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EDITORIAL
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Jasu Shah Maulik Jasubhai Shah Hemant Shetty Mittravinda Ranjan (mittra_ranjan@jasubhai.com) D P Misra, N G Ashar, Prof. M C Dwivedi P V Satyanarayana, Dr S R Srinivasan, R B Darji, R P Sharma Bernard Rapose (bernard_rapose@jasubhai.com) Harshal Y Desai (harshal_desai@jasubhai.com) Namrata Tanna (namrata_tanna@jasubhai.com) Arun Parab, Amol Patkar Abhijeet Mirashi Dilip Parab Brenda Fernandes V Raj Misquitta (Head), Arun Madye
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NEWS ► Industry News / 6 Technology News / 24
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FEATURES ► Reference Recorder: The Future of Pressure Measurement / 30
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MARKET INSIGHTS ► Emerging Trends in Refining / 62 HTRI CC – India Meetings – A ‘Huge Success’ / 64 “Continuous
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INTERVIEW ►/ 78
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CEW Industry News CRI Pumps to Buy Sewage Treatment Business in EU Pune, India: Coimbatore-based CRI Pumps plans to acquire a sewage treatment processing company in Europe. CRI has not revealed the name of the company and other financial details. This deal will definitely assist CRI Pumps to enter into the European markets especially in sewage treatment processing sector with all kind of technology support. The deal will be finalised within a month. The organisation has recently opened their 6 th foreign subsidiary company in China as well. CRI is the only Indian pump company which has opened 100 per cent wholly owned subsidiary in China. The company have launched the fully stainless steel series submersible pumps in Pune which used to sell only in export markets, in India. These pump sets are capable for higher resistance for sand and applicable for domestic, industrial and agricultural sectors.
Nitro Cyber-Attacks: An Emerging Threat to Chemical Companies Visakhapatnam, India: Cyber-attacks, which have been on rise from past some years, eventually have become one of the serious concer ns towards chemical companies. During the national workshop on Digital Forensics and Incident Response Management, which was organised by the Computer Science and Engineering Department of Gitam University under the TEQIP-II project, P Krishna Sastry, Head - Fraud Management and Digital Forensics, Tata Consultancy Services, said,“The latest emerging threat in cyber space is the deadly Nitro attack targeting chemical and defence companies to steal information. They are increasingly being targeted at governments, commercial enterprises and industries.”According to Sastry, cyber criminals are installing a Remote Access Tool (RAT) called Poison-Ivy on target systems in order to steal information. He mentioned that so far 48 organisations from USA, Bangladesh, UK, Argentina, Singapore, China, Taiwan, Germany, Czech Republic, India, the Netherlands and Finland have been infected by the Nitro attack.
Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilisers Witness Crisis Bengaluru, India: Mangalore Chemicals and Fer tilisers is witnessing difficult times since last 12 months and the fir m would now find it difficult to even carr y routine operation. Banks has already declared the deadlines to clear the account of unpaid loans of parent UB Group. However, Mangalore Chemicals remains positive that its four biggest lenders, Axis Bank, State Bank of India, ING Vysya and Corporation Bank would lend ` 1,000 crore under the existing credit facility; this amount will fall shor t of the management’s requirement of ` 1,400-1,500 crore. M a n g a l o r e C h e m i c a l s r e q u i r e s a d d i t i o n a l ` 5 0 0 c r o r e fo r r u n n i n g i t s p l a n t i n M a n g a l o r e, f i n a n c i n g a t e r m l o a n o f ` 2 2 0 c r o r e a n d i m p o r t i n g p h o s p h a t e - b a s e d fe r t i l i s e r s . Officials from Mangalore Chemicals said that they are hopeful that the banks will lend us ` 1,000 crore but the company needs ` 500 crore more. Mangalore Chemicals has suffered huge losses. 6 • February 2014
Ste r lite Pla ns Ex pa ns ion in Ta m i l Na d u Chennai, India: Vedanta Group, USD 15 billion-company, has planned for ` 2500 crore expansion which includes to double the copper manufacturing capacity along with setting 2x8 MW power projects at its copper smelter plant near Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu. The plant is located on the southern tip of the state, which initially had faced legal battled P R amnath, CEO, Ster lite over alleged environmental issues. Copper P R a m n a t h , C E O, S t e r l i t e C o p p e r, subsidiary of Vedanta Resources, said, “We are hoping that in the next six months all the formalities and legal issues will be sorted out, and post which the expansion will be taken up. Post the expansion this plant will be Asia’s largest smelter facility in a single location. The plan is to double the capacity from the current 400,000 tonne per annum.” Ramnath further said that the company has invested around ` 150 crore to implement the 31 recommendations, including setting up Bag House and Flue Gas De-Sulphurisation System (FGDS) which were recommended by the NGT. Besides the company has also deposited ` 100 crore with the State district administration, as directed by the Supreme Court in its order in April last year. Post this expansion Sterlite will not only become the second largest industry in Tamil Nadu, but it will also double other parameters including its contribution to state exchequer which is currently at around ` 1,800 crore.
