16Mo3 seamless tubes · Ø42.4 × 4.0 mm
The foundation of our track record: revisions, retubing and upgrades inside operating plants, engineered around short shutdowns. The economizer and boiler works at the 13.6 MW biomass plant in Aydın Çine are a typical example.
The plant and the job
Employer Biomek (Biotrend), turnkey contract, April – August 2023. Scope: turnkey replacement of ECO 4–5 packages fabricated from seamless 16Mo3 tubes (Ø42.4 × 4.0 mm, European origin), including pipe-bend manufacturing, assembly and testing, plus replacement and welding of boiler wall pipes.
An economizer is the heat exchanger that preheats the boiler feedwater with the remaining heat of the flue gas; its tubes therefore work under constant temperature and gas flow and need to be renewed at intervals.
On the economizer: seven steps
- Pipe supply
- Pipe bending and welding
- Scaffolding installation
- Removal of economizer module pipes
- Installation and welding of new pipes
- Hydrostatic test
- Insulation
On the boiler
The boiler wall pipes were renewed in the same scope:
- Scaffolding installation
- Dismantling of damaged pipes
- Installation and welding of new pipes
- Hydrostatic test
Material
The packages were fabricated from seamless 16Mo3 tubes: Ø42.4 × 4.0 mm, European origin. 16Mo3 is a molybdenum-alloyed steel used for boiler tubes that work under pressure at high temperature.
Second round: ECO 5–6, as EPC
In January 2025, the ECO 5–6 economizer packages at the same plant were delivered for Biotrend as an EPC contract. Scope of work:
- Engineering, procurement, fabrication and construction of ECO 5–6
- Secondary air line (EPC)
- Insulation works
On site: economizer modules, ducts and insulation.
Related projects
Frequently asked questions
- What did the ECO 4–5 replacement include?
- On the economizer: pipe supply, pipe bending and welding, scaffolding installation, removal of economizer module pipes, installation and welding of new pipes, hydrostatic test and insulation. On the boiler: scaffolding installation, dismantling of damaged pipes, installation and welding of new pipes and hydrostatic test.
- What material are the economizer tubes?
- Seamless 16Mo3 tubes, Ø42.4 × 4.0 mm, European origin.
- Why is a hydrostatic test carried out?
- To verify under pressure that the newly welded tubes and weld seams are leak-tight before the boiler is returned to service.
- How did the ECO 5–6 job differ from ECO 4–5?
- ECO 4–5 was a turnkey replacement. ECO 5–6 was an EPC contract covering engineering, procurement, fabrication and construction, and it also included the secondary air line and insulation works.
Source: HECON company profile · p.18, pp.22–24 · All articles