Coupled plant sections
Distillation, conversion and desulphurisation are linked by the process and have to be taken out of and back into operation in a precise sequence.
Industries · Process industry
Refining & Fuels
We manage major turnarounds around catalyst changes and furnace work – as well as the transformation of the refinery into an energy and chemical park.
- since 2005
- our first industry
- Lead time
- 24–36 months' lead time for a major turnaround
- Dual role
- shutdown and conversion project at once
- 13 clients
- from this industry on our reference list
Market
Between full load and conversion
European refineries face the biggest transformation in their history. Capacity is leaving the market: sites are being closed, sold or repurposed. Refineries are becoming energy and chemical parks – with base oil and speciality production, with biogenic feedstocks and with hydrogen. Such transformations are no longer isolated cases but the new pattern.
For operators, this means two things at once: the existing plant has to keep running with high availability, because in a market with fewer, more intensively used plants every operating hour is hard cash. And the same plant has to be converted for a changed product portfolio. The result: turnarounds are planned shorter, scheduled more tightly, more project-heavy and economically more critical than ever.
This is where ep-cm started in 2005 – and where we are still at home today.
In a refinery, the question is not whether a turnaround takes place – but whether it takes place without incidents, on time and within budget.
Challenges
What is different here
Non-negotiable inspection windows
Recurring inspections of equipment subject to statutory inspection set the pace of the shutdown. Planning is built around these dates, not the other way round.
Extreme density of trades
At peak, a very large number of people work at the same time in a confined space – column opening, catalyst change, piping, E&I and inspections in parallel.
Scarce specialist resources
Catalyst teams, heavy-lift cranes and certified welders are in demand across Europe and have to be secured well in advance.
Growing project share
Hardly any shutdown comes without tie-ins for conversion projects. Turnaround logic meets project logic – in the same window.
Typical tasks
Your task – and what we offer for it
On the left: what operators in this industry come to us with. On the right: the service that covers it.
A major turnaround is coming up
Leadership from the definition phase to closeout and lessons learned – as the operator’s extended arm.
The scope keeps growing
Challenge workshops and a scope freeze that holds – the most expensive activity is the one that should never have been in the shutdown.
The date has to hold
Logic-linked, dynamic detailed schedules, critical path and progress measurement every shift.
We are converting the refinery
Schedule, cost and documents for conversion and tie-in projects – at the right scale, also across several projects.
We want to know where our TAR organisation stands
Objective assessment of the turnaround organisation – 16 analysis elements, with benchmark.
Is this schedule technically sound?
Measurable schedule quality – for your own plan as well as for those of your contractors and partners.
We are short of people for the peak
Schedulers, supervisors, site managers and QA/QC staff – vetted and for exactly the months you need them.
Clients
Clients from this industry
- Bazan Group
- BP
- ExxonMobil
- Gunvor
- MiRO
- Neste
- Nynas
- OMV
- OMV Petrom
- OQ
- Sasol
- Shell
- TotalEnergies
A selection of our clients in this industry. View all clients
Related services
Shutdown or project?
In this industry we support you in both worlds. From here you can go on to the services that belong to it.
Turnarounds
From the TAR-Check through scope and scheduling to leading the entire shutdown.
Go to servicesCapital projects
From feasibility through estimating and project controls to site management and overall responsibility.
Go to servicesFrequently asked questions
Questions answered
How early should turnaround planning at a refinery start?
Reliable milestone planning typically starts 24 to 36 months before the shutdown. A timely scope freeze is crucial: the later the scope is frozen, the more expensive changes become – and the greater the schedule risk in the tight execution window.
Do you also support modification and transformation projects?
Yes. Alongside classic turnarounds, we manage revamps and tie-ins for the conversion into energy and chemical parks – from the use of bio-based feedstocks to the integration of hydrogen. For this we use the same proven project controls methods as in any other capital project.
What makes refinery turnarounds so technically demanding?
The plant sections are coupled in process terms: distillation, conversion and desulphurisation have to be taken out of and returned to operation in a precise sequence. The pace is usually set by catalyst and furnace work – it is on the critical path and determines the length of the shutdown.
Do you work on the operator's side and independently?
Yes. We report to the operator, not to an executing trade – ep-cm is owner-managed and does not belong to any group with executing companies. In the refinery, this shows in the catalyst and furnace work: scope and sequence follow from the inspection regime and the condition of the plant, and we represent this view to everyone involved.
Do you cover shutdowns and capital projects equally?
Yes, and in this industry the two belong together: hardly any shutdown today comes without a modification element. We support you across the entire life cycle – from planning through control to execution and restart – and with temporary staff as well.
Our glossary explains technical terms from the shutdown and project business – 59 entries, each linked to the relevant service.
Let’s talk about
your plant.
Get in touch – we will respond within one working day, with people who know this industry. The initial call is free of charge.
Book an initial callPrefer to talk directly? +49 (0)211 5667 7754