October 25 - Transport and heavy lift specialist Mammoet has completed the complex installation of a cold heat exchange column for a phosphates company in South Africa.
Mammoet, based in Schiedam in the Netherlands, was contracted by phosphates and phosphoric acid producer Foskor, to deliver the replacement column to its sulphuric acid plant in Richard's Bay.
Previously, when exchangers had needed replacing, they had been both removed and installed in sections - a time-consuming procedure, with the plant out of commission for the duration of the replacement work.
The Mammoet team chose to lift the new column in one piece, thus reducing both the plant's downtime and the risk of hazardous material being released into the atmosphere.
Mammoet said that, due to the congested site - with some clearances of less than 1m - it selected a 500-tonne lift capacity mobile crane to lift the column, along with a 220-tonne capacity mobile crane to help position it on a trailer. Once securely positioned, the old column was driven to a laydown area. The new column was loaded onto the trailer using a hydraulic gantry and driven to the installation site. Upon arrival the new column was vertically tailed into position before being installed into its final position.