Anthesis Team members have been working in the power and water sector in the Middle East, Africa, the Balkans and Central Asia for the past 15 years, surveying for, and removing Asbestos and other hazardous materials. Asbestos, due to its durability and resistance to heat and chemicals, is a prime material for use in a power station and as a result can pose a significant hazard to human health, especially during rehabilitation. The health effects of Asbestos remain the same within a power station (i.e. typically respiratory disease), but it is more likely that one would encounter higher risk Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) in such a site.

There are many different types of power station. Here are a few examples of the type of power stations where we have encountered ACMs;

Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP): Powered by water that drives turbines, to ultimately create electricity.
Thermal Power Station: Powered by fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, or oil to generate heat to turn water in to steam. The steam then drives the turbines to generate electricity.
Nuclear Power Station: Powered by nuclear fission from a nuclear reactor.

Additionally, power can come from wind, solar, geothermal, and biogas sources however due to the more recent date of these technologies on an industrial scale, it is unlikely that Asbestos materials would be encountered in power stations fueled by these.

The most common types of ACMs we have encountered in power stations are as follows (starting from the higher to the lower risk):

Asbestos Sprayed Coatings: Typically used as fire proofing.
Thermal Asbestos Insulation and Asbestos Plaster: Used as pipe insulation, cable and pipe penetration insulation and boiler and ducting insulation. Thermal Asbestos insulation can also be found on an ad-hoc basis as a packer and filler material.
Braided insulation: Used as lagging for boilers and pipes, as a packing material at pipe penetrations and within machinery, and within electrical equipment in the form of fuse/flash guards. In the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) it is not uncommon to find hundreds of kilos of Asbestos ropes in warehouses and stores.
Asbestos Insulating Board (AIB) and Asbestos Paper: Used as ceiling tiles, boxing, cladding, and cut off pieces used as packers. Commonly found in electrical cabinets as paneling to roof cabinets. Asbestos paper is very common in the CIS and can be found located within the turbines themselves as part of the stators and windings. It is also used as a packing material and commonly found within welding bays.
Gaskets: Found where two pieces of metal are joined together such as pipework flanges, valves, pumps, and boiler plates. Loose Asbestos gasket material and cut offs are typically found in locations where significant pipework can be found and within mechanical workshops and stores.
Brake Pads: Found within the turbine/generator pit as part of the turbine. The brakes are used to slow and stop the turbine. Asbestos brake pads are also common within crane machinery. In both locations it is not uncommon to find brake pad dust and debris caused by the abrasion of the pads during use.
Asbestos Cement: Used for roof sheeting, car park shades, arc shields, cable trays, and paneling to walls.

Surveying for Asbestos in power stations can be extremely difficult and time consuming, due to the size and complexity of the sites. Often hidden Asbestos materials can only be identified during shut down, maintenance or major rehabilitation. Therefore, only qualified, competent and most importantly experienced Asbestos surveyors should undertake Asbestos surveys within power stations. Sufficient time should be allowed for the Asbestos survey to ensure that all ACMs that can be readily identified, risk assessed and quantified.

During major refurbishment, rehabilitation or demolition, fully intrusive Asbestos surveys should be carried out in advance. In the event that access is not possible (due to live equipment or electricity), the surveyor should return during the rehabilitation phase to conduct further inspections, when the access restriction has been removed (e.g. the unit 0r equipment has been de-energized).

Asbestos removal poses additional risks within power stations due to several factors. Typically, during rehabilitation, part of the power station may remain in operation, and therefore live electricity & equipment and the ongoing operation of the power station (by the operator) can cause issues. It is imperative that health and safety is prioritized, and that communication between the rehabilitation contractor and the operator is open and clear. Additional hazardous materials may also be present such as Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), Lead, Mercury, various chemicals, and in nuclear power stations, radioactive materials. These should be identified within an initial hazardous materials survey. It is also common to find confined spaces and work at height as locations where Asbestos may need to be removed.

Asbestos removal in a power station can be expensive especially if local companies are not capable of conducting the work (as is the case in many developing nations) and international contractors need to mobilize to the site – however there is an alternative solution.

Due to our planning, many years of experience, and expertise in this sector, Anthesis has a cost-effective means of abating and disposing of Asbestos within power stations. We have completed projects in power stations in Armenia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar using this tried and tested methodology, and believe we can apply this technique to other power stations around the world. All of these projects were funded by international lenders such as the World Bank Group (WBG), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and were completed in accordance with the International Finance Corporations (IFC) Environmental and Social Performance Standards. Rules and regulations typically vary from country to country, however the IFC guidelines are a good baseline for Abestos identification and removal.

If you have any Asbestos related concerns, contact us to see how Anthesis Consulting Middle East can help you:

Charles Faulkner (Head of Environment, Health and Safety, and Asbestos Team Leader)

Phone: +971 (0) 50 5541 320
Email: asbestos@anthesisgroup.com