High temperatures and hot asphalt are making the journey of a giant reactor to the Mažeikiai-based oil refinery operated by Orlen Lietuva (Orlen Lithuania) longer.
The reactor is now scheduled to arrive on Monday, August 21, instead of the initial date of August 18. However, Kristina Gedvilė, spokesperson for Orlen Lithuania, says the delivery deadline is August 25.
The delivery of the reactor, which is currently located in the northern Lithuanian district of Skuodas, is expected to resume today around 21:00.
In her words, it is unsafe to move the reactor when the asphalt heats up to 36 degrees.
“As we have very high outside temperatures, and the asphalt is hot, it is unsafe to transport until it cools down, so we are waiting for a later time,” Gedvilė said.
The 145 km journey of the massive 1,500-ton reactor started in Klaipėda early on August 6. The 100-meter-long, 6.5-meter-wide, and 10-meter-high Italian-made reactor will be installed in a deep crude conversion unit.
The reactor will be used for the upgrade of the Mažeikiai facility, which is currently estimated to cost up to 970 million euros. It is the largest investment project in Lithuania in Orlen’s history, and it is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.
Further reading
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