TCL to Expand Haldia Plant Kolkata, India: Tata Chemicals Ltd (TCL) is planning to invest ` 40 crore to double the single super phosphate (SSP) production capacity at its Haldia plant in West Bengal. P K Ghose, Executive Director & CFO, TCL, said,“Our company had decided to revive the investment plan after the Union Government lifted the restriction on industrial development PK Ghose, Executive Director activities in Haldia last September”.The & CFO, TCL Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) in 2010 had imposed a moratorium on the developments of new units or expansion of existing units in Haldia, which is critically polluted area. Currently, the company is working on capacity expansion of the unit with an estimated capital expenditure of ` 40 crore. During an event, Ghose said that Tata Chemicals is now awaiting approvals from the MoEF and other authorities concerned. The unit’s current capacity is 200,000 tonnes a year. He further said that they have pipelined new products in the water, food and wellness categories under the consumer products business. Currently, the segment generates revenues of around ` 1,000 crore out the total revenues of nearly ` 15,000 crore. The company expects its consumer products business to see more than three-fold growth over the next five years. Chemical Engineering World
CEW Industry News Dhanuka to Invest ` 50 Cr on New Plant Rajasthan, India: Dhanuka Agritech, a pesticide maker, has planned to invest ` 50 crore on a new manufacturing plant i n R a j a s t h a n a n d eve n t u a l l y ex p e c t s a p p r ox i m a t e l y 2 5 p e r c e n t gr ow t h i n revenue. The company has 3 units in Haryana, Gujarat and Jammu & Kashmir which produces M K Dhanuka, Managing over 80 plant protection chemicals. The Director, Dhanuka Agritech Gurgaon-based firm had posted net profit of ` 64.44 crore and a turnover of ` 582.3 crore in 2012-13 fiscal. M K Dhanuka, Managing Director, Dhanuka Agritech, said,“We are setting up our fourth plant at Keshwana, Rajasthan with an investment of ` 50 crore. Construction has started and the first phase is expected to start from December 2014. The investment would be funded through internal accruals adding that the company is debt-free.”
Domestic Industry to be Exempt from Chemical Cess Mumbai, India: The Ministry of Chemicals has proposed to retain the original chemical industry out of the sphere of the proposed chemical cess. The cess w i l l b e i m p o s e d o n c e t h e n ew g ove r n m e n t g e t s r e a d y t o present the budget.
