Hertel puts new Bayer vision into practice

Bayer and Hertel have developed a solid professional relationship over the years. Bayer Antwerp also chose Hertel as its general contractor for a shutdown of their Aniline installation which produces raw materials. The Aniline team developed a new vision for this shutdown, and Hertel ensured that it was put into practice. Both the approach and the general contractor they chose proved to be the right ones.

A new vision

Bayer believes that quality control and safety are of the utmost importance. The Aniline plant needed to be shutdown in order to perform inspections, cleaning works, preventative maintenance and repairs. They also needed to install new equipment including pumps, heat exchangers and piping systems in order to implement new projects. This meant there was a lot of work to do in a short amount of time.

Guido Vanbiervliet: "Hertel was entirely responsible for coordinating the work. This meant for example that the various contractors didn't come to us, but to Hertel when anything unexpected cropped up. This meant we had a single point of contact: we meet with the person responsible at Hertel to discuss the progress in the new shutdown coordination centre.

"An easy-to-read wall chart the planning officers created helps us here. The coordination centre was kept separate from the control room, so we wouldn't disturb certain business units' production. It is a more structured and efficient way of working. We naturally organised daily safety rounds in which both parties participated.”

Hertel is well-known for it's multidisciplinary approach. Johny De Dobbelaer, Project Leader at Hertel explains: “In this circumstance, Hertel was responsible for the piping, tracing and mechanical work. The work with cranes, cleaning, scaffolding, and insulation was performed by different contractors, but entirely under the Hertel team's guidance and watchful eye. It is a win-win situation as far as Hertel and Bayer are concerned: our experience with multidisciplinary jobs ensures the various teams get a feel for each other very quickly and the customer can concentrate on production as they don't have to coordinate as much or perform as much administration.”

Success in the face of the complexity

The tasks that needed completing were varied: from careful and exacting installation of insulated pipes to fitting heavy equipment. What's more, this work was carried out according to a strict schedule and deadline. Despite the wintry conditions, Hertel easily met the demanding safety conditions. This was made possible through constructive interaction between Hertel and Bayer staff. Because the teams exchanged valuable experiences, they kept to their schedule.

Bayer is positive about the new shutdown approach. The choice to trust a general contractor turned out to be the right one. Hertel proved worthy of that trust and showed the backbone needed to successfully complete such a programme. The project strengthened the good relationship between Bayer and Hertel.