When Marathon’s safety management team prioritized a gaseous chlorine elimination project at its refinery in Canton, Ohio, SSOE proved integral to improving safety efforts at the plant. Having successfully completed previous petroleum refinery work for the client, SSOE applied its expertise in chemical and process engineering to execute the project.
As part of the scope, SSOE oversaw design of the transition away from using liquid chlorine to chlorinate two cooling towers. The new design used sodium chlorite, bleach, and sulfuric acid to create chlorine dioxide needed to kill bacteria in the cooling towers. By conducting the transition, the client was able to eliminate gaseous chlorine storage, which had resulted in safety incidents. SSOE also incorporated the installation of a third party piece of equipment as well as new tanks at the refinery.
SSOE integrated as much of the existing equipment as possible, including piping and tanks. The firm also designed tie-ins and strategized cutovers. By doing so, the client not only minimized its operational downtime, but also reduced its capital cost by at least $200,000. Ultimately, SSOE’s project execution assisted in expediting the transition plan between the existing and future facilities for the refinery.