Praj Industries Announces Q3 & 9MFY 2013-14 Results Pune, India: Praj Industries Limited, the global process engineering and solution provider for bioethanol, alcohol & brewer y, water, & wastewater, process equipment and bio products, announced its unaudited financial results for Q3 & 9MFY2014. Gajanan Nabar, CEO, & MD, Praj Industries, said, “The performance has surged this quar ter and the second half of the fiscal year is considered to be stronger than the first half. While the level of capital investment activity remains moderate we have been able to sustain order backlog through our focus on value engineering and innovative solutions that are customised t o o u r c l i e n t n e e d s . We h ave a l s o fo c u s e d o n o p e r a t i n g excellence which can be seen by the overall improvement in EBIDTA margins. During the quar ter, Praj received fresh orders amounting to ` 203 crore. The organisation has completed 3 decades and currently has adopted new ways for nur turing the values of innovation, integration and deliver y of high-end technology solutions to a varied client base. The 1 st generation ethanol and brewery plants business are considered as established business whereas the 2 nd generation ethanol, water, specialised process equipment and high purity application in Pharma and Bio-tech contribute to the growth business. Performance Review Q3 Consolidated – Praj Industries
According to the proposal, only 1 per cent of chemical c e s s w i l l b e i m p o s e d o n c h e m i c a l s i m p o r t e d f r o m fo r e i g n countries which will not distress the domestic products and manufacturers. The Union Ministry of Chemicals has proposed the chemical up-gradation and innovation cess at the rate of 0.05 per cent valorem on chemical industries in their National Chemical Policy. In line with the cess imposed by the ministry of new and renewable energy to set up a clean energy fund or as with the case of the telecom fund of the department of telecommunications, DoT has been enforcing five per cent cess on an operator’s gross revenue. Though, the chemical industry has been enforcing the idea till date, considering its profitability the industry has been already hit from lower exports at home. The officials explained that the cess will help generate the technological up-gradation fund which the industry could avail to increase Research and Development (R&D) spending from the existing 1 to 2 per cent of their total expenditure to five per cent. The R&D spending could focus on aligning technology, demand, standards and regulations after examining emerging technologies and trends.
(Figures in INR Crores*) Performance Review 9 Months Consolidated
ERRATUM In the interview titled as “There are no Thumb Rules to Understand What Goes Inside the Heat Exchanger” (Issue - January 2014, Page # 79), the number of heat exchangers sold by the company so far are incorrectly written as 150. Please note that the company has sold over 250 heat exchangers. (Figures in INR Crores*)
8 • February 2014
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CEW Industry News Sudarshan Chemical Reappoints P R Rathi as MD
AkzoNobel India Appoints Jayakumar Krishnaswamy as MD
Pune, India: The Board of Directors of Sudarshan Chemical Industries Ltd has approved the re-appointment of P R Rathi, Vice Chairman and Managing Director as Managing Director for a further period of five years with effect from April 01, 2014 and to revise his remuneration The Board has also approved proposal to revise the remuneration of R B Rathi, Executive Director wef April 01, 2014.
Sengupta is ONGC New Offshore Director Mumbai, India: Tapas Kumar Sengupta took charge as the new Director (Offshore) of energy Maharatna Oil and Natural Gas Corporation. He succeeds P K Borthakur, who retired on January 31. A chemical engineering graduate from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, Sengupta is among a select club of production engineers who have an exposure to both onshore and offshore operations. Besides having stints in Gujarat and Assam, he was also General Manager of the company’s Sudan project for four years. Of his 18 years in offshore Ta p a s K u m a r S e n g u p t a , fields off Mumbai, he served for 12 years Director (offshore), ONGC in Mumbai High, successfully handling a number of production-enhancement assignments. He was instrumental in improving performances of offshore wells where water ingress had either shut them or led to decline in output. Sengupta, said, “His effort would be to augment productivity from ONGC’s offshore assets.”
Jubilant Group May Exit Chemicals Business Mumbai, India: Jubilant Group, a diversified company is planning to sell of its chemicals business units to lessen down the debt. The Noida based group controls drug-maker, Jubilant Life Sciences, owns pharmaceuticals and chemicals business units wherein the chemical business accounts for approximately half of the company’s total revenue – USD 1 billion. Now the company wants to cut off the debts and concentrate onl y on pharmac euticals business in the US mar ket. Thus, the management is exploring the option to monetise its chemical business. However though, Jubilant, termed the i n f o rm a t i o n hy p oth e ti c a l. Th re e m o n th s b a c k Jub il ant had announced that it was consolidating its pharma business under its Singapore subsidiary for a consideration of ` 1,145 crore, and exploring options for an initial public. Jubilant’s chemicals business specialises in manufacture of pyridine, which is used in making disinfectants, herbicides and medicines. The product contributes close to 40% toward the company’s total revenue from the chemical business. Over the last few years, Jubilant has struggled to expand its healthcare business. 10 • February 2014
Jaya k u m a r K r i s h n a swa my, Managing Director, AkzoNobel India Limited
Kolkata, India: The Board of Directors of AkzoNobel India Limited approved the appointment of Jayakumar Krishnaswamy as Managing Director of the company. Jayakumar Krishnaswamy replaces Amit Jain, who, upon taking on a larger role within the AkzoNobel group, had stepped down from his role as Managing Director o f t h e c o m p a n y, e f fe c t i ve D e c e m b e r 31 st, 2013. However, Amit Jain continues his association with the Company as a Non-Executive Director on the board of AkzoNobel India.
