Kent Nufarm plant clearance and decontamination nears completion 09 June 2010

Agrochemicals firm Nufarm UK is nearing completion of a project to decommission its plant and clear the 12 acre site in Belvedere, Kent, following relocation of its UK operation to West Yorkshire.

In May 2009, Australian-owned Nufarm announced its decision to close the Belvedere plant and consolidate UK activities at Wyke, near Bradford,.

Less than a year later, the former top-tier COMAH (control of major accident hazards) plant at Crabtree Manorway North, which had an extensive chemicals processing history before the arrival of Nufarm in 1994, is almost cleared.

"Having made the decision to progress to demolition, our primary concern throughout has been for the safety of all operatives," comments Nufarm European operations manager Wigbold Nieuwenhuis.

"The project has also required intense planning and stringent management to minimise disruption to commercial properties bordering the site… As we near the final stages, I'm pleased to say that the demolition has progressed without incident and I am informed that it is scheduled to finish on time and to budget."

Clearance of the five hectare site has been a 14-week process for main contractor EDS, but the planning – handled by specialist engineering consultants and CDM (construction design management) co-ordinator RVA Group – commenced months ago.

"Our involvement began in March 2009, when we worked with Nufarm to assess the most commercially viable option, in terms of selling the site with equipment intact or widening its market appeal by clearing it," explains RVA managing director Richard Vann.

"Once the decision to demolish was made, we advised Nufarm of decontamination best practice, helped devise isolation strategies and audited compliance. As work has progressed, our role has further involved providing services from CDM co-ordination and project management, to compiling tender documentation and supporting the Nufarm team in the demolition contractor selection process and control of the subsequent site operations," he adds.

The works themselves have comprised asbestos removal, decontamination, dismantling, demolition and site clearance of the process plant equipment and buildings, including 30 structures – with many processes carried out concurrently.

"When heavy demolition of the four-storey steel frame chlorination building began, for example, the meticulous recovery of 30 high-value chemical reactors was underway elsewhere on the site," comments Vann.

"This delicate and precise asset recovery operation was carried out by a specialist team of dismantlers working to RVA-approved methodology. The greatest degree of care and co-ordination was necessary to ensure the vessels were salvaged, without damage, for installation at Nufarm UK's Wyke plant."

Brian Tinham

Related Companies
RVA Group

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