SECTION 10.0

Simon India

Execution Strategy

24-month EPC execution plan from contract award to performance guarantee test, including the conversion enhancement strategy to achieve 99.92% SO₂ conversion.

10.1 Key Milestones

24 Months

Total Duration

Contract to PG Test

9 Months

Engineering

Basic + Detailed

15 Months

Construction

Civil to Mechanical

4 Months

Commissioning

Pre-comm to PG Test

10.2 Project Schedule (Gantt Chart)

M1
M2
M3
M4
M5
M6
M7
M8
M9
M10
M11
M12
M13
M14
M15
M16
M17
M18
M19
M20
M21
M22
M23
M24
Contract Award & Mobilization
Basic Engineering & Process Design
Detailed Engineering
Long Lead Equipment Ordering
Equipment Procurement & Fabrication
Civil & Structural Works
Equipment Erection
Piping Fabrication & Erection
Electrical & Instrumentation
Insulation & Painting
Pre-commissioning
Commissioning & Performance Test

10.3 Conversion Enhancement Strategy — 99.92%

Target: 99.92% SO₂ Conversion

The industry benchmark for standard DCDA plants is 99.86% conversion. Simon India proposes to achieve 99.92% through the addition of an enhanced catalyst layer, exceeding the ITB requirement and significantly reducing stack SO₂ emissions.

99.86%

Benchmark

99.92%

Our Target

Standard Configuration (99.86%)

Bed 1 — Standard V₂O₅ (Ring type)
Bed 2 — Standard V₂O₅ (Ring type)
Bed 3 — Standard V₂O₅ (Ring type)
→ Intermediate Absorption (IAT)
Bed 4 — Cs-promoted V₂O₅ (low-temp)
Bed 5 — Cs-promoted V₂O₅ (low-temp)

Total catalyst volume: ~280 m³

Conversion: 99.82–99.86%

Enhanced Configuration (99.92%)PROPOSED

Bed 1 — Standard V₂O₅ (Ring type)
Bed 2 — Standard V₂O₅ (Ring type)
Bed 3 — Standard V₂O₅ (Ring type)
→ Intermediate Absorption (IAT)
Bed 4 — Cs-promoted V₂O₅ (low-temp)
Bed 5 — Cs-promoted V₂O₅ (low-temp)
Bed 5A — Additional Cs-promoted layer (polishing)

Total catalyst volume: ~320 m³ (+40 m³ additional)

Conversion: 99.90–99.92%

Impact of Enhanced Conversion

SO₂ Emission Reduction

Stack SO₂ drops from ~0.8 kg/t to <0.5 kg/t H₂SO₄, well within CPCB norms and future tightening.

Additional Catalyst Cost

Incremental cost of ~₹2.5 Cr for 40 m³ additional Cs-promoted catalyst. Converter shell design accommodates the extra layer.

Pressure Drop Impact

Additional ΔP of ~15 mbar. MAB sized with adequate margin to handle the extra bed without capacity loss.

10.4 Phase-wise Execution Plan

Phase 0 — Licensor Finalization

Months (−2) to 0
Evaluation and finalization of Technology Licensor (NIUIF / MECS / Chemetics)
Licensor contract negotiation and sign-off
Receipt of Basic Engineering Package (BEP) from Licensor
Review of Licensor process guarantees, catalyst specifications, and proprietary equipment scope
Timeline: Licensor selection to be completed within 8 weeks of LOI to avoid downstream delay

Phase 1 — Engineering

Months 1–9
Process design basis finalization with PPL
P&ID development and HAZOP study
Equipment sizing and datasheet preparation
Vendor qualification and technical bid evaluation
3D model development and design reviews
Procurement specifications and MR preparation
Client / Owner's Engineer / PMC review of selected engineering documents — 2 weeks per review cycle

