Energy

Emergency WB36 valve repair in a power plant

From emergency call to completed repair in three days: urgent welding repair of a WB36 valve in a power plant in the Netherlands, just before Christmas.

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WB36-klep tijdens de dringende herstelling in een energiecentrale

The challenge

On 23 December 2025, CQM Welding was contacted for an urgent valve repair at a power plant in the Netherlands. A critical valve had to be repaired and returned to service as quickly as possible, while meeting the strict quality requirements of high-temperature power plant applications.

The valve was made of WB36 (15NiCuMoNb5-6-4), a low-alloy steel used in high-temperature and high-pressure applications. Because of the material and the operating conditions, the complete thermal cycle and inspection sequence had to be carefully controlled, under significant time pressure.

Our assignment

CQM Welding took responsibility for the complete welding intervention: procedure compliance, thermal management, inspection and heat treatment. We immediately assessed the technical requirements, prepared the intervention and mobilised the necessary personnel and equipment.

Our approach

Controlled welding. The repair was performed using a welding procedure suitable for WB36. The component was brought to the required preheat temperature, which was maintained throughout welding. After welding, post-heating was applied to control the cooling rate.

Inspection. Penetrant Testing (PT) verified the surface integrity of the repaired area.

Post Weld Heat Treatment. The valve then underwent PWHT, with a carefully controlled thermal cycle so the repair met the applicable technical and quality requirements.

Project details

Sector: Energy

Services performed: Certified Welding & Piping, Industrial Interventions, Inspections & NDT

Period: December 2025
Material: WB36 (15NiCuMoNb5-6-4)
Inspection: PT, followed by PWHT

The result

From emergency call to completed repair in three days

From the initial emergency call on 23 December to completion, CQM Welding delivered the repair within three days. Despite the extremely short timeframe, the repair was executed with the same focus on quality and process control as a planned intervention.