Aspropyrgos is one of Greece’s most important energy assets and among the most advanced refining sites in Europe. Together with our partner ET.M.ER, SILICON supported HELLENiQ Energy’s Aspropyrgos Refinery with critical turnaround repairs, work that enables a safe restart and reduces the risk of unplanned downtime after the shutdown. Planning began in spring 2025 with an initial 7‑day window. As inspections progressed and new site conditions came to light, the scope expanded to meet evolving needs on site, and the execution plan was extended to 22 days (27 February to 20 March 2026).
With prior turnaround experience at the Aspropyrgos Refinery, the team was able to mobilize quickly and integrate into HELLENiQ’s safety culture and operational priorities from the first shift. That familiarity helped keep decisions practical in the field and supported a controlled, predictable path to restart.
The refinery faced localized degradation of refractory lining support, requiring repair and reinstatement of anchoring integrity to allow safe continuation of operations after the turnaround. SILICON restored anchoring integrity with the help of Rapid Arc Welding (RAW) technology and a strategic set of refractory anchors: SpeedHex® 3, SpeedHex® Mini, SpeedVee®, SpeedHextensions.
While the welding itself was technically straightforward and consistent, the actual scope proved larger than initially documented, requiring flexibility in crew, materials, and daily work planning. These solutions allowed to maintain weld quality under challenging access conditions. For the last week of repair, one more Raw Operator joined the 4-person crew for the start of the night shift.
Reflecting on the access conditions, Pawel Jagielski, RAW Operator at SILICON, noted:
“Working across multiple scaffold levels from Level 3 up to Level 7 added an extra dimension to the job, demanding focus, confidence at height, and close coordination with the site teams.”
The team adapted sequencing to accommodate crane movements, scaffold modifications, and other site activities operating in parallel. This coordination ensured the anchor installation progressed smoothly ahead of subsequent refractory work.
The project highlighted the importance of engineering discipline during turnaround execution.
To support discovery work and unplanned extensions, SILICON applied buffer strategies for materials and consumables and worked with ET.M.ER to prioritize areas critical to the refinery’s restart schedule. Coordination between welding activities, scaffold adjustments, and site logistics was essential to maintaining progress under a fluctuating scope.
Strong coordination, hands‑on management and close cooperation between ET.M.E.R, HELLENiQ, and the site execution teams created the conditions needed to progress safely through an expanded scope and align activities toward a controlled return of the refinery to operation. The project once again demonstrated that successful turnaround execution is not only about speed, but about adaptability, coordination, and disciplined field execution.
“I would like to share our sincere appreciation for the highest-level professionalism, engineering, and project management expertise of HELLENiQ Aspropyrgos Refinery Team and also our business partner for this project-the leading Greek company ET.M.ER. Undoubtedly, we can learn a lot from ancient Greek culture, but furthermore from the current Greek professional engineers nowadays, thank you, great job, impressing!”
Sergei Posokhin, SILICON Business Development, Eastern Europe
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