Oil-free air solution maintains nitrogen supply during critical electrical shutdown at major chemical plant
A planned electrical shutdown posed a significant operational risk at a major chemical complex in northern Italy. Our customer needed to replace a critical electrical switch, which required cutting power to nearly the entire compressor station supplying nitrogen to the site. Any pressure drop in the nitrogen tanks would have impacted not just one plant, but the entire chemical complex. Maintaining uninterrupted nitrogen supply was therefore essential.
Customer challenge
A planned electrical shutdown at a chemical complex in northern Italy threatened to interrupt nitrogen supply across the entire site, putting production continuity at risk.
Our solution
A temporary oil-free air solution using immediately available equipment, installed and coordinated to maintain constant nitrogen pressure during the shutdown.
The result
Uninterrupted nitrogen supply throughout the electrical shutdown, allowing production to continue without disruption.
Maintaining critical utilities under tight constraints
Nitrogen is a critical utility in chemical processing. Without compressed air, there is no nitrogen and without nitrogen, production across the site would come to a standstill.
Consequently, the project came with several non-negotiable requirements:
- Strict time constraints
- High technical standards
- Flawless coordination
- Zero tolerance for downtime
The solution had to be immediately available and seamlessly integrated into an already complex operating environment.
A temporary oil-free air setup designed for continuity
Atlas Copco Specialty Rental provided a temporary oil-free air solution designed to maintain constant pressure in the customer’s nitrogen system throughout the electrical shutdown.
The installed setup included 4 PTS1600 oil-free air compressors and 4 CD780+R dryers. Together, the system delivered:
- 9,000 m³/h of oil-free air
- Operating pressure of 6.5 bar
- Pressure dew point of -40°C
Why This Approach Worked
The configuration was selected to fully mitigate the risks associated with the power outage and to ensure uninterrupted nitrogen supply across the site. The customer was fully confident in the reliability and performance of this oil-free air setup – confidence built on previous successful collaborations.
Under these conditions, execution was just as critical as the equipment itself. Immediate availability of the required compressors and dryers, precise coordination before and during the shutdown, and proven expertise in managing critical, time-sensitive rental applications all played a key role in the project’s success. Throughout the planned shutdown, nitrogen pressure remained stable and production across the chemical complex continued without disruption.
This intervention builds on an established partnership between Atlas Copco Specialty Rental and the customer across multiple sites. Following this successful project, a new assignment is already scheduled for the coming months, further reinforcing the long-term collaboration. The customer was satisfied with the rental service received and the way the project was handled.
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At Atlas Copco, we have been turning industrial ideas into business-critical benefits since 1873. By listening to our customers and knowing their needs, we deliver value and innovate with the future in mind.
Great ideas reinforce sustainable development. At Atlas Copco Specialty Rental, we team up with our customers to set up state-of-the-arttemporary air, flow, steam and nitrogen solutions. Our passionate experts have extensive application and equipment knowledge. We understand our customers' needs and can provide a total solution for any industry, no matter if it is for emergencies or planned projects. We are a division of the Power Technique business area, headquartered in Boom, Belgium and offer specialty rental solutions under several brands around the globe.