Ethylene plant turnarounds are a significant challenge and opportunity for facility optimization. While these essential maintenance periods come with considerable costs in downtime and resources, they also provide the perfect window to implement improvements that can enhance operational efficiency and profitability.

Plant managers must select projects that deliver rapid returns while minimizing downtime. Downtime translates directly into lost production and revenue, so it is important to execute turnarounds efficiently.

Prioritizing Fast-Payback Projects

The key to successful turnaround management is maximizing the Return on Investment (ROI) for every dollar spent. This involves:

• Identifying and prioritizing interventions that address critical needs
• Focusing on solutions that deliver tangible benefits quickly
• Selecting projects that pay for themselves shortly after implementation
• When possible, finding ways to avoid shutdowns altogether

Let’s explore specific technologies and best practices that can transform your approach to olefin turnaround planning and execution.

1. Selectively Avoiding Shutdowns

The most significant cost saving is avoiding downtime entirely.

While complete plant shutdowns are often necessary for major inspections and capital projects, innovative technologies now allow certain critical repairs to be performed without taking the unit offline.

Online Furnace Repairs with Hot-tek®

Challenge

Refractory damage in ethylene steam cracking furnaces creates hot spots, compromises structural integrity, and reduces efficiency.

Solution

Hot-tek® allows for online, hot refractory repairs with specialized technicians applying ceramic materials at operating temperatures, eliminating the need for shutdown.

Benefits

• Restore refractory linings and seal cracks without production interruption
• Clean convection sections or vacuum SCR catalyst while operating
• Reduce stack temperature and relieve bottlenecks
• Immediate payback through preserved production revenue

Proactive CUI Prevention with Online Thermal Spray

Challenge

Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI) leads to unexpected leaks, safety incidents, and forced outages.

Solution

IGS’s online coating solution provides a robust barrier against CUI when applied to in-service piping and equipment.

Benefits

• Significantly reduce CUI-driven failures
• Prevent costly repairs and unscheduled shutdowns
• Extend asset life with proactive protection
• Avoid reactive repairs during high-pressure turnarounds

2. Maximizing Efficiency Gains During Turnarounds

TubeTech™ Robotic Cleaning for Convection Sections

Challenge

Convection section fouling drastically reduces heat transfer efficiency and increases fuel consumption. Traditional cleaning methods are time-consuming, waste-generating, and carry safety risks.

Solution

IGS’s TubeTech division utilizes proprietary robotic systems specifically designed to clean convection section tubes with precision and speed.

Benefits

• Fast Payback – Restored heat transfer leads to immediate fuel gas and emissions savings and potentially higher throughput
• Enhanced Safety – Minimizes human entry into hazardous environments
• Efficiency – Robots navigate complex geometries and remove stubborn fouling deposits
• Reduced Risk – Fewer personnel on-site, less exposure, and faster execution

3. Preventing Future Fouling with Advanced Coatings

Challenge

Fouling mechanisms restart once units return to service, gradually reducing efficiency gains achieved during turnaround.

Solution

Cetek® encapsulation coatings proactively modify surfaces to prevent degradation and fouling.

Benefits

• Reduced Fouling – Surface modification inhibits erosion mechanisms responsible for downstream fouling
• Sustained Efficiency – Maintain lower fuel consumption for longer periods
• Extended Cleaning Intervals – Potentially push convection section cleaning to every other turnaround
• SCR Protection – Prevent catalyst blinding, maintain activity, and potentially extend catalyst lifespan

4. Accelerating Critical Upgrades

Challenge

Addressing metal wastage, corrosion, and erosion issues often involves weld overlay, which is slow, labor-intensive, and requires extensive Pre- and Post-Weld Heat Treatment (PWHT).

Solution

High Velocity Thermal Spray (HVTS) cladding technology applies high-density, metallurgically bonded alloy layers directly onto component surfaces on-site.

Benefits

• Speed Advantage – Typically 3x faster than traditional weld overlay
• No PWHT Required – Eliminates a major bottleneck from the critical path
• Schedule Reduction – Complete critical path repairs faster, allowing earlier return to service
• Immediate Payback – Directly translates lost time into found revenue
• Specialized Alloys – Designed and tested for TLE, Water Quench Towers, Fractionators, and Compressor Drums

 

Choosing the Right Partner

Executing these advanced solutions requires specialized expertise and equipment. When selecting a partner, look for:

• Proven track record in chemical plants, petrochemical facilities, and refineries
• Deep understanding of olefin plant processes and challenges
• Portfolio of innovative, reliability-focused technologies
• Experience with the specific solutions you are looking to implement

IGS brings 25 years of global experience specifically within demanding industrial environments, making them a valuable resource for turnaround managers seeking fast-payback solutions.

Transforming Turnarounds into Strategic Opportunities

Olefin plant turnarounds require strategic decision-making to maximize ROI and minimize operational disruption. By embracing innovative technologies that offer clear, quantifiable benefits, you can transform turnarounds from costly necessities into strategic opportunities for improvement.

Prioritize projects with fast payback potential by:

• Avoiding shutdowns with online repairs when possible
• Rapidly restoring efficiency with robotics
• Proactively preventing future degradation with protective coatings
• Accelerating critical upgrades with advanced cladding technologies

This approach is essential for maintaining competitiveness and ensuring the long-term profitability of your olefin assets.

Ready to make your next turnaround the most efficient and value-driven one yet? Contact our team to discuss your specific challenges and opportunities.

 

More turnaround management articles from Integrated Global Services:

CO₂ Corrosion Prevention and Control in Oil and Gas Production
Preventing Wet CO₂ Corrosion in Carbon Capture and Storage Project
How to Prevent Microbially Influenced Corrosion (MIC) with On-Site Alloy Upgrade
Why is High Emissivity Coating Durability Important in Fired Heaters?
Strategies for Preventing Internal Pipeline Corrosion in the Energy Industry
Flue Gas Dew Point Corrosion Mitigation: Alloy Upgrading Techniques
Mitigating Metal Dusting Corrosion in Ammonia and Methanol Reformers
Combating Flow Accelerated Corrosion in Power Plants with IGS HVTS Technology
Why an Alloy Upgrade is the Best Solution to Crude Unit Overhead Corrosion Control
Protecting Hydropower Turbines from Corrosion with HVTS Coatings
Protecting Offshore Wind Turbines – Splash Zone Corrosion
The Critical Role of High Emissivity Coatings in Space Exploration
Organic Coatings in Pressure Vessels: Internal Coating Failure Analysis
How to Stop Corrosion on Your Refinery Distillation Column
Causes of Boiler Corrosion and Benefits of Boiler Tube Coating
5 Common Causes of Refractory Failure and How to Fix Them
Boiler Tube Leaks Prevented with Proactive Maintenance
Understanding Oil & Gas CO2 and NOx Emissions, and the Science Behind Reducing Them