CHP Plant Demolition – New Chapter of Innovation and Sustainability Begins

The demolition of ICL Boulby’s Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant marks an important step towards creating a more sustainable and environmentally friendly community. The closure of the plant, which was previously used to support Potash production, has allowed for the development of a new ‘Green Space’ initiative aimed at promoting biodiversity and reducing carbon emissions.

In 2002, the CHP plant was built to increase the efficiency of electricity and heat supplies to the process plant using Natural Gas as the primary fuel. However, the plant has become less economically viable after Potash production ceased in 2018, leading to a decision to demolish the plant with the help of Hughes & Salvidge.

Mammoet crane ready for the CHP stack to come down.

The structure of the plant covered an area of 1100m2, featuring a 15m high steel frame and glass-reinforced plastic panels and the plant equipment consisted of three boilers, two of which were operational while the other two were gas-powered engines serving as backups, along with other related auxiliary equipment.

The scope of works included decommissioning of all mechanical and electrical equipment and services, soft strip of the CHP plant, demolition of the CHP plant including all plant items and the chimney stack, clearing of all arising’s and slab protrusions, removal of pipe bridges, and installation of handrail to leading edge.

The equipment used for the project included a 500-ton mobile crane, as well as a 95-ton mobile crane for support with rigging. The client provided a 60-meter mobile elevating work platform (MEWP), and a Hitachi 870 360-degree excavator.

Here are some additional details on the heavy-duty machinery that may be of interest:

• The 500-ton mobile crane is quite impressive – to put it into perspective, that’s about the weight of 40 elephants!
• The 95-ton mobile crane was used for support with rigging, which is the process of attaching and securing heavy equipment to ensure it can be lifted and moved safely.
  Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs) are commonly used in construction and other industries to provide workers with a safe and stable platform for working at height. A 60-meter MEWP is quite large and would have been useful for accessing high-up areas on the project site.
• The Hitachi 870 360-degree excavator is a powerful piece of equipment often used for digging and moving large quantities of material. Its 360-degree capability means that it can rotate fully, making it easier to reach different areas on the site without having to move the entire machine.

This project comes as a series of buildings that are due to be decommissioned as part of a programme to produce ‘more green space’ on the mine site. Further information on this can be found here.