According to Nihal Kaviratne CBE, Chairman, AkzoNobel India, “The appointment of Jayakumar Krishnaswamy augments the existing leadership of AkzoNobel India and raises the bar. Apart from infusing new energy to the Board, his appointment clearly demonstrates the company’s commitment to recognise and reward outstanding leadership capability, hard work and performance. I am confident that his ongoing contributions will go a long way in creating a world-class organisation.”
Textile, Chemical Units Shut as GSPC Discontinues Gas Supply Surat, India: Since Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation Ltd’s subsidiary Gujarat Gas stopped the supply of industrial gas, approximately 150 textiles and chemical units closed down their companies respectively. Jitu Vakhar ia, President, South Gujarat Textile Processors’ Association, said, “Gujarat Gas has completely stopped industrial gas supply to textile and chemical units which has resulted in this shutdown. The notice was sent to the units on January 14, informing about industrial gas supply cut from January 21 to January 31, citing supply issues from the international market. We will meet Gujarat Gas officials soon and make a representation. If the meeting does not yield any results, we will have to meet top government officials.” Meanwhile, sources representing Gujarat Gas said that the rise in demand for gas in global market is due to the winter, and gas supply has been diverted to the US and Europe. Officials infor med that Gas is not available from spot m a r ke t s. S u p p l y h a s n o t b e e n s t o p p e d t o c o n s u m e r s a n d essential industr ies. But supply to nonessential industr ies like textiles and chemical units have been stopped. Since they couldn’t stop gas supply to residents, they had to stop supplying to the industries. According to him, the shutdown w i l l a f fe c t l i ve l i h o o d s o f a p p r ox i m a t e l y 4 0 , 0 0 0 w o r k e r s . Currently, production of around 1.5 crore metre polyester fabrics a day has come to a standstill. This results in a loss of ` 40 crore. Chemical Engineering World
Steam Tube Bundle Rotary Dryer
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CEW Industry News A d i t ya B i r l a C h e m i c a l s A p p o i n t s K a i l a s h J h a n wa r a s N ew M D Mumbai, India: One of the leading manufacturers of bulk and speciality chemicals and viscose filament yarn in India, Aditya Birla Chemicals has appointed Kailash Chandra Jhanwar, the present Director as their new Managing Director. Jhanwar has succeeded Vijay Kumar Agarwal who was appointed as Aditya Birla Chemical’s Managing Director from October 24, 2011. The company has accepted the resignation of Vijay Kumar Agrawal from the position of the Managing Director of the company and Board of Directors with effect from February 28, 2014.
IOL Chemicals Plans Restructuring Business Ludhiana, India: IOL Chemicals & Phar maceuticals Ltd, Ludhiana-based manufacturer of bulk chemicals has planned to restructure its business operations. According to the company officials, the company has authorised the Varinder Gupta, Managing Director, IOL Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals, to explore the possibility of various options consisting of de-merger or merger, incor porate one or more subsidiary companies, joint ventures and to transfer the business of one segment/product, or in combination or otherwise arrange the business of company to unleash the potential of the company. The restructuring is considered to be a part of expansion plan and thus, the team has been eagerly looking forward for merger or joint venture in order to position themselves in the market. They are also Expanding production operations of Ibuprofen with cutting-edge manufacturing facilities that are built to EU & USFDA compliant standards.
