Stepan UK

Sulphonation plant capacity increase completed by Haden Freeman in two week deadline

One of the world’s leading chemical manufacturers, Stepan UK, has completed a £750,000 sulphonation plant capacity increase. Carried out by Haden Freeman Ltd (HFL), the Manchester-based chemical engineering specialist, the project has allowed Stepan to increase its chemical production capacity by 25%, improve quality and provide the additional capacity to increase its share of the surfactant market.

Stepan UK is a global manufacturer of specialist intermediate chemicals used in consumer products and industrial applications. It is a leading merchant producer of surfactants, which are the key ingredients in consumer and industrial cleaning compounds. Manufacturers of detergents, shampoos, lotions, toothpastes and cosmetics depend on surfactants to achieve the foaming and cleaning qualities of their products. Stepan’s clients include the UK’s leading manufacturers of soap powders.

Due to continued increases in customer demand for surfactants, Stepan briefed HFL to increase the capacity of its UK plant based in Stalybridge, Cheshire. The project had to be carried out within a strict two week window while one third of the plant was temporarily shut. Overrunning would impact significantly on Stepan’s production capacity, causing potentially hundreds of thousands of pounds of losses.

To achieve the projects’ tight deadlines and tough specification, HFL deployed a team of 16 to cover process design, mechanical engineering, piping and layout and control system design for the plant. The project was fast tracked due to the time constraints, and was split across HFL’s Manchester office, as well as on-site in Stalybridge. The strip out and installation of new equipment and the setting up of the control system was done within the two week window in June while planning, design and coordination work ran from January 2005. The project was completed on time and to budget.

HFL has a significant body of experience in the chemical sector and it has an alliance agreement with Stepan which has been in place for three years, contracting them to carry out plant improvement and upgrade projects for between £20,000 and £1m.

Ian Dunkley, Project Manager from Haden Freeman, said: “We have a successful track record in implementing and managing chemical plant capacity increases. With this project, timing was key and specialist planning allowed the work to be carried out in an extremely tight timeframe, minimising the possibility of lost revenue.”

Darrell Hampshire, European Operations Director of Stepan, said: “Stepan is now supplying increased quantities and types of High Active Ether Sulphates as a result of the upgrade and presently continue to capture an increased share of the UK market supply in this area. I’m certain that this project will make a significant contribution to our business success in customer satisfaction, plant operability, safety and reliability.”