An adequate gas plant maintenance program is key to guarantee the safety and optimal efficiency of such installations.
Learn about the benefits of a correct gas plant maintenance plan, the main measures for tank maintenance and what a team of cryogenic maintenance experts can do for your cryo plant.
The importance of professional gas plant maintenance
Establishing correct gas plant maintenance guidelines is essential for a number of reasons:
- Guarantee that the facilities comply with international and national legislation as well as recognised quality standards. This includes risk prevention for human staff involved in all related operations.
- Offer quality services.
- Take proactive measures to protect the environment and avoid unnecessary damage.
- Guarantee the equipment operates in an optimal and reliable way, enhancing equipment performance and the use of resources.
- Anticipate potential equipment failures and avoid unnecessary and costly downtime, minimizing costs.
- Respond to equipment breakdowns.
Some common operations in gas plant maintenance programs include detecting and repairing leaks, repairing and manufacturing control panels, inspecting and repairing cryogenic valves, and exploring pneumatic and electrical installations, among others.
The development of preventive and predictive gas plant maintenance programs (as opposed to corrective maintenance plans) guarantees that companies take proactive steps to reduce malfunctions and downtime, thus avoiding the associated economic costs.
On the one hand, preventive maintenance includes periodic and planned equipment tests and inspections in order to detect problems related to lubrication or oil and gas leakage.
On the other hand, predictive maintenance uses AI and other current technology to estimate potential failures (for instance, taking measurements and processing signals) before they happen.
Related content: Cryogenic Filling Station Maintenance – doing the job right!
Tips for optimal gas plant maintenance
Follow all the regulations and certificates
There are a number of legal regulations and international certificates that refer to gas plants and cryogenic plant maintenance. Some of these include:
- RD 706/2017.
- ITC-ICG 04: for satellite LNG plants.
- ITC-ICG 05: for fuelling stations devoted to gas-propelled vehicles.
- ITC EP6: for transportable pressurised containers.
- UNE 60250: testing protocols that must be undertaken every 15 years in gas plant maintenance programs.
How often should you check your equipment?
Periodic gas plant maintenance inspections must be undertaken in order to guarantee safety and smooth operations.
Their regularity might depend on the exact characteristics for the plant. For instance, natural gas plants are obliged to undergo obligatory inspections every 5 years. However, a preventive yearly inspection is recommended to detect potential failures or issues.
Get an experienced team of experts
Professionals in cryogenic maintenance are able to provide their expertise in determining the state and potential failures of cryo equipment, as well as introducing the adequate corrective measures when needed.
At Cryospain, we provide the following actions in order to guarantee a correct gas plant maintenance for our clients.
- Periodic maintenance for cryogenic pumps
- Checking for external tank coatings, pipes, drainage, anchorage and foundation systems, keys and measure and control equipment, closure systems, protection for corrosion systems and ground connections, among other elements.
- Undertaking multiple leak tests in pipes, hoses and nozzles
- Performing pressure tests following UNE 60250 requirements.
- Help companies comply with international and national legislations and standards.
We’re able to carry out these tasks both at our workshop and at the client’s facility, depending on the needs in each case. Our workshop presents a clean room dedicated exclusively to the repair and maintenance of cryogenic pumps.
Our team consists of highly specialized professionals that have access to the necessary technical means for all types of repairs. At the same time, our technicians are trained in the prevention, detection, and resolution of damage to liquid and compressed natural gas systems.
Furthermore, we’re also ready to supply the necessary devices for the maintenance of the cylinders and equipment in order to control production traceability. With the goal of minimizing delivery times, we have a permanent stock of a wide range of parts for centrifugal and piston cryogenic pumps.
Finally, we are also able to adapt plant operations to function in manual or automatic mode, according to the needs of each project and client.
This means at Cryospain we provide the necessary assistance for the whole life cycle of our cryogenic tanks: we not only design tailor-made cryogenic plants, but also provide professional maintenance services to guarantee smooth operations at all times.
Want to learn more about gas plant maintenance and how to find a reliable team that guarantees professional maintenance services? Get in touch with us.
