Topas Advanced Polymers called on Mammoet’s expertise to build its state-of-the-art production plant at the Leuna chemical site in Germany.
Working closely with the client and other contractors, the Mammoet team took on key tasks in the planning and execution of all heavy lifts, installation work, and internal transport. “Bringing all crane, internal transport and installation services together at Mammoet helped to simplify the project’s processes,” said Marcel Fahnenstich, site manager of Topas.
As construction progressed, activity at the site steadily increased, while available space became limited. Concurrently, flexibility was needed to react to short-term schedule changes and avoid delays. During the construction phase, around 500 plant components, including large and heavy items such as the reactor, columns, silos, tanks, heat exchangers, furnaces, and numerous smaller and sensitive units like pumps, skid systems, and special equipment, had to be moved and installed.
The installation of 12 silos posed a particular logistical challenge. These items had to be installed just after their delivery. When the transport sequence changed at the last minute, Mammoet adjusted the installation plan. This avoided additional temporary storage and heavy lifting.
Due to the relatively low weight of the silos, which weighed up to 10 tonnes, close monitoring of wind and weather conditions was required. The team made optimal use of the available wind windows and ensured that all silos were installed safely and on schedule.
Further complex heavy lifting and installation work followed in the confined steel structure with minimal clearance, demanding exact planning and execution. With its new production facility, Topas Advanced Polymers is setting another milestone in the manufacturing of specialty polymers. Cyclic olefin copolymers (COC) are recyclable, which makes them an important part of sustainable products and the circular economy, said Mammoet.
