Atlas Copco delivers 50 tonne compressed air package
Atlas Copco Compressors has completed delivery of a large custom designed main air compressor package, weighing approximately 50 tonnes, to Baku, Azerbaijan for installation on a platform located 90km offshore in the Shah Deniz oilfield within the South Caspian Sea.
Mounted on a single skid and comprised of three ZR500 water cooled screw compressors, a closed circuit water cooling system, three heatless dryers and separate ZT110 black start screw compressor for emergencies, the package was purpose designed, built and fully tested at Atlas Copco’s Systems Hemel Hempstead workshop in the UK, one of the company’s six global competence centres that create and assemble bespoke compressed air and nitrogen generation installations primarily for the oil and gas industry. The physical size of the main air compressor package, which is over 11m long, 6m wide and 3.75m high, meant it had to be delivered in a reinforced crate along with specially designed lifting equipment to support offloading and handling at its destination. This brought the total size of the final delivered package to almost 90 tonnes, which was moved from the workshop using a 12 tonne fork lift truck onto the back of a special heavy load bearing lorry that travelled via police escort to Immingham docks for shipping to Baku. During transit, the package will then travel via canal, timed to avoid freezing weather conditions, from the Black Sea into the Caspian Sea for installation on the platform.
Due to the exposed nature of the offshore platform where it will be installed, the main air compressor package has been weatherproofed, winterised and built to withstand harsh environmental conditions including high wind speeds of up to 45 metres per second and ambient air temperatures ranging from -7°C to +40°C at high relative humidity. Designed for continuous 24hr operation, the package was tested to withstand inertial accelerations as a result of seismic activity and is also soundproofed to operate with low noise emissions.
The completion of this latest package is an excellent example of the technical expertise and cutting edge facilities we are able to deploy at Systems Hemel Hempstead, which has attracted increased demand from the global oil and gas industry in recent years. For this project we had to take several challenging design and environmental considerations into account to ensure we met the customer’s specific requirements both on time and within budget.
Atlas Copco’s Systems Hemel Hempstead custom engineering workshop recently underwent a major expansion following a £680,000 (€870,000) upgrade to strengthen its world-class credentials. The workshop in Hemel Hempstead, UK has seen its total floor area expanded from its original 850m2 to 1950m2. An external 12m x 15m covered test area has also been built, adding a valuable additional space for testing large engineered packages in any weather. Packages can be moved around in the workshop more easily thanks to the provision of two new 5-tonne cranes, trackways and controls, which complement three existing cranes. Other new additions include two modern spray paint booths to replace the original single unit and a new grit blast facility, meaning that virtually any customer paint specification can be met. These additions increase working capacity and throughput, shortening lead times to the customer.
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Editor’s Notes:
Atlas Copco Compressors is the GB sales and service operation of the Atlas Copco Group providing oil-free and oil-injected stationary air compressors, gas and process compressors, turbo expanders, nitrogen generators, air treatment equipment (such as compressed air dryers, coolers, and filters) air management systems, and custom designed engineered packages.
Atlas Copco Compressors’ sales and distribution network means that specialist compressed air advice and service is always within easy reach. A team of over 80 service engineers operates across the country, to ensure maximum running efficiency and minimum downtime at its customers' sites.
In the United Kingdom, Atlas Copco also handles the sales and marketing of construction and mining equipment, portable compressors and electric power generators, industrial power tools and assembly systems – all backed up by a nationwide sales, distribution, service and maintenance network.
Atlas Copco is a world-leading provider of sustainable productivity solutions. The Group serves customers with innovative compressors, vacuum solutions and air treatment systems, construction and mining equipment, power tools and assembly systems. Atlas Copco develops products and service focused on productivity, energy efficiency, safety and ergonomics. The company was founded in 1873, is based in Stockholm, Sweden, and has a global reach spanning more than 180 countries. In 2015, Atlas Copco had revenues of BSEK 102 (BEUR 11) and more than 43,000 employees. Learn more at www.atlascopco.co.uk/compressorsuk.
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- For further editorial information contact Nick Henderson on 01582 393120.
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