In a petrochemical plant, the differential pressure (Δp) across a reactor had risen so sharply that an emergency catalyst change was required. After the plant was shut down, the reactor had to be cooled from 180°C to below 40°C and safely purged of VOC-containing gases. Given the tight schedule, fast and coordinated execution was essential: each additional day of delay would have incurred downtime costs of several hundred thousand euros.

Thanks to the coordinated combination of nitrogen purging, a VCU and activated carbon filtration, the reactor was cooled from 180°C to below 40°C as planned. The catalyst replacement was completed on schedule, allowing the plant to resume operation on the date requested by the customer.

The optimally coordinated combination of the VCU and activated carbon filters ensured safe and cost-effective operation while the reactor was being cooled. Adhering to the planned timeframe helped avoid further delays-a key factor given potential downtime costs of several hundred thousand euros per day.