FirstClass Safety & Control has completed further control system engineering work for Humbly Grove Energy as part of the site’s annual plant turnaround.
The work, undertaken during May and June 2024, included PAC8000 and Wonderware software modifications, supporting the continued operation and development of the site’s existing control infrastructure.
The project demonstrates an important part of FirstClass’s Petrochemical capability: supporting customers with existing and legacy control systems as operational requirements, equipment and technology change.
Rather than approaching every project on the basis that existing equipment must be replaced, FirstClass engineers assess the installed system and determine what can practically be retained, supported, modified or integrated.
This can include modifications to existing control software, hardware upgrades, integration of new equipment, management of obsolete components and engineering support during planned shutdown and turnaround periods.
Working within an operational Petrochemical environment also requires careful planning. Shutdown periods provide limited windows in which modifications can be implemented, tested and returned to service, making engineering preparation and coordination particularly important.
The 2024 work forms part of an ongoing relationship between FirstClass and Humbly Grove Energy, with FirstClass continuing to provide engineering support to the site in 2026.
This long-term involvement reflects FirstClass’s wider lifecycle approach to safety and control systems. In addition to designing and delivering new installations, the company helps customers maintain, modify and extend existing systems throughout their operational life.
For operators managing ageing or obsolete control infrastructure, this experience can provide an alternative to unnecessary wholesale replacement while allowing systems to evolve in response to changing operational and safety requirements.