Can a containerised oxygen plant be moved?

In a containerised plant the equipment sits in a container: the ULTRAOX CO, for example, is built inside a sea container with everything included, according to the ULTRAOX 2022 datasheet, and the ULTRACON datasheet lists container and skid-mounted solutions. WHO's interim technical specifications for PSA plants (8 June 2020, superseded by WHO's technical specifications of 31 December 2024) asked for plants to be skid-mounted or containerised to facilitate rapid installation, and WHO's Foundations of medical oxygen systems (2023) says these solutions facilitate smoother installation but are not feasible for bigger sizes, typically above 30 Nm3/h.

What a move involved in Ethiopia

CHAI's account (31 May 2024) describes how, as the pandemic abated, the government reallocated COVID-19 oxygen equipment to facilities with high oxygen demand. CHAI developed an asset and inventory tracker and worked with the Ministry of Health on selection criteria and a distribution plan. The first plant was moved with its pipeline and manifold systems; the second went first to another COVID-19 treatment centre and then, in May 2023, to the same hospital. Both plants were officially commissioned and handed over after a full equipment service and training of health professionals. CHAI's lessons learned:

• Allocate a budget for redeployment, covering technical personnel, servicing at the new location, spare parts that may need changing during servicing, and capacity building of the staff who take over the equipment.
• Use data to inform reallocation and redeployment.
• Plan robust vendor management and agile procurement for the redeployment phase.

What the new site needs

Global Fund guidance on site readiness (11 April 2025) asks hospital staff, Ministry of Health officials or other relevant parties to identify where the PSA plant container will be permanently located and lists the minimum works for a containerised plant:

• A concrete pad giving a level surface, sized to the container (6.06 m / 20 ft or 12.2 m / 40 ft) and the manufacturer's requirements, with a ramp for moving equipment and cylinders.
• A canopy protecting the container from direct weather.
• Electrical feeders from the hospital's main distribution panel, with any upgrades needed.
• An area open enough for a truck and installation of the container by crane, with no storage around it and air pollutants such as generator exhausts, idling cars and waste incinerators at least 10 m away.

Global Fund commissioning guidelines (28 August 2024) say their requirements can be reconfirmed and documented at any point after installation; they include an uninterrupted run of at least 24 hours at the plant's rated maximum flow, with purity above 90% at all times. Assist International notes on Open Critical Care that a container avoids a plant building, but a support building is still needed for the cylinders being filled and the cylinder manifold.

For an ULTRAOX plant, the 2022 datasheet lists what the customer provides at the site: a clean, level area easily accessible by lifting machinery or a crane, condensate drainage, a fixing system for all equipment, three-phase power and the licences to install and operate it.