Axioma Servisas company is successfully continuing the project of installation of an enormous retort furnace in Estonia – the complex equipment installation work has been started at the construction site. Weighing almost 200 tonnes, the device was designed and built on the order of Enefit Power for the newly constructed shale oil plant Enefit 280-2. The value of this project amounts to as much as 9 million euros.
The record-breaking contract in the history of Axioma Servisas activities stipulates that the design, production, installation and start-up and adjustment works of the device with a length of more than 17 metres and a diameter of more than 6 metres will be completed by the end of 2023.
Design and production of the furnace started back in 2021
Design and production of the furnace started back in 2021 The design and production of the device started last year. Axioma Servisas’ partner Technoplan designed the cylindrical furnace according to extremely strict technical requirements, while the production was entrusted to two metal processing experts – AXIS Tech Estonia and Heavy Industry Estonia.
These companies with many years of experience in the production of non-standard parts manufactured the main components of the retort furnace – the central cylinder and two rear sections with banding rings, seals at the front and rear, support structures and the rotation mechanism with support rollers.
Cargo transported at night
With the help of mobile cranes, the central part of the retort and two sections with banding rings were safely moved onto the platforms of trucks transporting non-standard cargo.
Three convoys were used to transport the structures to the future Enefit 280-2 plant – a separate one for each part. The gigantic cargo from the cities of Tallinn and Kohtla-Järve were transported at night to avoid intense traffic.
“The trucks were sent to the construction site along predetermined routes and only after obtaining the necessary permits. In addition, it was necessary to dismantle several obstructing road signs and disconnect the wires of the overhead electricity line, which were hanging dangerously low,” said Darius Imbrasas, Head of the Service Division of Estonia.
The transported goods were accompanied by an escort all the way to the point of unloading.
The giant installed on the foundation of the plant
The retort furnace is installed at a height of 18 meters, on a pre-built monolithic reinforced concrete support structure. At the moment, the first stage of installation work is about to be completed. During this stage, the parts of the device were placed on the supporting structure, aligned in the centre and connected to each other. Metal frames were used for temporary anchoring – they will be removed after all retort furnace installation work is completed.
Extremely high precision is required for installation of this device because the retort furnace must rotate continuously in order for the heated raw material entering it at one end to mix and slide along the entire length of the equipment towards the outlet. A similar technology is also used in cement production,” said D. Imbrasas.
Other installation, start-up and adjustment works will be carried out in the following year, when the construction of the building will be completed. The Axioma Servisas team will install the lining (inner coating of thermal devices made of fire-resistant materials), install the drive, seals, service platform, ventilation system, sensors and automation.
Plant to be launched at the end of 2024
With the contribution of nearly 1,000 specialists, the construction works of Enefit 280-2 will be completed in 2024. The new building will be constructed next to the already operating shale oil plant Enefit 280.
According to the contract signed with the customer, it is stipulated that Axioma Servisas specialists will monitor whether the installed retort furnace is operated correctly for two years from the launch of the plant.
“We have been working with this type of plants for more than 20 years. We know the specifics of servicing and repairing these furnaces very well,” added D. Imbrasas.
Enefit Power company is a member of the state-owned Estonian energy group Eesti Energia, which unites more than 20 companies. The group is the largest energy producer in the Baltic States.
