Pentair Valves & Controls has successfully completed a major shutdown of the Doel plant, further expanding its maintenance contract with the plant’s operator, Electrabel. Under its specialist service brands SABO and Sempell, Pentair provided comprehensive and effective shutdown support, minimizing outage time and ensuring a smooth re-start within the specified timeframe.
The Doel plant is Belgium’s second largest reactor and provides around 30% of the country’s energy demand. With a total of 370 valves on-site, the majority of which are installed within the primary circuit, the Doel 4 shutdown is Pentair Valves & Control’s largest service project to date. 47 highly-qualified and experienced SABO and Sempell valve technicians worked on-site to complete the scheduled shutdown in only three weeks, keeping outage time to a minimum and avoiding potential energy shortages. It was the second time Electrabel awarded the two service partners with a major project after successfully managing the shutdown of the smaller Doel 3 site in 2011. “Plant managers are increasingly looking for service providers than can deliver the whole support package to simplify procedures and ensure a quick and efficient shutdown,” comments Peter Weissenfels, Director Service Europe and Africa, Pentair Valves & Controls.
“With the combined expertise and resources of SABO and Sempell, Pentair Valves & Controls was well-suited to meet Electrabel’s requirements and offered a comprehensive service package with a single point of contact. By entrusting us with the shutdown of Doel 4, Electrabel confirmed Pentair Valves & Controls as their preferred supplier and we look forward to an even closer relationship in the future.”
Electrabel added: “Doel 4 is one of the larger reactors we have on site. Finding one reliable service partner for the whole scope of work was therefore essential in order to use synergies and minimise communication efforts and shutdown times. SABO and Sempell had previously demonstrated their expertise and capabilities at our Doel 3 site, making them the obvious choice for such a large scale project.”
