Main contractor Babcock partnered with Metso to implement capacity upgrades of the Usutu Pulp CRU1 and Ngodwana CRU1 Black Liquor recovery boilers. We took responsibility for project management, detail engineering, fabrication, supply and construction, while Metso undertook process design and basket supply.
Sappi boiler upgrades
The boiler capacity upgrades necessitated a complete pressure envelope replacement (including drums), within a brownfields environment on a normal annual shutdown. Innovative techniques were used to deconstruct the existing plant and rebuild the new boilers in the shortest possible time. Upgrading of existing load bearing structures was required to accommodate the new boiler loads before construction of the boiler envelopes could begin. Full integration into existing equipment had to be completed before the units could be returned to service.
Interesting fact:
Babcock completely replaced the entire boiler installation in a single outage of 60 days at Ngodwana and 40 days at Usutu.
