A turnaround (commonly abbreviated TAR) is a scheduled event wherein an entire process unit of an industrial plant (
refinery
A refinery is a production facility composed of a group of chemical engineering unit processes and unit operations refining certain materials or converting raw material into products of value.
Types of refineries
Different types of refineries ar ...
,
petrochemical
Petrochemicals (sometimes abbreviated as petchems) are the chemical products obtained from petroleum by refining. Some chemical compounds made from petroleum are also obtained from other fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, or renewable ...
plant,
power plant
A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electrical grid.
Many p ...
,
pulp and paper
The pulp and paper industry comprises companies that use wood as raw material and produce pulp, paper, paperboard and other cellulose-based products.
Manufacturing process
The pulp is fed to a paper machine where it is formed as a paper web a ...
mill, etc.) is taken offstream for an extended period for revamp and/or renewal. Turnaround is a blanket term that encompasses more specific terms such as I&Ts (inspection & testing), debottlenecking projects, revamps and catalyst regeneration projects. Turnaround can also be used as a synonym of
shutdowns and outages. A related term is Shutdowns, Turnarounds, and Outages sometimes written as Turnarounds, Shutdowns, and Outages (TSO).
Turnarounds are expensive - both in terms of lost production while the process unit is offline and in terms of direct costs for the labour, tools, heavy equipment and materials used to execute the project. They are the most significant portion of a plant's yearly maintenance budget and can affect the company's bottom line if mismanaged. Turnarounds have unique project management characteristics
Project Vs. Turnaround
Breakdown of differences from Engineering, Procurement and Construction projects which make them volatile and challenging.
References
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Business process management
Oil refining