Final clearance phase for Bayer in Widnes

Global innovator Bayer CropScience has entered the final phase of a major project to decommission and clear its vast 40-acre site at Widnes.

Bayer – a world leader in the field of crop protection, crop pest control and plant biotechnology with global sales of €6.4bn – ceased production at the Gorsey Lane site in April 2009, as part of a major restructuring programme.

But the two-phase closure and clearance of the award-winning site, which once employed over 100 people, actually began in April 2008 with the 22-week decommissioning, dismantling and demolition of the PZ plant.

With the help and support of specialist engineering consultants and construction design management (CDM) co-ordinators RVA Group, Bayer was able to continue operating the other half of the site – its EF (Ethofumesate) plant – while the PZ plant was being demolished.

Now extensive decontamination of the EF plant itself is coming to a close, with the appointed contractor EDS entering the final dismantling phase before the entire site is finally cleared.

The Widnes site consists of a variety of structures ranging from simple brick-built administration buildings to heavy steel-framed concrete production facilities, and also includes warehouse buildings, effluent treatment plants, labs and workshops.  A range of hydraulic excavators and long reach machines with 30-35m reach capabilities will be used to bring the buildings down.

But as part of the works programme, RVA has also stipulated that the dismantling contractor devise detailed method statements for the careful retrieval of process plant pressure vessels weighing up to 10 tonnes. This high-value equipment must be salvaged without damage for re-installation at Bayer’s Norwich site.

Bayer site manager Steve Tynegate said: “We engaged the services of RVA in 2007 when the site closure was announced – RVA’s unique service and independence were precisely what we needed to manage the closure.  RVA have also worked on other sites within the group, and all we have heard is praise.

“Their involvement has ensured that all aspects of the demolition side of the project – scope definition, contractor selection, and the interface management under CDM – were of the highest class and significantly contributed to our excellent safety and environmental performance.  We could not have achieved this without RVA.”

RVA operations director Ian Wharton said: “Clearance of sites like Widnes are without doubt complex and potentially hazardous undertakings that demand strong and continual communication between our team, the dismantling contractor and the client company.

“Our considerable experience in this area means we are able to take it all in our stride, devising methodologies that avoid interruption to the function of live sites, while prioritising the safety and welfare of all operatives.”

The Gorsey Lane site, near to the location of the proposed new Mersey Gateway Bridge, has been purchased by Halton Borough Council for use as part of a wider regeneration of the Widnes Waterfront.