The Feralco Widnes plant operates a complex chemical process to produce Ferric Sulphate. This chemical is widely used in water treatment, amongst other industrial applications. The company needed to meet increasing demand while continuing to provide a reliable supply. They had to adapt and expand their production capabilities without compromising the operation of their existing facility.
The Challenge
Feralco’s original Ferric Sulphate production line 1 has served them well. However, it was increasingly clear that
it could no longer meet the growing market demand. Rather than see this as a setback, Feralco seized the opportunity to expand by commissioning an entirely new production line. This would deliver greater capacity, enhanced operational visibility, and improved product quality.
The project presented several challenges that needed to be addressed. Furthermore, the new plant had to be designed and built from the ground up. This included the commissioning of a completely new building. At the same time, the original production line also had to remain operational throughout. High-rise cable containment works and coordination with multiple mechanical and construction contractors added further complexity to the build.
The Solution
Denca Controls delivered a complete turnkey control solution for Feralco’s new line 2 production facility. We worked in close collaboration with the Feralco engineering team throughout the project.
Our work included:
- Electrical design and construction of a new central MCC/PLC suite, alongside eight additional remote panels for I/O and pneumatic control.
- HMI operation over Profinet communications.
- Deployment of Siemens S7-1500 PLCs with ET200 Remote I/O and Festo Solenoid manifolds to deliver a future-proofed and flexible control system.
- Installation of new 400Amp power infrastructure, including MCCB feeder panels, high-level heavy-duty ladder racking, galvanised cable tray routes, and all associated power, control, signal, and pneumatic supply and signal piping.
- Procurement and management of pipe Heat Trace systems.
- Design and installation of a comprehensive lighting system for the new building, tank farm, and external areas, integrated into a central lighting control system.
- Development of a new WinCC SCADA platform providing full visualisation and control of the production process.
- Configuration and commissioning of over 200 devices, including motor controls, flowmeters, temperature and level transmitters, actuated valves, and more.
Throughout the build, Denca’s technicians and software engineers worked collaboratively with Feralco to commission, optimise, and refine the new processes, ensuring the plant meets both the technical specification and operational expectations.
Outcomes and Benefits
The commissioning of the new line 2 facility has delivered a range of significant advantages for Feralco. Production capacity has been greatly increased, enabling the plant to meet both current and future market demands with confidence. Operational visibility has been substantially enhanced through the implementation of a state-of-the-art WinCC SCADA system, allowing operators to monitor and control processes in real time and respond quicker to any deviation.
The modernised automation system has improved the reliability and quality of the production process, with enhanced control reducing the risk of downtime and production inefficiencies. Additionally, the new infrastructure has been designed with future scalability in mind, ensuring Feralco has a robust platform to support its ongoing growth ambitions.
Crucially, Denca was able to deliver all of this while ensuring the original production line remained fully operational throughout the project, maintaining continuity of supply and avoiding disruption to Feralco’s business activities during the transition.
“Feralco created the initial concept and presented it to Denca. Together, we finalised details such as motor sizes, field instruments, sequence descriptions, and the RATTS (Range/Alarm/Trend/Trip Setpoint) list.
Collaborating with Denca engineers, we developed an effective solution. Denca handled E&I detail engineering and created the necessary PLC/SCADA programs.
Denca proved to be an excellent partner efficient, easy to work with and without extensive overhead, which Feralco prefers.
Denca’s PLC/SCADA system engineer was exceptional, even understanding our chemical process, which is rare.”
– Mikael Öyjord, Project Manager Automation Feralco
