Celsa Steel
About this Project
Celsa one of the UK’s largest steel manufacturers was in search of an engineering company with experience of careful project managing and risk evaluation when they needed their largest gas duct replacing. The gas duct is an essential function of the manufacturing process at Celsa Steel works in Tremorfa, Cardiff. The duct facilitates the collection of harmful gases and EAF dust from the production process and protecting the environment.
Tema worked closely with Celsa, and with careful project planning ensured the existing duct could remain serviceable until the next
planned shutdown. The bespoke replacement stainless steel duct was designed built and in just seven weeks, with the planned outage and installation taking just one week. Resulting in minimal disruption to the steel works.The duct which comprises of five major sections was certainly on an industrial scale, measuring 2.4m in diameter. However, the biggest hurdle the Tema team had to overcome was access, with the duct being suspended 30m high, with the inspection walkway attached. Prudent planning, as well as in depth risk assessments were performed, prior to using a 300 ton mobile crane and complex lift schedule to access, remove and replace each of the five major sections of the duct.
“This was a great opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities, not only in our rapid manufacturing time but also the accuracy of planning to ensure a safe successful project” stated Andy Marinos, director of Tema. “Planning to replace a hot gas duct is an enormous undertaking, not only in terms of its sheer size, but also when considering its essential function, transferring waste gases from the electric arc furnace to the filtration operation to protect the environment. With a 2.4 metre diameter in five major sections, suspended 30 metres in the air, and forming part of the inspection walk way, it is an operation that needs specialist skills, planning and co-ordination.”
“Having established the small window of opportunity, together with a relatively short manufacturing lead time to meet annual planned maintenance shutdown, Celsa confidently selected Tema Engineering to complete this major, fabrication, lifting operation and replacement of existing section of ducting with new.”