From February to April, Eiffage Énergie Systèmes' specialized teams are managing a major technical shutdown of the DHC unit, the most critical piece of equipment in the Abidjan refinery. This high-pressure, high-temperature unit converts heavy distillates from crude oil into diesel, an essential fuel with high added value. Over a 45-day period, over 120 Ivorian technicians from SIR (Société Ivoirienne de Raffinage) together with 3 French experts from Eiffage Energie Systèmes worked on the maintenance of 156 items of equipment, including a turbo compressor and five reciprocating compressors. 

 

SIR's decision to entrust the project to just four contractors, including Eiffage Énergie Systèmes, was based on their intention to reduce the number of parties involved and to delegate the management of joint activities. This approach ensures optimum work coordination , better risk management and enhanced safety on a sensitive industrial site. 

 

With local skills development a central issue, 85 technicians were recruited locally on fixed-term contracts, in partnership with the Regional Academy of Marine Sciences and Techniques (ARSTM) and Jacqueville vocational high school. This ongoing training approach, combined with on-site supervision by Ivorian teams, is in line with the sharing of expertise between France and Côte d'Ivoire, guaranteeing a lasting transfer of skills. 

 

The strategic goal is clearly to restore the DHC unit to its intended production level through comprehensive maintenance and rigorous equipment retrofitting. This project is a perfect illustration of Eiffage Energie Systèmes' ability to manage complex technical shutdown operations in the industrial sector, while at the same time promoting a solid local partnership and a strong commitment to regional development. 

 

*DHC (Distillate Hydrocracker): a petroleum refining unit that converts distillates (fractions from the distillation of crude oil) into diesel fuel. The main aim of this unit is to increase diesel production and thus improve the refinery's profitability. In other words, DHC maximizes the production of high value-added products such as diesel.