Reinstatement of Polypropylene Plant – High Pressure Blow Down Vessel

Emergency Fabrication of a 145-Metric-Ton Pressure Vessel Under Tight Schedule and Complex Design Constraints

Project Snapshot

• Industry: Petrochemical / Pressure Vessel Fabrication
• Location: Yanbu, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
• Client: NATPET (National Petrochemical Company) / Tecnimont
• Fabricated By: Hidada Ltd., Jeddah, KSA
• Challenge: Post-explosion plant reinstatement requiring urgent fabrication of a complex, heavy-wall pressure vessel under an exceptionally tight engineering and delivery schedule.
• Result: Successfully designed, fabricated, inspected, and delivered a code-compliant 145-metric-ton High Pressure Blow Down Vessel to reinstate plant operations.

1. Opening Hook – The Challenge

In 2018, a significant explosion at NATPET's polypropylene facility in Yanbu, KSA forced a complete plant shutdown, halting production and creating enormous financial and operational pressure to restore operations as quickly as possible.

Three critical pressure vessels were damaged beyond repair and needed to be replaced with newly fabricated equipment. All three—D-601, D-602, and D-603—were awarded to Hidada Ltd., with D-601 representing the most complex and demanding fabrication challenge in the program.