First Push at ACO
Otto Simon Ltd • September 5, 2016
Battery 3 of the Appleby Coke Ovens (ACO) at Scunthorpe, is back in business!
The first push of the newly restored battery was conducted in late July after an extensive recovery project which included the replacement of all 33 oven door frames, pulman valves and ascension pipe assemblies, and service pipework. In addition to this, several end flue repairs and extensive ceramic welding of the oven refractory was carried out.
The project took more than 250,000 man-hours to complete and was achieved whilst working between 2 live batteries with minimal disruption to normal operations; which enabled continued production of coke for British Steel’s blast furnaces.
The battery had been steadily declining in its ability to produce coke and gas, and was struggling to produce enough coke to sustain the blast furnaces. In December 2015 the decision was made to ‘Hot Idle’ the battery (hold the battery at a temperature of 950°C while the work was carried out) and repair works commenced in January 2016.
Otto Simon carried out the majority of the project, acting as Principal Contractor under CDM 2015. Nick Shaw, Otto Simons’ Head of Coke, Construction and Commissioning said: “It’s been a pleasure to work with British Steel on this project. We forged a strong and productive working relationship to make sure the project was delivered safely and on time. Despite challenges of working between operational batteries, a tremendous amount of effort and engineering has gone into bringing battery 3 back into production with a greatly improved environmental performance."
Otto Simon’s hard work and the coordination between project teams has been praised by British Steel’s Recovery Team Leaders, Chris Peill and Dale Cryer. Dale said "Every single person involved in the project should feel proud with what we've achieved”, with Chris commenting: “There was fantastic cooperation between production teams and the rebuild contractors to get the project finished on time.”
Thanks to the recovery project, the plant’s production volume of coke has almost doubled from 4.5kt to approximately 9kt. Jim Worsely, Plant Manager ACO said: “The combined benefit of coke and gas production from battery 3 will be approximately £12m year on year. ACO has had a very challenging but productive 12 months. Delivering a 50% improvement in our safety performance along with nearly doubling the plant output is an incredible achievement. The team at ACO has a lot to be proud of."
The project was not without its difficulties. Working between two live ovens provided numerous health and safety risks which were expertly managed during the project thanks to the additional control measures put in place. "During this phenomenal project, the only 'injury’ we had was a small blood blister, which is absolutely incredible and shows how dedicated the guys were," said Jim. The additional measures put in place for this project are now being rolled out across the rest of ACO’s operations.
Jon Campbell, ACO Recovery Manager told Steel Matters, British Steel’s in-house magazine: "It gives me great pleasure to see the end of the phase of battery 3. It's personally been one of the most difficult challenges - to make sure a project, a live recovery and the prime manufacturing process was planned in such a way that all parties achieved their goals."
The project was a huge success for all involved and shows a commitment to the future of the Scunthorpe site. British Steel will now start to look at repair works for Batteries 1,2 and 4. Otto Simon was delighted to work alongside British Steel on this project, and is looking forward to further collaborations on this site in the future.
Back to Blog
Show More
Recent Blog Posts
The air in the office is buzzing with more than just morning coffee today – it's electric with the excitement of new beginnings! We're thrilled to officially announce that the refurbishment of our newly consolidated United House office building has kicked off! This marks a significant milestone for us as we bring together our team under one roof. By sharing one building we can reduce overheads, invest in new facilities and maintain our valued location right here in Cheadle, Manchester. This amalgamation isn't just about combining physical spaces; it's about weaving together our collective talents, fostering closer team working, and building an even more vibrant and unified company culture. So, let the transformation begin! We're incredibly excited about this new chapter and look forward to sharing the journey with all of you. Stay tuned for more updates as our new, united office takes shape!
Presenting at Energy Storage & Hydrogen Solutions Last month, our Head of Consultancy, Clare Dunkerley, was invited to speak at an event in Cyprus, hosted by Ideopsis and the British High Commission Nicosia. The Energy Storage & Solutions Conference brought together leading experts, policymakers, and industry players, with the aim of to fostering dialogue, sharing expertise, and catalysing action towards a more sustainable, resilient, and low-carbon future. The conference attracted some esteemed speakers, including introductory addresses from the Deputy High Commissioner, Adam Sandbrook and the Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, George Papanastasiou. The programme was split into 2 sessions with the first highlighting the future of energy storage, moderated by Dr Alexandros Charalambides from the Cyprus University of Technology. Staveros Stavrinos, the Executive Director of the Transmission System Operator Cyprus, explained the issues the Cyprus Energy Transmission System faced, concentrating on curtailment of renewable solar power. Michael Toumbas, of EV power Ltd, shared innovative thinking around an AI enabled electric vehicle local grid power sharing mechanism. There were also great presentations from smart grid expert Dr Andreas Procopiou and the Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority. The second session concentrated on hydrogen solutions. Dr Andreas Poullikkas delivered on future energy systems while Charles Purkiss updated us on the latest developments at ITM Power. Jeremy Bowman, from Hypermotive Ltd, discussed hydrogen technology for transport and Philippa Oldham shared some work from the Advanced Propulsion Centre. An interesting Q&A session was chaired by Dr Nestor Fylaktos of the Cyprus Institute. Clare presented ‘A Safe Hydrogen Future’, addressing the importance of public perception and the imperative for no major incidents. Clare shared her experience from working on hydrogen projects and provided an insight in how to use the current UK regulatory framework in conjunction with industry codes and standards to demonstrate that risks in hydrogen projects were acceptable to all concerned. It was a fascinating conference providing a fantastic insight to the current and future energy situation in Cyprus, with plenty of time for networking and discussing hydrogen solutions and projects with all the attendees. Our thanks go to Ideopsis and the British High Commission in Nicosia for the invitation and opportunity to participate in the discussions.
Taking Safety Seriously at Otto Simon We’re proud to celebrate the achievement of our Head of Construction and Commissioning, Hugh Doble, who has recently earned his NEBOSH Certificate in Health and Safety Management for Construction. Hugh has been instrumental in the successful delivery of multiple EPC and EPCm contracts across various sectors nationwide. Our continued commitment to excellence and safety underscores the core values we uphold at Otto Simon — ensuring the wellbeing of our people and partners on every project. Congratulations Hugh! To learn more about how Otto Simon can support your Construction and Commissioning needs, get in touch with us at eng@ottosimon.co.uk .