Name and Location
Air separation unit (ASU) project, Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Client
African Oxygen (Afrox).

Project Description
The project involves the installation of a 150 t/d ASU in Zone 3 of the Coega industrial development zone (IDZ), near Port Elizabeth, in the Eastern Cape.

The ASU will produce liquid oxygen, liquid nitrogen and liquid argon.

The ASU will also have ten-day storage facilities on site.

The ASU will be operated from a global operations facility in the UK using the best modern technology to ensure optimal output and quality products.

The project is part of Afrox’s R1.5-billion programme to boost customer-service levels and support the group’s growth strategy in South Africa, while securing more business in sub-Saharan Africa.

Value
The project is valued at R300-million.

Duration
The aim is to complete the construction and commissioning of the unit in the third quarter of 2014. The first flow of gas is scheduled for October 2014.

Latest Developments
International heavy lifting and plant relocation solutions provider Vanguard successfully completed its contract to transport abnormal load equipment for South African gas company Afrox’s ASU in October.

Vanguard was contracted for two phases by German forwarding company Transgerma Riedl & Kiehntopf to transport equipment from the Coega port to the Afrox site over three months. Phase 1 included the transportation of the 100 t, 38 m cold box, with Phase 2 entailing the transport of one oxygen tank and three nitrogen tanks.

The journey from the port to the Afrox site was about 9 km and took about two hours.

For the first phase, Vanguard discharged the cold box directly from the vessel in the Coega port onto a long, self-propelled modular trailer.

One of the main challenges was the space constraints at the site where the unit needed to be offloaded. However, this was addressed by Vanguard’s particular trailer configuration, which allowed for the appropriate levels of manoeuvrability. The trailer could then negotiate road corners and access to the site without having to make any changes to infrastructure.

An important consideration was to find the optimal route for the large, heavy unit, as it was shipped in assembled form and not in smaller components. The optimal route needed to allow for the self-propelled trailer and load to reach its destination without affecting the infrastructure within the IDZ.

Before the arrival of the cold box, Vanguard was able to advise Transgerma Riedl & Kiehntopf of the advantages of using the Coega port instead of the Port Elizabeth harbour.

Positioned on staging beams on the self-propelled modular trailer, the cold box could then be staged on stands at the Afrox site while the trailer was hydraulically lowered and driven out.

The second phase of Vanguard’s contract entailed moving the oxygen tank and three nitrogen tanks, each weighing about 100 t and measuring almost 30 m.

Vanguard also handled all the smaller shipments of cargo, such as containers and smaller break bulk, as a series of shipments arrived over three months, from August to October this year.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Afrox, tel +27 11 821 3000 or fax +27 11 821 3066.