Member Article

MMI Engineering Successfully Delivers Contract for BOC

One of the UK’s leading providers of technical consulting and engineering services has been awarded – and has already successfully delivered – a contract to undertake pipework integrity checks at the Port of Tyne & Lynemouth Power Station working for the UK and Ireland’s largest supplier of industrial gases and related equipment.

Headquartered in Warrington, and with offices across the globe including Perth, Houston and Aberdeen, MMI Engineering (MMI) carried out its leading consulting services on behalf of BOC Limited (BOC).

Contracted to supply a nitrogen deluge fire suppression system for three biomass silos at thePort of Tyne Biomass Facility – to support the Lynemouth coal-to biomass fuel conversion - BOC required comprehensive analysis of its equipment supply to confirm its code compliance and ensure pipework integrity.

Speaking about the contract, Andy Nelson, Senior Consultant at MMI said: “Having previously worked with BOC on similar projects at Immingham and Peel Ports, we are delighted to have secured this further contract to carry out our services on such a high-profile project.

“The majority of our contract wins stem from repeat business and word of mouth, which is testament of the high-quality work that we consistently deliver, combined with on-hand support and straightforward technical advice.”

As part of the contract, MMI carried out pipe stressing of the Outside Battery Limits (OSBL) nitrogen supply pipework to assess the suitability under a range of design conditions determined within the parameters provided by BOC. The company utilised the latest industry accepted software – CAESAR II – to carry out design checks of the pipework and assess the imposed pipe reactions.

Through a combination of geometrically representative models and a series of hand calculations to confirm the adequacy of the equipment, MMI proposed a range of modifications to help improve the performance of the pipework system and its supports to ensure its overall integrity. Brian Pickering, Applications Sales Engineer at BOC said: “Ultimate performance of our equipment is of paramount importance at BOC, and having worked extensively with MMI we know that they deliver the highest technical consulting support which means we are confident that our products fully comply with – if not exceed – industry standards.

“MMI offered recommendations that have enabled our equipment to not only meet with necessary standards, but also remain optimal under maximum loading conditions. As such, this has added significant value to the installation by reducing maintenance costs and increasing performance.”

Located in the Northumberland coastal community of Lynemouth, the conversion project of the plant is expected to be completed in early 2018. This will see a reduction in NOx, SO2, dust and CO2 emissions, contributing to meeting the UK Government’s climate change targets.

Established in 2002, MMI comprises 70 staff, operating from bases in the UK, United States and the Asia Pacific region. The company provides technical consulting services to most industry sectors, specialising in the management of man-made and natural hazards through the application of a blend of expertise drawn from a range of scientific and engineering backgrounds. It boasts an impressive portfolio of clients including BOC, Shell, CSL, Babcock International, Unilever, Perenco, United Utilities, Sellafield Ltd and Ramboll.

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