Enhancing Urban Pipeline Safety for CPC Corporation: Introducing CTCI MAC’s EPC Project at the Talin Petrochemical Storage & Transportation Center

Kuan-Min Huang, Project Manager, CTCI MAC, Group Engineering Business
Te-Chao Chen, Project Engineer, CTCI MAC, Group Engineering Business

Located in the Siaogang District of Kaohsiung City, this project is named “Pigging Station, Metering Station, and Zone 1 Utility System EPC Project at the Talin Petrochemical Storage and Transportation Center.” It is an integral part of the national oil company CPC Corp.’s investment plan for the Talin Petrochemical Storage and Transportation Center at Kaohsiung Intercontinental Container Terminal Phase II. The successful project execution by CTCI MAC has helped CPC Corp. mitigate safety concerns regarding pipelines running through downtown Kaohsiung, thereby enhancing urban safety and supporting the government's energy policy goals. Thanks to the exceptional construction quality, CTCI MAC was honored with the Public Construction Golden Quality Award—excellence-level in both facility design and constructor categories.

CTCI MAC’s scope of work includes: Pigging station, metering station, three buildings in Zone 1 (including a substation, electrical room, and control room), a freshwater firefighting system (including a 15,000-kiloliter fire water tank), a 1.2-kilometer main pipe rack, and 95 kilometers of pipelines. The pigging station, metering station, and Zone 1 utilities system serve as a vital connecting hub for the storage and transportation center that allows delivery of process materials, power, and tap water to the storage tank facilities. Notably, the long-distance pipelines accommodated by the pigging and metering stations in this project have broken national record in terms of scale.

CTCI MAC carried out the EPC project for the pigging station, metering station, and Zone 1 utility system at the Talin Petrochemical Storage and Transportation Center

As a CTCI Group company, CTCI MAC has built an outstanding track record over the years through its wealth of expertise and experience in engineering, project execution, project management, and equipment fabrication. Its service portfolio spans refining, petrochemicals, power plants, nuclear energy, and general industrial sectors, with specialized expertise in equipment fabrication, professional plant maintenance, and EPC projects. The Talin project in this article falls within the refining and petrochemical sector—a core strength cultivated by CTCI MAC for decades. This deep expertise, coupled with a extensive history of collaboration with the client, CPC Corp., earned the team the client's trust for the contract.

Reliable Realized

Strict Quality Control in Design and Construction to Deliver on Time and with Quality

During the design phase, CTCI MAC actively revised design schemes for high-risk items. The team also integrated hazard announcements and HSE (Health, Safety, and Environment) briefings into daily morning meetings and monthly coordination meetings, while conducting annual high-risk emergency response drills to strengthen preparedness. Furthermore, a suspended scaffolding system was fully deployed along the 1.2-kilometer main pipe rack, covering a total area of 47,278 m². Through meticulous preparation and rigorous risk control, fall hazards were effectively minimized, ensuring construction safety. Backed by CTCI MAC's extensive technical experience and robust project management capabilities, the project ultimately achieved mechanical completion on schedule and to the required quality standards, accumulating over 2 million safe man-hours.

In addition to its outstanding safety record, the project contributes to an improved urban safety by satisfying the power needs of the storage and transportation center through a stable electricity supply; safeguarding the oil tanks with comprehensive firefighting planning; and resolving safety concerns regarding industrial pipelines crossing urban areas.

Project Highlights

Overcoming Pandemic Impact to Achieve Early Loop-Power-Supply Milestone

At the inception of the project, Taiwan was under COVID-19 Level 3 alert. To minimize disruptions, CTCI MAC aligned with government regulations, drafted comprehensive contingency measures, and maintained steady execution progress during the height of the pandemic. Later on, the project faced challenges such as nationwide labor shortages. Fortunately, through construction process optimization, the team successfully overcame these hurdles, ultimately achieving the loop power supply milestone an impressive one and a half months ahead of schedule.

The project featured distinct highlights. In terms of seismic design, foundation piles were driven into the reclaimed land site to reinforce the above-ground structures, achieving a seismic resistance capable of withstanding Intensity 6 strong earthquakes. In terms of gas safety, plant-wide gas detectors were incorporated during the design phase to ensure a safe working environment, and gas-liquid separators were installed to eliminate vapor explosion risks. As for construction methodology, a modular prefabrication method was adopted to assemble the seismic steel structures of the main pipe rack, minimizing high-altitude work. Precasting of electrical manholes was also extensively utilized to reduce excavation risks and onsite installation time. Sustainability-wise, the team leveraged its green engineering expertise, actively prioritized ecological conservation and significantly advanced energy-saving and carbon emissions-reduction outcomes. For instance, low-noise excavators and eco-friendly construction methods were utilized to minimize ecological disruption. 

Landscaping focused primarily on native coastal plant species to provide a biodiversity-friendly habitat. By utilizing energy-efficient electrical equipment and materials, carbon emissions were reduced by an equivalent of 27.6 Daan Forest Parks’ carbon capture during the construction phase, and will be reduced by 1.9 Daan Forest Parks’ carbon capture annually during operations, saving NT$4.54 million in electricity costs per year. This helps the client achieve a win-win for both the environment and the corporate profit.

Innovative Technology

3D Model Verification for Enhanced Design Efficiency

During the design and pre-planning stages, the team utilized 3D modeling for clash detection. This allowed them to identify conflicts between pipelines, structures, and equipment ahead of time, reducing the risk of design changes and enhancing overall design integrity and construction feasibility. This approach effectively shortened the construction schedule and reduced unnecessary rework costs.

Detecting potential clashes through 3D modeling.

Introducing CTCI Group’s In-House Developed Pipe Flange Bolt-Tightening Robot

In terms of construction innovation, CTCI MAC collaborated with CTCI Group’s Research & Innovation Center to develop pipe flange bolt-tightening robot, which introduces an automated tightening mechanism so as to ensure more stable and consistent pipe flange bolt-tightening. This helped improve construction quality and effectively reduced human operational risks, showcasing practical capabilities in smart construction and engineering technology integration.

Pipe flange bolt-tightening robot was deployed in the project.

3D Models Integrated into Portable Mobile Devices

By importing 3D engineering models into portable mobile devices, field personnel could review design details and construction information anytime, anywhere. This provided strong support for construction management and onsite decision-making, as things could be interpreted in real-time, communication became more efficient, while project execution became more immediate and accurate.

Reviewing 3D engineering models on a phone.

Deployment of Automated Welding Carriages for Welding Operations

To enhance construction safety and efficiency, automated welding carriages were deployed for the welding of the fire water tank wall plates. The self-propelled roller mechanism boosted construction efficiency and effectively minimized the risks of falls or slips associated with personnel working at heights or in confined spaces. Equipment-based construction also reduced the risk of flying objects and scattering welding sparks, strengthening safety management at the construction site.

Welding work was done by automated welding carriages.

Message from the Owner

"With outstanding quality, this project has earned the excellence-level in facility design and constructor categories of the Public Construction Golden Quality Award. I would like to express my gratitude to our colleagues at the Construction Division for their hard work in project management, design review, and construction supervision, as well as to the EPC contractor, CTCI MAC, for their unwavering commitment to quality throughout the project's execution."

— Ching-Tang Hung, Former Director of the Construction Division, CPC Corporation, Taiwan