Aggreko has delivered a time-critical compressor and air-drying package for KEM ONE’s Fos-sur-Mer petrochemical plant, helping the French chemical producer restart production units inside a 72-hour window.
Located on France’s Mediterranean coast, the Fos-sur-Mer site produces chlorine, caustic soda, and vinyl chloride monomer. The restart required a dry, oil-free compressed air system compliant with ISO 8573-1 Class 0, the strictest classification for oil-free air purity in compressed air systems.
Mobilisation had to be completed within three days of the request, while the compressed air package needed to be dimensioned across multiple injection points and deliver air without residual moisture for unit drying. The combination of tight timing and site-specific technical requirements left little margin for equipment mismatch or installation delay.
Aggreko deployed three diesel air compressors and three air dryers, with each compressor line integrated with pressure regulation, drying, and safety components. Its engineering team remained on-site throughout the project, providing maintenance cover and adjusting utility provision as KEM ONE’s restart schedule evolved.
“We were very impressed by the level and quality of service Aggreko were able to deliver under pressure,” said a spokesperson at KEM ONE. “But beyond the company’s responsiveness and technical expertise, what really struck us throughout this process was Aggreko’s proactivity. They were extremely committed to seeing this demanding project through and proved flexible in their approach when tackling challenges on-site. In the challenging petrochemical production environment, the ability to adapt is invaluable, and so it proved on this particular project.”
The temporary utility package used Stage V-compliant equipment, supporting lower emissions and improved fuel efficiency during the restart. In a petrochemical drying application, air purity, moisture control, pressure stability, and equipment availability all had to be managed as part of the same operational requirement.
Aggreko said the package enabled KEM ONE to restart operations with fully dried units within the planned 72-hour period, avoiding extended downtime at a site where restart delays would have carried significant production consequences.
Gilles Revial, Petrochemical and Refining Sector Manager, South of Europe, at Aggreko, said: “The project we undertook with KEM ONE was undoubtedly challenging, but we were confident we could provide the drying solutions the company needed. We have a proven track record in these circumstances, and our engineering team were able to demonstrate this despite extremely tight deadlines.”
