Careers Maximizing Production Efficiency with Hot Refractory Repair
Nugen Energy operates ethanol production facilities across 30 states, utilizing corn and sorghum to produce ethanol. One particular facility produces an impressive 150 million gallons per year, generating approximately $263.25 million in annual revenue.
PROBLEM
Frequent refractory failures threatened production halts at an ethanol production facility, risking significant financial losses.
SOLUTION
IGS implemented proprietary Hot-tek hot refractory repair online, enabling repairs without disrupting daily operations.
Imminent Shutdown Prevention with a Hot-tek Solution
The challenge arose when Nugen started experiencing refractory failures within their facilities. Conventionally, addressing such failures would need a complete shutdown for repairs, typically extending well over five days. This would not only halt production but also impose significant financial burdens. The estimated loss from such downtime would approach $3.24 million in lost production, plus the repair work itself, exceeding $3.35 million.
Hot-tek Hot Refractory Repair Solution
Hot-tek technology involves creating minimal openings in the process unit’s structure to insert specially designed components and repair materials. This method allows for safe and effective repairs that are scheduled to last until the next planned maintenance shutdown.
Fast Solutions Hot Problems
Hot spots resulting from damaged refractory, heavily scaled process tubes, plugged SCR catalyst banks, and fouled convection sections can all affect the performance, reliability, safe operation and ultimately the operating capacity of the fired heater.
If a planned shutdown is still years away, Maintenance Managers were faced with a dilemma. To accept the operationalrisks and inferior performance or choose an unplanned shutdown and the associated costs. Now the Maintenance Managers can utilize Hot-Tek services to return the process unit to a safer operating condition.
Refineries, Petrochemical and Agrochemical Plants rely on the Hot-tek service, delivered by Integrated Global Services (IGS) to effectively address fired heater maintenance challenges in between turnarounds, without the need to shut down or cut rate on their fired heaters.
Each service has been designed and perfected in collaboration with major oil and gas refineries to ensure that the safety, performance, and the integrity of the fired heater is not compromised.
Hot-tek Services
