Sell Process Plants & Equipment Case Studies

Phoenix Equipment acquired idled assets from Vestolit/Mexichem’s 81 MW cogeneration power plant in Pedricktown, New Jersey and managed their resale, preservation, selective dismantlement, and scrap disposition under one project. The approximately $1.5 million scope required a selective approach because the HRSG components were retained in place while the remaining plant assets were evaluated for reuse or recovery. Phoenix identified a buyer for the gas turbine portion of the facility, preserved additional reusable equipment for future resale, and removed lower-value material through dismantlement and scrap recovery. This gave Vestolit/Mexichem a single route to recover cash value from the idled plant while avoiding the need to separately manage equipment sales, dismantlement, and scrap disposal.

Phoenix Equipment purchased the majority of the never-used, never-installed process equipment from Air Products’ cancelled sustainable aviation fuel project in Southern California and assumed responsibility for its long-term remarketing. The approximately $5 million acquisition included stainless steel reactors and pressure vessels up to 28,000 gallons, fin-fan and shell-and-tube heat exchangers, compressors, pumps, electric motors, and other process equipment. By structuring the transaction as a single outright purchase, Phoenix gave Air Products immediate cash recovery and freed valuable storage space while taking on the longer equipment-sale timeline. Many of the assets have since been sold, with the remaining equipment continuing to be marketed for redeployment into other industrial projects.

Phoenix Equipment acquired an unused Outotec (Larox) PF 96/96 M48-2-60 vertical pressure filter press from a cancelled project near Calgary, Canada and relocated the system to its Texas storage facility for global marketing. Less than a year later, Phoenix matched the equipment with an Australian mining equipment company supporting a Latin American mining project and coordinated inspections by both the buyer and end user. Phoenix then managed export preparation and loadout of more than 90 metric tons of equipment across 15 major shipping packages, including preservation, VCI wrapping, and packaging for international transport. The project converted an idle asset from a cancelled project into production equipment for a new mining operation while helping the buyer avoid OEM lead times and reduce project cost and schedule risk.

A complete KOCH-designed solvent recovery and distillation system had remained unused for more than a decade. Phoenix acquired the system, recognized applications beyond its original DMF service and identified an African fuel processor that could adapt it for a new project. Phoenix then handled the sale, heavy-lift removal, transportation and export—recovering value for the seller while eliminating storage obligations and freeing valuable plant space.

After FMC had been unable to sell its idled sodium cyanide plant for years, Phoenix marketed the facility internationally and developed a buyer that generated substantial recovery for FMC. Phoenix sold the complete 25,000 TPY plant together with the associated process know-how and managed match-marking, dismantlement, packing and shipment to Mexico.

After a strategic change left a completed $50 million-plus HyCO syngas plant idle, Phoenix acquired the facility on speculation without having a buyer lined up. Phoenix then preserved, dismantled, match-marked and stored the plant before identifying a global chemical manufacturer seeking rapid syngas capacity. The transaction allowed the original owner to recover capital, avoid demolition and site-maintenance costs, and clear valuable real estate for future use.

Starbucks needed a never-commissioned four-line freeze concentration plant removed from its Georgia facility to make room for a new project. Phoenix purchased the equipment, committed to Starbucks’ removal schedule and assumed the resale risk. Phoenix ultimately placed the four lines with multiple buyers while managing match-marking, removal, crating and international shipment—providing Starbucks with both immediate asset recovery and a turnkey site-clearance solution.

After Polioli shut down its surplus 60,000 TPY formaldehyde plant in Italy, Phoenix purchased the facility, paid the owner for the assets and assumed responsibility for removal. Phoenix marketed the plant globally, identified a buyer in Asia, digitized and translated more than 400 technical documents, completed a 3D scan, and managed dismantlement and international shipment—recovering value for Polioli while clearing the site for redevelopment.

Phoenix acquired the closed Arlanxeo chemical plant for more than its scrap value and committed to dismantling the facility to the tops of concrete within an agreed 18-month schedule. Phoenix first marketed the facility for complete relocation and then transitioned to equipment recovery and site dismantlement, giving Arlanxeo a single counterparty responsible for maximizing asset value and clearing the site.

When Envia needed its recently built Gas-to-Liquids facility removed quickly so the underlying property could be sold, Phoenix closed the acquisition in less than one week and mobilized within 10 days. Phoenix preserved more than 100 major equipment items, including a complete 15.7 MMSCFD Hydrochem syngas plant, while allowing Envia to quickly recover value and clear the site for sale.

