GWS Vacuum Equipment used for emptying and refilling a LNG Tanker cold box while on the move, saving Millions

Perlite Management Services Ltd have carried out a critical perlite removal project on board theLNG tanker mv "Al Gattara”.

They decided the most efficient and cost effective way would be for the whole project to be completed while the ship was on its return journey from the UK back to Qatar.

As the equipment would be at sea, reliability was of the utmost importance, it also had to be robust enough to perform well in the harsh conditions. Any breakdowns would have been a disaster, with huge cost implications. Perlite Management Services Ltd chose GWS Vacuum Equipment due to our enviable record of delivering reliable equipment.

Perlite Management Services used a GWS 50 Series Vacuum Machine and Filter Hopper to carry out the critical operation.

Our equipment can just be seen circled on the right whist onboard mv “Al Gattara” as she travels through the stunning Suez Canal.

The Operation 
Paul Brown, Director for Perlite Management Services explains the process. “There was a suspicion of a leak having developed inside the cold box located in the compressor house. The perlite was removed from the cold box by a GWS 50 Series Vacuum Machine, and deposited by a GWS Filter Hopper into bulk bags for storage. A Perlite Management Services engineer had to enter the cold box on ropes so that the perlite could be reached with the suction hoses, until sufficient void had been created to enable safe access through the bottom manway. The cold box was then cleaned thoroughly without spillage into the compressor house to enable entry for the inspectors to find the leak on the heat exchanger. Once identified, the leak could be welded, NDT and pressure testing carried out and the bottom manway re-sealed”.

Paul continues “The perlite was then re-installed to refill the cold box, adding extra bags of fresh perlite to top up the equipment before closing the top manway.

The Result
The job was completed before reaching Dubai, which enabled the ship to arrive on time to take on the next load of LNG in Qatar. Failing to achieve the deadline would have cost the shipping company in excess of 4 Million USD.

We aim to make working with us as simple and convenient as possible, we pride ourselves on the quality and reliability of our equipment and our high level of customer service.

For further information on our range of industrial vacuum equipment or to speak directly to one of our expert engineers, contact our friendly team now on Tel: 01724 856665 or Email: mail@gwsvacuum.co.uk

Or visit our website www.gws-engineers.co.uk

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