Motunui plant recommissioned

Press, 21 November 1987, Page 27

Motunui plant recommissioned

PA Wellington Normal operations resumed yesterday at the New Zealand Synthetic Fuels Corporation gas to petrol plant at Motunui following a successful start up of the Methanol No. 2 plant. The Synfuel complex has been producing petrol at roughly half normal levels since the August 30 failure in the reformer furnace of the Methanol No. 2 plant Estimates of the repair cost which finished six weeks ahead of schedule, stand at SI.6M. It had been estimated that repairs to the reformer would take until the end of November, with full production to be achieved by year end. Repairs to the reformer furnace required procurement of a complete set of 680 catalyst tubes. These were manufactured in the United

States to Synfuel’s order and air freighted to New Zealand on specially charted cargo planes.

The general manager of Synfuel, Mr Phil Aplin, said yesterday that the work finished ahead of time because of innovative techniques, and tremendous effort of all Synfuel employees and contractors.

“An an example, a method was developed by Synfuel enabling removal and installation of tubes through doors cut in the side of the reformer furnace. This proved faster and less expensive than conventional methods which would have required removal of the reformer roof. “Further time savings were made in the expediting of replacement tubes. The rate of manufacture was improved, and we workable to schedule planes for faster delivery”, Mr Aplin said.