Biogas flare delivery to a wastewater treatment works takes more than a drawing and a lorry. The sequence runs from a handover meeting, through approved drawings and factory commissioning, to a crane lift, an agreed test programme, operator training and a signed completion certificate. This post follows that sequence for a 1,000 m³/h flare supplied to a major wastewater scheme, with the checklist an installer should expect.

The challenge: a contractor needs a clear delivery plan

The customer was a joint-venture contractor building a large wastewater scheme. Its flare would burn biogas at one of the works. For a contractor, the technical specification is only part of the question. It also wants to know how the equipment will be built, checked, moved and handed over, and whether the supplier has done it for wastewater plants before. The supplier listed four earlier wastewater sites in Australia and Hong Kong where its flares were in use.

The supplier answered with a project narrative and a transport and commissioning method statement.

The approach: the project narrative, step by step

1. Handover meeting. Sales and operations go through every parameter, especially the customer’s own requirements. The order is entered on manual and computer-based systems to create project files.
2. Order confirmation. The operations manager receives it before it goes to the customer.
3. Design. Process and instrumentation drawings and arrangement drawings are produced. The operations manager approves them, and the customer then approves them. Detail drawings follow.
4. Procurement. Long lead-time items are identified and ordered first.
5. Manufacture. The skid is fabricated and the control panel assembled. Final assembly happens in a clean area, with mechanical fitting before electrical.
6. Documentation. An operation and maintenance manual is written.
7. Factory commissioning. The completed flare is fully commissioned before it leaves.
8. Site installation, testing and commissioning. This follows an agreed programme, and operator training takes place at the same time.
9. Handover. A completion certificate is produced.

The project narrative is explicit about one limit. There is no provision for extra visits to carry out training beyond the commissioning visit.

The site method statement

Delivery and lifting

The skid and chimney arrive on 40-foot flatbed trailers. The site needs:

• A 25-tonne all-terrain crane, with slings, lifting tackle and spreader bars.
• A good hard access road.
• A compound of about 11 m by 6 m, with room around it for the crane to work.

The crane lifts the base onto the compound using lifting lugs. It then lifts the chimney, using spreader bars to keep the slings apart. The flanges are lined up to a datum, match-marked, bolted and tightened.

The test and commissioning checklist

• Grease the booster fan bearings and check fan rotation against the arrow on the casing.
• Test motor winding insulation and resistance, and check the main voltage supply.
• Check the UV flame sensor, using a naked flame such as a lighter.
• Test the ignition system and all functions of the control panel.
• Check flame quality.
• Record the overall condition of the flare, the ambient conditions, and all pressures, vacuum readings, hours run and valve settings.

The engineer then trains the client from the instruction manual, demonstrates the flare and gets a completion certificate signed. The plant and working area are left safe and tidy, and the equipment log is updated.

Why it works

Factory commissioning means most faults are found in the workshop, not on a muddy site. The method statement turns the delivery into a series of defined, checkable steps. Recording settings at handover gives the operator a baseline to compare against when something changes later.

For the technical specification of a biogas flare at a similar site, see our post on how a sewage biogas flare differs from a landfill gas flare.

What to consider for your own project

1. Agree the crane early. Check the compound size and the ground bearing for the lift.
2. Ask for factory commissioning. It cuts site time.
3. Be clear about training. If extra visits are needed, price them in advance.
4. Insist on a record. Settings and readings at handover are the baseline for future maintenance.

Wastewater operators may also need to meet permit conditions on gas flaring. The government’s guidance for landfill operator permits is a starting point for landfill sites, and your regulator will advise for others.

FAQ

What size crane lifts a 1,000 m³/h flare?

In this method statement, a 25-tonne all-terrain crane lifted the base and chimney.

Is the flare commissioned before delivery?

Yes. It is fully commissioned at the factory, then re-tested on site.

What is tested on site?

Fan rotation, motor insulation, the flame sensor, ignition, control panel functions and flame quality.

Who trains the operators?

The commissioning engineer, using the instruction manual, during the commissioning visit.

Planning a flare delivery?

Talk to our engineers about the supply, installation and commissioning of your flare.