Despite freezing cold and falling snow, Stork Technical Services transported a tower weighing 340 tons and more than 70 meters long from IJmuiden to Geleen. That’s where DSM is converting an existing nitric acid plant from IJmuiden for the production of artificial fertilizer. Moving the plant to Geleen is a major operation. Stork Technical Services was in charge of the dismantling work in IJmuiden, and spent several months carefully preparing for the relocation of the complete plant.

The tower, in particular, demanded a lot of time and attention as Bas Pauwels, senior project manager, recalls. “It had to be transported right across the Netherlands to south Limburg over waterways and highways.” The tower was moved in one piece, complete with pipelines and platforms. “We had to have part of the A2 highway closed and some of the crash barriers, traffic lights and lampposts temporarily removed”, says Pauwels describing this special transport operation. “Exciting? It certainly was. Because despite all the preparations it’s still a huge assembly that wasn’t designed to be transported – horizontally. And it’s been standing proudly upright in IJmuiden for the past 30 years.”

While Stork Technical Services was making all the preparations for the relocation in IJmuiden, it was also supervising the building of a complete new compressor house, switching house and all the required new pipe bridges. “The tower is an important part of the plant relocation. Now that it’s been installed and the other parts of the plant have been transported from IJmuiden to Geleen, Stork Technical Services has started with all the E&I activities and work on the ‘outside plot’ pipelines. This consists of the installation of piping sections to connect the new plant to the surrounding plants. All the mechanical works are scheduled to be completed by the beginning of June 2010, so that we can then start-up the plant together with DSM.”

The relocation of the nitric acid plant from IJmuiden to Geleen means an end to the transport of ammonia by rail.

photography: www.studiojanssen.nl