Demolition specialist Jet Demolition is assisting energy and chemicals company Sasol with the demolition of redundant equipment at its Sasolburg operations, in the Free State, to create space for new plant systems.

“The future of the demolition business is looking bright, owing to rapid technological development in various industries, which is creating a need for old plants to be demolished to generate space for new plants,” says Jet Demolition project engineer Andre Botes.

He adds that Jet Demolition has a well-established working relationship with Sasol, having assisted it with various projects over the years, and that Jet Demolition is pleased to be offering its services to the company once again.

Since 2006, Jet Demolition has undertaken 85 demolition projects for Sasol, including the demolition of a gasification plant, in Sasolburg, and the Sasol Nitro Granulation plant, in Secunda, using its signature cold-cutting equipment, Botes adds. This equipment is well suited to highly volatile or flammable environments and enables Jet Demolition to demolish equipment in live plants without disruption.

“The most significant advantage of this equipment is that it reduces the safety risks of the demolition process to personnel in direct contact with the plant and equipment. Jet Demolition was the first company to introduce this technology to South Africa seven years ago and market response to this technique continues to be very positive,” Botes points out.

He highlights that Jet Demolition has the largest fleet of cold-cutting equipment in the country, as well as a highly experienced technical team who carry out the demolitions. The cold-cutting technique also decreases the footprint of the plant, and reduces the rehabilitation of the area required thereafter.

Botes notes that the company is also one of the few international companies that offers in-house, full-range demolition services, including advanced mechanical demolition equipment and controlled implosions. In addition, the company has developed and patented a range of specialised shaped explosive charges for controlled demolition of large structures.

Jet Demolition offers a variety of mobile demolition equipment, ranging from a one-ton skid steer unit to a high-reach excavator that facilitates the demolition of equipment with a height of up to 34 m and a weight of 102 t. The company also offers specialised demolition work tools for its 28 excavators, including hydraulic shears and hammers, crushers, pulverisers and other attachments with quick-change mountings.

Jet Demolition’s equipment is replaced after 6 000 hours of use and Botes stresses that this policy, together with stringent maintenance procedures and a fully equipped plant support department, ensures the safe, reliable and efficient operation of its demolition projects. The company has also developed a range of unique heavy-duty specialised demolition tools for in-house use.

The company specialises in difficult and demanding demolition projects, regularly carrying out heavy mechanical demolition projects on top of, or in close proximity to, operating plants.