations and all the connections get checked against the drawings. By the time we get to the commissioning stage, every loop check and motor rotation is up to date and accounted for.
Conclusion
Plant relocations don’t reward shortcuts. The success of a move relies on the kind of planning, precision and partnership that only an engineering and construction services company with experience can deliver from the first laser scan to final commissioning. When FEED, detailed engineering, procurement, fabrication, construction and commissioning are all under one roof, companies rebuild smarter, safer and more competitive facilities that are ready for the next several decades of production demands. If you’re planning a relocation or a brownfield upgrade, consult SES.
