⎪ Maintenance and asset management ⎪
scope growth without disrupting execution. “Credit must go to the client for the col- laborative approach adopted throughout execution. This was a critical success factor in a fast-tracked project where compressed timelines and parallel workstreams required rapid, joint decision-making,” says Pillay. Despite early schedule pressures and execution complexity, the project achieved mechanical completion within the revised outage programme and progressed success- fully through commissioning. Safety performance remained a key focus throughout construction, with the project achieving: • Zero Lost Time Injuries. • Full compliance with refinery safety systems. • Successful quality validation of all modifications. The outcome reflects disciplined planning, strong coordination and adaptive execution under challenging delivery conditions.
isational lessons from the project is the importance of focused integration manage- ment. “Projects executed under overlapping EPC structures require strong integration between engineering, procurement and construction planning from the outset,” he notes. The project also reinforced the impor- tance of aligning contracting strategies with execution realities and maintaining flexibility within delivery teams. “Beyond the immediate delivery results, this work strengthened our organisational capability in managing fast-tracked delivery environ- ments and reinforced the importance of tightly linking engineering maturity to downstream execution readiness,” he adds. The successful delivery of the project highlights Babcock’s capability to execute complex boiler modifications and retrofit work in live refinery environments. The project reflects the company’s broader capability in supporting industrial cus- tomers through lifecycle asset support, performance upgrades and environmental compliance improvements.
significantly reduced. Recurring gearbox, coupling and lubrication failures were largely eliminated, allowing maintenance execution to shift from reactive breakdown response toward planned maintenance programmes. In addition to technical interventions, Babcock worked with plant personnel to transfer alignment capabilities, formalise preventive maintenance routines and improve spare component selection. This ensured that reliability improvements could be sustained within the plant’s own operational practices. As many coal-fired power stations continue operating with ageing milling infrastructure, engineering-led rehabilitation programmes offer a practical alternative to full equipment replacement. Experience from these inter- ventions shows that correcting structural and alignment deficiencies can significantly improve reliability while extending asset life. https://www.babcock.co.za/ As refineries and petrochemical opera- tors continue to modernise infrastructure to meet environmental and operational requirements, demand is expected to grow for engineering partners capable of execut- ing complex brownfield modifications within operating plants. Projects of this nature demonstrate the importance of integrated engineering execution, strong planning discipline and collaborative delivery models in achieving successful outcomes. https://www.babcock.co.za/ The project also reinforced the importance of aligning contracting strategies with execution realities and maintaining flexibility within delivery teams.
Lessons from execution According to Pillay, one of the key organ-
Applying engineering discipline to restore milling plant reliability Reliability of coal milling plants remains a criti- cal determinant of performance in coal-fired steam generation facilities. However, many ageing installations continue to experience recurring failures driven by structural degra- dation, alignment deficiencies and historically reactive maintenance strategies. certain concrete foundations, contributing to structural instability. Localised repair methods, including partial machining or grout- ing, were found to provide only temporary improvement.
To quantify mechanical conditions, Babcock applied advanced diagnostic meth- ods, including 3D laser scanning and point cloud analysis. These investigations identified several key
Experience at Babcock demonstrates that engineering-led rehabilitation programmes can restore milling plant stability without the significant capital investment required for a full mill replacement. When Babcock assumed long-term main- tenance responsibility for a site's large steam generation milling plants, baseline conditions included accumulated service backlogs, compromised system redundancy and main- tenance programmes that had become largely reactive. Operational data indicated frequent mill outages linked to high vibration levels, lubri- cation failures, pulverised fuel leakage and drivetrain failures. Engineering investigation showed that these failures were frequently symptoms rather than root causes. Detailed inspections revealed several me- chanical deficiencies contributing to recurring failures. Distorted gearbox baseplates, move- ment at holding-down bolts, inappropriate washer selection and the absence of epoxy resin locking all resulted in progressive mis- alignment during operation. In addition, long-term oil and water contamination had reduced the stiffness of
contributors to instability: • Non-level baseplates.
• Eccentric mill centre lines. • Misaligned labyrinth seals. • Inconsistent bolt configurations. • Soft-foot conditions at gearbox interfaces. These issues contributed directly to pulverised fuel leakage, hot primary air ingress and increased loading of couplings and bearings. Engineering work focused on restoring the mill's mechanical reference structure. Corrective actions included baseplate re- placement, precision levelling, standardisa- tion of holding-down interfaces and elimina- tion of soft-foot conditions. Seal alignment corrections were also implemented to reduce PF leakage and thermal loading. All this cor- rective work was executed in accordance with OEM design requirements. Following corrective engineering in- terventions, milling plant redundancy was restored, and vibration-related defects were
Experience at Babcock demonstrates that engineering-led rehabilitation programmes can restore milling plant stability without significant capital investment.
May-June 2026 • MechChem Africa ¦ 31
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