Phase 2 — Procurement

Months 3–14
Long-lead item ordering by Month 3: MAB (Howden), WHB package (Thermal Systems), Converter (Spaarkon/Enmax), Absorption Towers, TG & Surface Condenser, Plant Stack (slip-form construction), Cooling Tower civil work
Fabrication scope split: Shop fabrication for WHB, HE, converter shell, towers; Site fabrication for ducting, structural steel, piping spools, tank erection
ODC (Over Dimensional Cargo) shipment planning — timeline for shop-to-site transit including route survey
Bulk material procurement (piping, structural, electrical, instrumentation)
Vendor drawing review and approval
Shop inspection and expediting with TPI
Backup procurement strategy: Pre-qualified alternate vendors for all critical items to mitigate delay in shipment / transit for imported components
Logistics planning and material receipt at site

Phase 3 — Construction

Months 5–20
Site preparation, piling (1,500 nos.), and foundation works
Structural steel erection and equipment setting
Piping fabrication (site), erection, and hydrotesting
Electrical cable laying and termination
Instrument installation and loop checking
Refractory and brick lining works (furnace, converter, towers, stack)
Insulation and painting

Phase 4 — Commissioning

Months 20–24
Pre-commissioning checks and punch-list closure
Utility systems commissioning (CW, DM water, air, N₂)
Refractory drying through controlled heat-up schedule
Boiler hydro test, boil-off through diesel firing, and steam blowing
Alkali scrubbing operation for initial acid loop cleaning
Acid loop circulation and leak testing
Sulphur melting and first sulphur burn
Catalyst bed drying and activation
Gradual load increase to 100% capacity
72-hour performance guarantee test run

10.5 Project Organisation

RoleNos.Location
Project Director1HO + Site
Project Manager1HO + Site
Lead Process Engineer1HO
Lead Mechanical Engineer1HO
Lead Piping Engineer1HO
Lead Civil/Structural Engineer1HO
Lead E&I Engineer1HO
Procurement Manager1HO
Construction Manager1Site
Site Engineers (Multi-discipline)12Site
QA/QC Engineers4Site
HSE Manager + Officers3Site
Planning Engineer1HO + Site
Document Controller2HO + Site
Completed SAP Plant

Aerial view of a completed Sulphuric Acid Plant by Simon India

10.6 Level 3 Schedule — Detailed Activity Breakdown

92 activities across 10 disciplines — includes Gantt view sheet

92

Total Activities

37

Engineering

9

Procurement

30

Construction

12

Commissioning

WBSDisciplineActivityStartFinish
1000PMContract Award & Kick-off MeetingM0M1
1010PMProject Execution Plan (PEP) PreparationM0M1
1020PMMobilization of Engineering TeamM0M1
1030PMMonthly Progress Reporting & ReviewsM1M24
2000ProcessLicensor BEP Receipt & ReviewM1M3
2010ProcessProcess Design Basis FinalizationM1M2
2020ProcessHeat & Material Balance VerificationM2M3
2030ProcessPFD Development (All Sections)M2M3
2040ProcessUtility Summary & Consumption SheetsM3M4
3000ProcessP&ID Development (All Systems)M3M6
3010ProcessEquipment Datasheets — Static EquipmentM3M5
3020ProcessEquipment Datasheets — Rotating EquipmentM3M5

Note: This is a proposal-stage Level 3 schedule (Rev 0). The detailed Level 4/5 schedule with 30,000+ activities will be developed in Primavera P6 post contract award.

10.7 Constructability Report

Construction Sequence & Methodology

1

Site Preparation & Enabling Works (M5–M6)

Site clearing, leveling, and grading — approx. 25,000 m² area
Temporary facilities: site office, stores, fabrication yard, labour camp (800-person capacity)
Temporary power (500 kVA DG set), water supply, and drainage
Access roads (6m wide, WBM + bitumen) and internal haul roads
Boundary fencing, security gate, and weighbridge installation
2

Piling & Foundation Works (M5–M9)

Bored cast-in-situ piles: ~1,500 nos., 600–800mm dia, 15–25m depth (depending on geotechnical report)
Pile integrity testing: 100% PDA on initial piles, 10% routine PDA, 2% static load test
Pile cap and pedestal construction — RCC M35/M40 grade
Equipment foundations: converter (isolated, vibration-free), MAB (spring-mounted), TG (turbine-grade concrete M50)
Underground piping trenches, cable trenches, and acid bund walls
Acid-resistant tile lining for acid storage bund area
3

