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Plant shutdowns

posted: 23/09/2024

Understanding plant shutdowns at the Horne Smelter

Plant shutdowns are essential for carrying out preventive maintenance as well as for inspecting and replacing equipment that allows plant operations to run smoothly throughout the year. Although necessary, a shutdown can represent a major challenge, both in terms of planning its implementation and managing its impact on the surrounding community. Thus, executing the planned shutdown and restarting the plant’s operations constitute a substantial challenge for the smelter and its teams.

What is a plant shutdown?

A plant shutdown is a planned period during which the Horne Smelter brings production to a complete halt to carry out maintenance on its equipment.

Planned by a dedicated team, the Horne Smelter proceeds with a plant-wide shutdown every 18 months.

Work ranges from recurring tasks that are performed every single shutdown to major projects, which mainly involve equipment that has reached the end of its useful life or that requires special maintenance due to its use. The shutdown is also a good time to modernize our equipment.

  • Date

    September 15 2024

    Start of the work

  • Duration

    22

    days

  • Mobilization

    1,200

    employees and contractors

  • Replacement of an exchanger at the acid plant
  • Replacement of reactor rollers
  • Replacement of an electrostatic precipitator
  • Briquetting of vessels (reactor and convertor)
  • Cleaning of exchanger
  • Cleaning and inspection of chimneys
  • Cleaning and improvement work on electrostatic precipitators

Mitigation measures in the Notre-Dame district

To limit the impact of its shutdown and disturbances for the surrounding community, mitigation measures are put in place. They include:

  • Raising awareness among our employees and contractors to reduce driving speed in the neighborhood.
     
  • Making available alternative parking spaces to reduce the number of cars in the neighborhood.
     
  • Installing soundproof walls in strategic locations.