PC-FEB22-PG28-29.1_Layout 1 09/02/2022 16:13 Page 28


CHEMICALS & PHARMACEUTICALS


CONVERSION AND CONSTRUCTION


Rösberg has carried out electrical and automation


engineering for BASF in Schwarzheide, as parts of the TDI plant were shutdown and production moved to Ludwigshafen


rocess plants are often very extensive. Many of the plant components are interlinked and their functions coordinated. There is generally less effort and expense involved in building a new plant, rather than adapting the existing one to meet new requirements. However, this kind of renovation work is often necessary, sometimes on a small scale and sometimes as a more extensive project, as was the case in 2019/2020 at BASF Schwarzheide. Despite the numerous challenges – and the restrictions imposed by Covid-19 – the new and renovated production reactors went into operation again right on schedule. With its construction of a new TDI plant in Ludwigshafen (TDI - toluene diisocyanate), BASF decided to stop production of this chemical in Schwarzheide and shut down parts of the TDI plant there. This was one reason why some sections of the works were out of action for just under ten weeks in summer 2020 – the time was also used as an opportunity to implement various conversions and new construction projects. Because the TDI plant is interlinked with the infrastructure of the works and with other production chains,


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as well as decommissioning and dismantling this involved extensive conversion work. To realise this complex project BASF cooperated closely with various external planning and installation enterprises. The engineering of the automation technology was entrusted to Rösberg Engineering (Fig. 1 a/b). The automation experts took on the engineering of documentation and assembly documents for electrotechnology and automation. They also optimised the logic diagrams for programming, drew up intrinsic safety (IS) certificates, wiring diagrams and detail and basic engineering. Christian Pöschke (above) works as Head of Engineering Service Schwarzheide at Rösberg and took on the project management on their behalf. He said: “We carried out numerous as-built surveys on the spot, to get an overview of the present state of the plants. Comparing the existing documentation with the as-built state was very important in order to be familiar with the present situation and use it as a basis for planning. If any unclear points arose, we


THE PLT-CAE SYSTEM PRODOK NG


Modern process plants can only be effectively operated if the data from the engineering phase are also available for operation, maintenance and modernisation. As-built plant reality has to reliably match the documentation at all times. Only if all data are consistent can costly new entries and the unnecessary use of engineering resources be avoided. This is exactly where the I&C-CAE system ProDOK comes in. It ensures an integrated planning process with unified rules. Because all the data are collected and exchanged within the same system, there is no more trouble with tiresome data transfer errors. Functions include basic planning, detail planning, functional planning, electrical engineering, process technology in the area of piping and instrumentation, implementation planning and installation planning for new construction projects, plant alterations and extensions, as well as operational support. Thus support covers the whole life cycle of the plant. By its continuous, consistent documentation, ProDOK ensures that the documentation really does reflect plant reality at all times. The result is an improvement in quality and efficiency, plus savings in terms of time and costs. Security of investment is ensured by wide acceptance of the system in the process industry and the use of state-of-the-art software technology.


28 FEBRUARY 2022 | PROCESS & CONTROL


Copyright Fig.1a: Fotolia luckybusiness/Rösberg


Fig 2: Christian Pöschke, (far left) (copyright Rösberg) Fig 3: Authored by Evelyn Landgraf (left), Marketing at Rösberg Engineering


clarified them with our customer. But good communication was also necessary in the other direction to ensure that installation went as smoothly as possible and could take place without hold-ups. It was an advantage for the project that BASF has been cooperating with the automation experts for many years now and that Rösberg, as well as its local branch office, also maintains its own office on the plant premises. Not only have the automation experts provided BASF with the CAE engineering tool ProDOK (see box below) – Rösberg also has long-standing, positive cooperations with the various different BASF locations, and consequently is familiar with BASF’s various standards and requirements.” Planning for the automation in this large- scale project began early in 2019. A few figures will serve to illustrate the size of the project: more than 50 items of machinery were moved to new positions, more than 1000 I&C devices were connected and more than 300 pipelines were laid. These sheer quantities alone already represented a challenge. But the fact that the different sub-projects of dismantling, conversion and new construction were all interlinked generated an enormous degree of complexity, meaning that it was essential to retain an overview at every point in the project. Even more so when unforeseen problems suddenly cropped up and plans had to be changed at short notice. Even small changes affected many other project areas, and thus sometimes had big impact on planning. Due to the many parallel but interlocking projects, coordination and communication was essential.


However, another of the project’s main challenges is not reflected in these figures. Pöschke explained: “In many places, the current documentation status had to be checked against plant reality. So before we


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