Alexander SantanaPMP

Challenge

A new process had to become a working, permitted facility. The building would house explosive, flammable gases next to novel high-voltage equipment running above 20 kV (20,000 volts).

What he did

Took both plants through every stage: permitting, front-end engineering design (FEED, the early design that fixes scope and cost), process-safety reviews (HAZOP), detailed design, fabrication, factory acceptance testing (proving equipment at the maker’s shop before it ships), construction, commissioning and operations.

The ~$2M demonstration plant was designed and built in-house. The ~$6M pilot plant was executed with engineering-procurement-construction (EPC) contractors.

Result

Secured UL certification and a certificate of occupancy. Both plants were delivered on budget and on schedule. The demonstration plant finished ahead of schedule and ran successfully on its first startup, with more than 99% uptime at full product purity.

• ~$2M demonstration plant, designed and built in-house
• ~$6M pilot plant, executed with EPC contractors
• UL certification and certificate of occupancy
• >20 kV high-voltage equipment
• >99% uptime at full product purity
• Successful first startup, ahead of schedule

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Challenge

The demonstration plant needed its acetylene purified at commercial scale, and acetylene is explosive. A temperature swing adsorber (TSA) cleans a gas by trapping impurities on a solid, then heating the solid to release them and start again. No commercial unit existed for this gas stream, and a small team had to invent, build and start the units on the plant’s schedule.

What he did

Led the design-build of multiple TSA units and directed the team through in-house design, execution and operation. Personally did the plumbing, electrical, structural, instrumentation and controls work, and erected the units with forklift, scissor and articulating lifts. Led commissioning and troubleshooting.

Result

The units operated successfully on the first attempt. The purification approach is patented: Alex is lead inventor on US 11,285,427, “Systems and methods for acetylene purification”.

• Multiple commercial-scale TSA units
• Designed, built and operated in-house
• Hands-on: plumbing, electrical, structural, instrumentation, controls
• Operated successfully on the first attempt

Challenge

Front-end engineering design (FEED) for a commercial plant producing 1,800 tons per year of acetylene for a national industrial gas client. The first capital estimate came in at about $85M. The EPC partner was drifting off scope and schedule, and at that price the plant no longer made economic sense for the client.

What he did

Led a ground-up redesign that challenged every design assumption: a novel reactor design, absorption column sizing, process simulations, heat exchanger sizing, bulk hydrogen compression and storage, bulk acetylene storage, and the plant control narrative.

Managed the engineering-procurement-construction (EPC) partner in Houston, with regular travel, and put a corrective action plan in place to keep the partner on scope and schedule.

Result

Capital cost came down from about $85M to $45M, and the client signed a contract to build. The project ended when the company closed.

• 1,800 TPY commercial acetylene facility
• ~$85M first estimate; $45M after redesign
• EPC partner in Houston, managed on site and remotely
• Corrective action plan for scope and schedule
• Client signed a contract to build

Challenge

Denka and Transform Materials signed a multi-year facility development and installation agreement in May 2023. The design had to be localized for Japan, which meant changing the feed gas from natural gas to propane and meeting Japanese regulations.

What he did

Led the front-end engineering design (FEED) localization. Adapted the design for the new feed gas, its impurity profile, the customer’s specifications and Japanese regulations. Worked across cultural, language and time-zone barriers, and found a Japanese engineering-procurement-construction (EPC) partner.

Result

The work won a signed contract to proceed to detailed design and construction. The company’s closure ended the project before construction.

• ~1,600 TPY acetylene facility
• Feed gas changed from natural gas to propane
• Designed to Japanese regulations
• Japanese EPC partner found and engaged

Challenge

As the technology licensor (the company that owns the process and licenses it to the plant owner), Transform had to deliver a design the client’s own engineering team would review in detail, at a scale far beyond anything built before.

What he did

Fundamentally redesigned the technology for that scale. Worked with the industry’s leading microwave equipment manufacturers and pushed them to build generators at a size not built before. Produced the feasibility study, cost estimate and engineering documents for the client’s approval.

Result

The client’s engineering team reviewed the package and approved moving to the next phase. The company’s closure ended the project.

• ~$2B plant design and cost estimate
• Technology redesigned for scale
• Generator makers pushed to a new size
• Feasibility study and engineering documents delivered for client review
• Client approved the next phase

Challenge

The generators had to fit a smaller footprint than usual. At factory acceptance testing (proving equipment at the maker’s shop before it ships), the equipment missed its required power specification.

What he did

Ran the international bid from request for quotation to in-person testing. Re-engineered the equipment with vendors to fit the smaller footprint. When the equipment missed its power specification, worked hands-on with SAIREM on the fix and pushed it through to completion.

Result

The generators passed a second round of factory acceptance testing, at power levels that pushed the limits of the industry. They were held in France until construction of the Japan plant was to start.

• $4.5M purchase
• Vendor: SAIREM
• In-person factory acceptance testing, Lyon
• Smaller footprint than usual
• Passed a second round of acceptance testing

Challenge

Demand was outgrowing a largely manual operation with no inventory system or written procedures.

What he did

Scaled production capacity. Implemented barcode-verified warehouse management. Built and trained the team, wrote the standard operating procedures, and hired the permanent manager before handing off.

Result

The expanded operation supported 130% year-over-year sales growth.

• 130% year-over-year sales growth supported
• Barcode-verified warehouse management
• Team built and trained; procedures written
• Permanent manager hired before handoff