The current global markets for food, feed for farm animals, and bio-fuels are good news to UK crop protection manufacturer Syngenta, which is seeing a rise in demand for its insecticides and herbicides.
At its site in Huddersfield Syngenta is implementing a programme to further improve the integrity and performance of its facilities to support this business growth. One element of this programme has focussed upon managing ageing plant issues. Working closely with Syngenta personnel, ABB Engineering Services have completed the first stages of an Ageing Plant Study. The study identified the critical areas for HSE and production of a range of equipment including vessels, storage tanks, piping and machines.
This approach not only assessed the long term deterioration mechanisms, but also identified practical actions to assess and demonstrate long term fitness for service, as well as providing valuable information for future plant development.
The methodology of the study was based upon ABB’s established asset life process and used the recent HSE guidance on Ageing Plant, which ABB Engineering Services helped to produce. Based on the success of the study, the Huddersfield site management are
extending the approach across the site.