Doʼs and Donʼts of Plant Engineering in Existing Buildings (Brown Field): Challenges and Lessons Learned in Refurbishment Projects

A key objective of thermal waste treatment is the predictable and reliable provision of disposal security to protect the environment and health and to conserve resources. The predictable availability of thermal waste treatment plants is therefore an essential social good. Older waste treatment plants cannot always fulfil these requirements, as outdated technology and wear and tear can lead to unforeseeable breakdowns and thus to capacity bottlenecks. It is necessary to renew individual lines in existing plants (so-called brownfield), with the aim of integrating the new plant into the existing structure and using components from the existing plant (e.g. steel construction). In addition, new plants often have advantages in terms of combustion capacity, specific consumption and energy efficiency and therefore significantly lower maintenance costs. Martin GmbH has co-developed and realised many brownfield projects. This article presents individual projects from the perspective of project acquisition and highlights the special features and challenges of these projects.

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