Phoenix purchased a surplus 14,000 BPD crude distillation unit in Mississippi and marketed the complete plant to buyers worldwide. Despite limited surviving technical documentation, Phoenix identified a buyer in Africa, coordinated an economical dismantlement program and completed removal in less than four months. The complete unit was shipped for refurbishment and reinstallation rather than being broken up for scrap.

After Dyno Nobel permanently shut its Nevada nitric acid operation, Phoenix developed qualified international buyers and ultimately acquired both the nitric acid and ammonium nitrate plants. Phoenix also assumed responsibility for removing assets that could not be relocated at no cost to Dyno Nobel. The 350 TPD nitric acid plant was match-marked, dismantled, packed and transported to the Middle East using containers, breakbulk trucks and heavy-haul rail.

When Montclair State replaced its 4.25 MW cogeneration plant, Phoenix acquired the complete system and sold it to an ethanol producer for continued operation. Phoenix removed the turbine, HRSG, boiler, controls and associated systems from a highly constrained indoor location. The university was paid for an obsolete asset, avoided removal costs and received a broom-clean building that was subsequently converted into an art gallery.

When regulatory changes eliminated ADM’s need for hydrogen production at its Canadian oilseed facility, Phoenix purchased the preserved 1,500 Nm³/hr SMR hydrogen plant and marketed it globally as a complete production system. Phoenix identified an Asian chemical producer requiring additional hydrogen capacity and then managed dismantlement, match-marking, packing and international shipment in approximately two months—allowing ADM to recover more value than equipment breakup or scrap liquidation.

Occidental initially faced an estimated $15 million cost to dismantle its closed specialty chemical operations in Niagara Falls. Phoenix acquired nine complete plants and process systems, marketed valuable equipment and technology, and executed a five-phase decommissioning program. Through equipment resale and asset recovery, Phoenix enabled Occidental to recover significant value while completing the facility dismantlement at no cost to the owner.

Phoenix and its partner acquired Alpharma’s 10-acre pharmaceutical fermentation facility and assumed ongoing costs including taxes, utilities, security and environmental obligations. Rather than dismantling the high-quality stainless process equipment, Phoenix identified a U.S. buyer that could reuse the complete facility in place. The plant returned to operation, several former employees were rehired, and the seller was relieved of ownership and carrying costs.

Phoenix Equipment purchased Dyno Nobel’s complete dismantled 390 TPD nitric acid plant stored in Port Ewen, New York after a planned reuse project was cancelled. The approximately $1.5 million project involved the loadout and removal of roughly 750 tons of stored process equipment, allowing Dyno Nobel to recover value from a shelved facility while freeing the storage area for future use. By acquiring the complete plant and handling the equipment loadout, Phoenix cleared the site at no cost to Dyno Nobel and provided a defined disposition path for assets that were no longer part of the company’s plans.

Phoenix Equipment purchased Harcros Chemicals’ 250 TPD nitric acid plant and 300,000-gallon tank farm in Vicksburg, Mississippi, then sold the complete plant for relocation to Asia. The approximately $2 million project included match-marking, dismantlement, packing, and preparation of the process equipment for international shipment while the tank farm was removed as part of the broader site-clearance scope. By preserving the plant for continued use rather than reducing it to scrap, Phoenix helped Harcros recover far-above-scrap value while completing the removal work in time to meet the company’s DEP commitments and planned site-rebuilding schedule.

Phoenix Equipment purchased Solvin’s complete EDC / VCM / PVC production complex in Ludwigshafen, Germany and managed both the resale of reusable process assets and the dismantlement of infrastructure that was not economical to relocate. The approximately $2.75 million project involved identifying which equipment retained sufficient value for continued industrial use, marketing those assets, and ultimately coordinating their relocation to a buyer in Egypt. Phoenix also funded demolition of the remaining plant areas, structures, and ancillary systems. By combining international plant resale with selective dismantlement under one acquisition, Phoenix helped Solvin recover significant value from the shutdown complex while reducing the cost of removing the remaining infrastructure.

Phoenix Equipment purchased Alpharma’s animal health fermentation manufacturing facility in Hannibal, Missouri and assumed responsibility for either finding a buyer to continue operating the plant or dismantling it and returning the site to greenfield condition. The approximately $2.5 million project was resolved through a complete plant sale to a new owner, which entered into a long-term lease with BASF and continued operating the facility in place. By securing an operating buyer, Phoenix preserved the existing manufacturing plant for continued use while allowing Alpharma to avoid the cost and disruption of dismantlement and greenfield conversion.