REFINERY DECOMMISSIONING
Opened in November 2022, the construction site at the former IES Italiana Servizi refinery in Mantua, which has been idle for years, is the next big challenge for Armofer: keywords decommissioning, complex construction site, heavy duty.  In fact, the vastness of the site, the complexity of the interventions, and the height of the plants are all factors that have put the Armofer team to the test, from the technicians in the Engineering office for the technical design of the interventions, to the environmental managers who, in agreement with the local ATS, plan and carry out the reclamation of the decommissioned plants and any process residues, and finally the site managers who manage the activities day by day. The site is proceeding swiftly with the decommissioning of the plants, the cutting of the iron and its valorisation, and the final reclamation work.

ZEUS LIEBHERR R980 DEBUT ON SITE
The site was the occasion for the official debut in March 2023 of Zeus Liebherr 980, Armofer's newest crawler excavator, Liebherr technology, 200 ton class, obviously in a heavy duty set-up, with a 27 m demolition boom capable of carrying a decidedly 'production' iron shear. The celebration for the arrival of Zeus at the construction site was preceded by a couple of weeks dedicated to the arrival of the nine exceptional convoys in which the machine with its 200 ton weight and three demolition booms is configured. In spite of such an imposing size, assembly operations are quite smooth and require no special equipment on site.
On 5 March, in the presence of technicians, journalists and many guests, the spectacular 'first clamping' ceremony for the demolition giant, the new flagship of the Red Fleet.

ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION
Removing declared hazardous materials is the first major issue to be tackled on the construction site: after careful evaluation and analysis, it precedes dismantling and demolition operations for the duration of the construction site.
Any hazardous materials found must be documented, treated, handled, cleaned up and finally taken to an authorised landfill site. All this must be done following precise instructions and strict legal procedures, under the supervision of the ATS. We are talking about materials containing asbestos fibres, mineral wool and other materials similar to these.
Thanks to the collaboration between ATS, IES Italiana and Armofer, the reclamation of the Mantua refinery was an opportunity to set up a model site and 'do school', i.e. to host technicians in training to understand safety management in reclamation procedures live on site.

Reclamation 'off site': in dedicated area
The 'off-site' reclamation takes place in a dedicated outdoor area, suitably equipped, into which all materials to be reclaimed are introduced. On site, a small masonry service building in the centre of the refinery was chosen. It was 'confined' i.e. sealed with double PE sheets and spray glue and completed with two Decontamination Units. UDM, or Outgoing Materials Decontamination Unit, with 3 stages and a UDP, Personal Decontamination Unit, subdivided into 4 stages and complete with a dirty room, shower, clean room where the personnel, suitably trained and following a specific procedure both on entry and exit, change, take new PPE or leave them to be disposed of/cleaned, find and/or leave their own clean personal clothing. In the confined chamber, all items to be reclaimed are brought in and stored in batches: valves, flange gaskets, plant webbing... they will come out when declared perfectly "safe" by ATS to be definitively disposed of in accordance with legal procedures.

Reclamation 'in place': the 'glove bag' technique
Flange gaskets, webbing and other insulating material containing asbestos fibres, especially if in a friable matrix or visibly deteriorated, need to be made safe: these items are reclaimed 'in situ', exactly where they are, to reduce any risks associated with handling the material.
This is done using the glove-bag technique: a preventive encapsulation around, but wider than, the artefact to be reclaimed. All the tools required for the reclamation are previously placed in the glove-bag. It has two sleeves through which the worker inserts his hands (like gloves, hence the term 'glove-bag') for cleaning, cutting the reclamation, spraying with a fixative mixture and encapsulating within this small area held in a vacuum.
Thus working on each individual part of the plant, the 'clean' structures are prepared for the next stage: the arrival of the large construction vehicles for mechanical demolition.

DEMOLITIONS
The heaviest, most daring operations are entrusted to the powerful new demolition vehicle: Zeus. In the cab Andrea Cinerari
In the refinery it works with a 'production' configuration: its 'shortest' boom, which, combined with a 6 m extension wanted by Armofer, reaches 32 m operating height and incredible power. It can mount a hydraulic shear of up to 15 tonnes for an incredible production output and to tackle sheet metal, pipes, girders and other steel structures of the former refinery even at very considerable heights that are usually tackled with hot cutting and dismantling and then demolished on the ground, on site.
With primary demolition machines of this calibre, Armofer opts for excellence: a technology that combines productivity and efficiency with a high degree of safety due to the fact that the presence of workers engaged in the specific process is drastically limited and the hot cutting procedure with oxyacetylene flame is almost completely excluded.

INDUSTRIAL DISASSEMBLY AND RELOCATION
The decommissioning site of the former IES refinery in Mantua faces a new chapter: an industrial relocation project that will allow part of the refinery's plants to be dismantled and put back into service in other production facilities. Some of the plants, which were definitively shut down in Mantua about ten years ago due to the strategies chosen in our country, are nevertheless technologically not only functional, but can still offer an excellent level of performance. Armofer has therefore decided to take this new path of reuse instead of recovery, i.e. dismantling with the aim of relocating and putting them back into service elsewhere. A long and complex process, involving a number of partners, imposing a leap in scale, bringing us to the level of the world market and offering new scenarios and new advantages.
First and foremost, a high level of environmental sustainability, looking at the project in its entirety.
All details at the 15th decommissioning conference at Ecomondo in Rimini, where Armofer will bring the project to discuss it as a case study. Appointment in Rimini on 6/11/2024.