Compressor and generator hire company Rand-Air, which is part of international engineering group Atlas Copco, played a significant role in the recent timely delivery of mission-critical equipment as well as services to petrochemicals producer Sasol Synfuels’ nitrogen project.

Sasol Synfuels is located in Secunda, in the coalfields of Mpumalanga, and is the company’s second extraction refinery producing oil from coal, after its Sasolburg plant.

The plant is currently undergoing significant upgrades and, hence, required an increase in reforming capacity, explains Rand-Air.
Further, investigation has revealed that the nitrogen, which will be used for drying in the process plant, needs to be compressed.

“Knowing that we had the technology available, a face-to-face meeting was organised with Sasol, where we presented the option of using our Atlas Copco oil-free PTS916 compressors, fitted with nitrogen kits,” explains Rand-Air account manager Melanie Lake.

“To support our offer, the proposed setup was illustrated with reference to a previous project in Madagascar that Rand-Air had been involved with.”
She emphasises that the installation process was challenging, and Rand-Air had to come up with a number of innovative solutions to the specific challenges the nitrogen project presented.

“The compressors, which Rand-Air supplied, were initially designed as oil-free air compressors and had to be modified to accommodate the flow of nitrogen,” Lake explains.

Safety Focus

Lake explains that, apart from supplying the compressors, safety was a critical component of the operation, as the company had to attempt to mitigate all potential risks to workers’ safety.

Lake states that Rand-Air implemented the occupational safety and health ‘lockout-tagout’ (Loto) procedure, which deals with the control of hazardous energy in general industry, outlining specific action and procedures for addressing and controlling hazardous energy during servicing and maintenance of machines and equipment.

Loto procedure also involves workers being trained in the purpose and function of the energy control programme and equipping them with the relevant knowledge and skills for the safe application and removal of energy control devices.

When Rand-Air personnel serviced machines on site, they identified themselves and informed affected people of the nature and duration of the intervention, during which there was no air supply.

“We double-checked to ensure that Loto was implemented correctly, reducing the risk of our hoses bursting on site by rigorlessly testing and certifying that all hoses were functioning correctly,” says Lake.

Additionally, she points out that Rand-Air has programmed all compressors with a new fuel level programme to prevent the units from running out of diesel, which could directly have affected the customer’s production: on reaching 25% fuel capacity, the compressors trigger a yellow light that would begin to flash and show a warning on the personnel’s screens.

Sasol process engineer Johan Visagie says that the commissioning and start-up of the plant also required a steady flow of compressed nitrogen.
“The aproject criteria required reliable, oil-free compressor equipment . . . [so] we approached Rand-Air to supply us with six Atlas Copco oil-free compressors for this project,” says Visagie.

He points out that these compressors were installed parallel to each other, thereby ensuring that the required total flow rate and pressure of nitrogen gas were achieved.

“We were confident about proceeding with the project based on Rand-Air’s confidence that the compressors would serve their purpose, their utmost professionalism and several in-depth technical consultations on the proposed installation,” Visagie explains.

“As the compressors were being used in an application for which they were not originally designed, round-the-clock, careful management of this project and of the equipment was required, and a Rand-Air technician was on site at all times to facilitate this,” he says.

“As an experienced process engineer, I know the value of completing a component of a key project ahead of schedule, and in such a competent and professional manner. It is, quite frankly, invaluable.”

Further, he stresses that the continuous flow of nitrogen was “mission-critical” to the project, as final commissioning would never have been able to take place without it.

“Sasol, as a company, is typified by its stringent focus on safety and quality, and requires the same level of dedication from its sup- pliers. Therefore, we are extremely proud to have been selected by them for what was a challenging and interesting project, both technically and operationally, to execute,” concludes Rand-Air GM Louwrens Erasmus.