Metso has improved valve availability at Neste's Porvoo refinery in Finland.
The successful maintenance project was the biggest ever for Metso’s valve services business in Finland. In total, about 270 Metso valves were maintained during the turnaround. Started in April and completed in mid-June the turnaround was the largest in the history of Neste’s Porvoo refinery.
Neste Porvoo refinery.
Metso’s service solution for the Neste turnaround consisted of maintenance planning, maintenance and spare parts, real-time project process follow-up and performance reporting. By using Metso spare parts, the customer can be sure that they are designed for the specific process, their certification will be maintained and equipment lifetime is optimized.
"Valve maintenance planning for the turnaround project was preceded of close cooperation between Neste and Metso. Metso’s installed base at the plant is quite big and by using their valve maintenance know-how we can be ensured that the valves will operate with maximum availability and reliability until the next turnaround," says Jarkko Niittymaa, Maintenance Manager, Neste.
Neste and Metso have a long customer relationship, and Metso’s valve solutions are contributing to Neste’s process efficiency at several refineries globally. Metso participated in the previous shutdown project at Porvoo refinery in 2010, too.
"We are glad that Neste relies on Metso with its valve maintenance needs. Our target is to ensure valve reliability for the next five years, which is the normal time period between refinery turnaround. We will continue to develop our service knowledge, capability and scope of offering to help our customers achieve outstanding, long-term process performance with high reliability and safety. It is extremely important that our customers can rely on supplier know-how during the tightly scheduled turnaround project. Our target is to further develop well-defined valve maintenance processes to enable even more flexible processes and operations during the turnarounds," emphasizes Timo Hänninen, Vice President, Services, Flow Control, Metso.
Metso has a total of 6 valve maintenance service centers in Finland. Their close proximity to customers strengthens Metso’s ability to stage, test and repair large numbers of valves to meet customers’ high-volume, fast-turnaround repair and service needs during scheduled plant turnarounds.
Leading flow control offering and service solutions for refineries
In a typical refinery or petrochemical project, Metso’s product range covers up to 90% of the needed valves. Reliable valve solutions are very critical components in refinery processes. The valves must withstand extremely demanding process conditions, such as high pressure and temperature, toxic and corrosive fluid, vibration and pressure shock under normal service conditions. Also, they must meet all safety requirements.
Customers are constantly developing their processes that continue to lead to higher efficiency and enhanced value addition, and this requires highly reliable valve solutions. Metso has deep industry expertise in valve solutions for refineries, and its comprehensive value-added services improve customers’ process efficiency. Metso’s flow control services are available through its more than 40 service centers worldwide employing over 400 dedicated service professionals with in-depth valve application expertise.
Metso’s valve technology centers and valve production facilities are located in Finland, the United States, Germany, China, South Korea, India and Brazil.