Structural Steel Erection (M8–M13)

Pipe rack erection (main + branch racks) — approx. 800 MT structural steel
Equipment support structures (converter, tower, WHB platforms)
Cable tray supports and instrument tray routing
Staircase, handrail, grating, and platform installation
All structural connections: HSFG bolting for main joints, site welding for secondary members
4

Equipment Erection (M9–M17)

Critical path: Converter → WHB → Absorption Towers → Furnace → Economizer → Stack
250 MT crawler crane mobilized for converter and WHB lifts
Precision alignment for rotating equipment (MAB, acid pumps, TG) — tolerance ±0.05mm
Internals installation after shell erection (catalyst support grids, distributors, packing)
Refractory and brick lining works commence immediately after shell erection
5

Piping Fabrication & Erection (M10–M18)

Site fabrication yard: 2,000 m² covered area with pipe cutting, beveling, welding, and NDE stations
Spool fabrication: ~15,000 dia-inch of CS piping, ~3,000 dia-inch of SS piping
Acid piping (CS): velocity-controlled installation, slope verification, drain point provision
SS piping: argon-purged TIG root pass, 100% RT for critical joints
Hydrotesting: system-wise hydrotest per P&ID boundaries, 1.5× design pressure, 4-hour hold
6

E&I Installation (M13–M19)

Cable laying: ~120 km total (HT, LT, control, instrument) through trays and underground ducts
Instrument installation: ~1,200 instruments (transmitters, switches, control valves, analyzers)
DCS/PLC panel erection in control room (air-conditioned, positive pressure)
Loop checking: 100% loop check for all safety and critical loops
Earthing and lightning protection system installation
7

Insulation, Painting & Finishing (M17–M20)

Hot insulation: mineral wool + Al cladding for all surfaces >60°C (~5,000 m²)
Cold insulation: polyurethane foam for chilled water lines
Painting: Sa 2.5 surface preparation, epoxy primer + MIO intermediate + polyurethane topcoat
Acid-resistant coating for bund walls and acid handling areas
Fireproofing for structural steel in fire-risk zones
8

Pre-commissioning & Commissioning (M20–M24)

Punch-list closure (target: zero A-items before acid introduction)
Utility commissioning: CW system, DM water, compressed air, N₂ system
Boiler hydrotest, boil-off, and steam blowing (72-hour cycle)
Acid loop cleaning, circulation, and leak testing
Catalyst loading, drying, and activation (licensor-supervised)
First sulphur burn, gradual load increase, 72-hour PG test

Key Construction Parameters

~1,500

Total Piles

600–800mm dia

~800 MT

Structural Steel

Including pipe racks

~18,000

Piping

Dia-inch (CS + SS)

~120 km

Cables

HT + LT + Control

~1,200

Instruments

All types

~8,000 m³

Concrete

M35–M50 grade

~800

Peak Manpower

Month 14–16

~2.5M

Working Hours

Total man-hours

10.8 Project Management Approach

Dedicated Project Team

Full-time Project Manager, Lead Engineers (Process, Mechanical, Piping, Civil, E&I), Construction Manager, and QA/QC team deployed from contract award.

Weekly Progress Reporting

Formal weekly progress reports with S-curve tracking, critical path analysis, and risk register updates shared with PPL project team.

Quality Assurance

Third-party inspection (TPI) for all critical equipment. Welding procedures qualified per ASME IX. NDE as per project specifications.

HSE Management

Zero-incident target. Full-time HSE officer at site. PTW system, toolbox talks, and monthly safety audits throughout construction.

Site Travel & Mobilization

Regular site visits by engineering leads during design phase. Full construction team mobilization by Month 6. Travel budget provisioned separately at ₹8.50 Cr.

Planning & Scheduling

Primavera P6 based scheduling with 30,000+ activities. Monthly schedule updates with earned value analysis and look-ahead planning. Dedicated planning cost of ₹5.00 Cr.

Sensitivity Analysis
Technology Selection