A turnaround (TAR) is a scheduled event wherein an entire process unit of an industrial plant, such as a refinery, petrochemical plant, power plant, or paper mill, is taken offstream for an extended period for work to be carried out. Turnaround is a blanket term that encompasses more specific terms such as I&Ts (inspection and testing), and maintenance. Turnaround can also be used as a synonym of downtime.
Related terms are shutdowns, and outagesTurnaround Cost Management for STOs: Improve performance of your TA with integrated software Cleopatra Enterprise STO Control website sometimes written as Turnarounds, Shutdowns, and Outages (TSO).Luan, Pete. The #1 Problem Facing Turnarounds, Shutdowns and Outages PetroSkills website
Maintenance budget Turnarounds are expensive, both in terms of lost production while the process unit is offline and in terms of direct costs for the labour, tools, heavy equipment and materials used to execute the project. They are the most significant portion of an industrial plant's yearly maintenance budget and can affect the company's bottom line if mismanaged.Practical Management for Plant Turnarounds Chapter 1 Turnarounds have unique project management characteristics.Project Vs. Turnaround Breakdown of differences from Engineering, Procurement and Construction projects
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See also Shutdown (nuclear reactor) Testing, inspection and certification Unit testing