Sinochem Refining & Chemicals accelerates pipeline pressure testing to ensure operational commissioning for coal-to-hydrogen production

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Sinopec Refining & Chemicals Accelerates Pipeline Pressure Testing to Prepare for Commissioning – Author/Source: Sinopec News Network, Date: 2020-01-09, Clicks: 23. On January 8th, it was reported from the 180,000 standard cubic meters per hour coal-to-hydrogen plant under construction at the Sinopec Refining & Chemicals project that the project management team from SDCC Engineering Project Management Company, which is responsible for PMC management, has taken effective measures to urge the various construction units to speed up the pressure testing of the process pipelines, thereby helping to complete the construction of these pipelines. It is reported that the 180,000 standard cubic meters per hour coal-to-hydrogen plant operated by Sinochem Refining and Chemicals has approximately 120 kilometers of process pipelines in total, with a pipeline welding workload of over 380,000 inches in length; of this, the gasification unit accounts for around 160,000 inches in length, while the purification unit accounts for over 220,000 inches in length. Classified by the pressure testing sections of the process pipelines, the coal-to-hydrogen plant has nearly 750 such sections: there are over 240 in the gasification unit and over 500 in the purification unit. Since the height of the gasification framework reaches nearly 110 meters, not only is there a large amount of pipeline welding required, but all work also has to be carried out at heights, making installation challenging. Therefore, this represents a key focus and difficulty in terms of management. In order to complete the installation of the process pipelines for the coal-to-hydrogen plant at Sinopec Refining and Chemicals on schedule, the project management team of Sinian Construction Project Management Company, along with the Sinopec Refining and Chemicals Project Department that is under PMC management, requested in October that the general contractor and all other participating units initiate pipeline pressure testing as soon as possible. They urged these units to focus on pipeline pressure testing in order to accelerate the completion of pipeline installation, thereby using this process to drive forward the overall progress of process pipeline installation. To accelerate the pipeline pressure testing process, the Project Department of Sinochem Refining & Chemicals has done a great deal of work. First, it urged various installation units to complete the division of pressure testing sections as soon as possible, prepare pressure testing plans, and submit the relevant documentation for approval in advance ； Secondly, urge the non-destructive testing units to work overtime in accordance with the pipeline pressure testing plan to carry out weld inspection as soon as possible, issue the inspection reports promptly, and ensure that all necessary documentation for the pressure testing is ready, thereby creating the conditions for the pipeline pressure testing ； Finally, the Project Department of Sinochem Refining & Chemicals holds daily meetings on pipeline pressure testing to promptly address any issues that arise during this process, and to expedite the delivery of pipes and fittings, thereby removing obstacles to pipeline installation and pressure testing. After more than two months of round-the-clock efforts, by the time of the handover of Sinochem Refining’s coal-to-hydrogen plant on December 28, over 560 pressure testing packages had been completed, accounting for 75% of the total required. After the completion of the coal-to-hydrogen plant at Sinochem Refining & Chemicals, in order to ensure the smooth commencement of commissioning trials in April 2020, the project team responsible for this initiative accelerated the pressure testing process. On one hand, it urged all participating units to concentrate their efforts and work overtime to complete the installation of all process pipelines by the Spring Festival. On the other hand, during the pressure testing phase, it pushed these units to swiftly complete the connection of the process pipelines inside the plant with those outside the plant, so that fluids such as water, steam, and air could be introduced into the plant as soon as possible, thereby enabling the entire process to function properly and meeting the requirements for commissioning trials. To date, the coal-to-hydrogen plant of Sinochem Refining & Chemicals has completed more than 680 pressure testing cycles, accounting for 91% of the total. Thanks to effective and feasible measures, the pipeline pressure testing is progressing rapidly, and the finalization of the process pipelines is being accelerated on a comprehensive basis.