At Torraval Cooling, we have carried out the replacement of cooling tower cells at the Zabalgarbi plant. The work consisted of replacing three steel cells with three cells featuring a pultruded structure, while retaining the existing mechanical equipment and diffusers. This was the second and final phase of a renovation project we started in 2024 on the cooling towers that we designed and installed more than 20 years ago. The project included dismantling, scrapping and waste management, and was carried out within the client’s maintenance shutdown window, with a deadline subject to penalties and incentives.
The client and the need for renovation
Zabalgarbi needed to complete the renovation of its cooling system, which began in 2024. Torraval designed and installed the plant’s original cooling towers more than 20 years ago, and the first intervention in 2024 had already renewed part of the system. The second phase involved replacing the three remaining steel cells with three new cells. This completes the renovation.
The challenge of meeting the deadline during the maintenance shutdown
The main challenge of the second phase at Zabalgarbi was to carry out the replacement within the maintenance shutdown window set by the client.
The work began with the arrival and storage of the materials and the assembly of the new cells. This planning made it possible to progress with the construction of the new installations before carrying out the operations that required direct intervention on the existing towers.
The dismantling and replacement of the installations were coordinated within the maintenance shutdown window established by the client.
Meeting the agreed deadline was a fundamental condition of the project and formed part of its contractual terms, which included both penalties for delays and incentives for early completion of the work.
The cooling solution with pultruded cells
The replacement of the cooling tower cells at Zabalgarbi combines three new cells with a pultruded structure and the reuse of the existing mechanical equipment and diffusers. Torraval has taken responsibility for the supply and assembly, the dismantling of the steel cells, their scrapping and waste management, while incorporating engineering improvements resulting from the first phase. The project integrates engineering, manufacturing and assembly.
Pultruded structure instead of steel
Pultrusion produces glass-fibre-reinforced polyester (GRP) profiles. This material does not suffer from the oxidation associated with steel, making it suitable for an installation continuously exposed to moisture.
Existing mechanical equipment and diffusers retained
The renovation has not involved replacing every component. The existing mechanical equipment and diffusers have been integrated into the new cells because they remain suitable for operation. This follows Torraval’s revamping and retrofitting approach, which we have already applied in the renovation of cooling towers in the ductile iron pipeline industry and in the renovation of cooling towers for the food industry.
Dismantling, scrapping and waste management
This phase expands on the scope of the first intervention. Torraval has been responsible for dismantling the existing structures, removing them, scrapping them and managing the resulting waste. The entire process, from the supply of the new cells to the removal of the old materials, has been managed under a single planning process.
Engineering improvements in the second phase
The engineering work incorporates reinforced roofs and modifications to the connection between the cells, improvements resulting from the experience gained during the first intervention. With more than 55 years of experience in evaporative cooling, Torraval applies the lessons learned from one phase to the next.
Performance testing and benefits for the client
The Zabalgarbi project concluded with performance testing of the new towers, verifying compliance with the established thermal programme, namely the design flow and temperature conditions. The result is verified on the actual installation rather than solely through calculations. These tests complete the renovation project that began in 2024.
Benefits for the client
- Complete system renovation, with the three remaining cells replaced and the work initiated in 2024 brought to completion.
- Reuse of the mechanical equipment and diffusers that remain suitable for operation.
- Execution adapted to the maintenance shutdown window and contractual deadline.
- Comprehensive scope, from supply and assembly to dismantling and waste management.
- Engineering improvements implemented based on the experience gained during the first phase.
A renovation that completes the work started in 2024
The replacement of the cooling tower cells at Zabalgarbi combines engineering, manufacturing, assembly, dismantling and management of the removed materials, all adapted to the plant’s operations and to a demanding contractual deadline. Performance testing has brought to a close a project involving the original towers designed and installed by Torraval more than 20 years ago.
If your installation has cooling towers with structures approaching the end of their service life, our technical team can assess which components should be replaced and which can be retained. Contact Torraval to discuss your project.