Paul Withers’ childhood fascination with Meccano stood him in good stead for his most recent challenge at the Immingham Renewable Fuels Terminal (IRFT).
HBPW’s Managing Partner was the original design engineer behind phases one and two of the IRFT, a multi-million pounds development for Associated British Ports which saw the creation of a storage and handling facility for imported wood pellets, most of which are now used by Drax Power Station near Selby.
However, the sheer scale of the operation subsequently created a different type of challenge requiring a certain mindset to find a solution.
Paul Withers takes up the story: “Now that the IRFT is working at full tilt, it is fair to say that it features some pretty heavy duty plant and machinery, all of which needs periodically servicing. The new challenge, therefore, was to best determine how to create permanent and safe access to all this ‘kit’.”
But it was no mean feat.
“Servicing usually takes place during planned ‘outage’ periods when power supplies are completely shut down, however, if you can’ access machinery – some of it is so tall that it would need scaffolding towers – then how can you carry out repairs and maintenance?
“I had to look at all the equipment in situ – conveyors, electric cables, hydraulic machines, you name it – and decide how we could build a series of Meccano style ramps, ladders and platforms that could be pieced together to create permanent and easy service access points.”
But because there is a lot of pellet dust in the vicinity the IRFT is deemed a potentially explosive environment with huge health and safety restrictions. .
“It meant everything had to be lifted into place manually because we were not allowed to use cranes or carry out any welding, drilling or metal bashing. The result was a series of lightweight metal pieces that bolted together to form a permanent access solution in machinery areas right across the site.
“I am delighted to report that it all came together well, largely thanks to my Meccano mentality and a great support team. Clearly all those days playing with Meccano as a youngster were not entirely wasted!”
Photo Credit:Main photo courtesy of www.alansmeccano.org/