Deepak Nitrite Announces 9MFY14 Results Mumbai, India: Deepak Nitrite Ltd. (DNL), a leading manufacturer of Organic, Inorganic, Fine & Specialty chemicals and preferred business partner of global chemical companies, has announced its financial results for the quarter and nine months ended December 31, 2013. Deepak C. Mehta, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, said, “Deepak Nitrite continued to demonstrate excellent financial perfor mance delivering Revenues of ` 913 crore during the first nine months of this fiscal. We continued to see reasons to be optimistic about our growth prospects and have been successful in achieving this owing to higher demand from d o m e s t i c m a r k e t s . O u r ex p o r t s h a ve a l s o b e e n g r o w i n g a t a h e a l t hy ra t e a n d h ave ex p a n d e d 1 3 p e r c e n t d u r i n g the period.” We continue to review and improve the initiatives that have led to significant debottlenecking of our existing capacities in the first nine months. This has led to significant reduction in cost and has optimised performance of some key speciality chemicals. Our established business continued to grow and o u t p e r fo r m , w h i c h h a s r e s u l t e d i n i m p r o ve d p r o f i t a b i l i t y. The FWA business has contributed revenues of ` 37 crore during the period. Performance for 9MFY14
Sastra University to Felicitate Sourav Pal
Sourav Pal, Director, National Chemical Laboratory
Bengaluru, India: Sourav Pal, Director, National Chemical Laboratory, has been selected for the Sastra-CNR Rao award for this year by the Sastra University, Thanjavur.The University has instituted the award, which includes a citation and cash prize, for excellence in chemistry and material science.
S o u r av Pa l , a r e n ow n e d t h e o r e t i c a l c h e m i s t , c o n t r i bu t e d to challenging aspects of methodological and conceptual developments, many-body theory of molecular electronic structure and proper ties using coupled-cluster methods. He has been working at the NCL for the last thirty years and took over as the Director of the laboratory in December 2010. Pal is a recipient of several awards and honours for his contribution to science and technology including the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar award in chemical sciences, fellow of all science academies in India, a fellow of the Royal. 12 • February 2014
(Figures in INR Crores*) Performance for Q3FY14
(Figures in INR Crores*)
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CEW Industry News India, Netherlands to Expand Cooperation in Renewable Energy New Delhi, India: India and the Netherlands have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for intensifying cooperation on renewable energy between the two countries. According to the agreement, an Indo-Dutch Joint Working Group will be set up and the exchange of technical and institutional knowledge on clean energy will be facilitated. The MoU signed by Dutch Ambassador, H E Alphonsus Stoelinga and Dr Satish Balram Agnihotri, Secretar y of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, in presence of Dr Farooq Abdullah, Minister of New and Renewable Energy. The cooperation will specifically focus on wind and solar energy, biomass and smart grids. According to Stoelinga, “Both India and the Netherlands have ambitious sustainable energy targets and face similar challenges in realising clean energy options in densely populated areas. The MoU will encourage cooperation between Indian and Dutch governments and governmental organisations, as well as between research institutions and private companies in both countries.” The Netherlands aims to have a sustainable, reliable and affordable energy system by 2050. As part of this, the Dutch aim to cut CO 2 emissions by half, and to generate some 40 per cent of electricity from sustainable sources such as wind at sea and biomass by that time.
Essar Pumps USD 150 Million in US Arm Mumbai, India: Essar infused USD 150 million into its bankrupt American coal company Trinity Coal. This is part of a plan to re-organise the company and help it emerge from a bankruptcy that involved settling USD 325 million. According to the deal, Trinity will continue its mining operations in Kentucky and West Virginia and Essar will receive 100 per cent of the common equity. The restructuring plans were approved by a bankruptcy court in the Kentuky province. One of the Investment Banker of the deal, Moelis & Company mentions that holders of allowed general unsecured claims are expected to receive USD 0.15 to USD 0.25 on the dollar, pursuant to Trinity’s disclosure statement. The funds will be infused through Essar Global Fund, through its affiliates. Trinity Coal was acquired by Essar for USD 600 million four years back. Trinity had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February last year after its vendors filed petitions in the court as their payments piled up. Almost 96 per cent of the creditors voted for the plan. Jared J Dermont, Managing Director, Moelis & Company, said, “Trinity’s re-capitalisation was facilitated by a dual-track global 363 sales processes and stand-alone reorganisation plan that ultimately resulted in maximising the value to all Trinity stakeholders while enhancing the company’s growth.” 14 • February 2014
WB Government Clears Mitsubishi Capital Incentives
Amit Mitra, State Finance, Commerce and Industries Minister
Kolkata, India: The West Bengal government has cleared over ` 3,400 crore capital incentives for Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation PTA India, which is equivalent to nearly 10 years of state tax break for the Japanese giant. The investment by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation PTA India in its Haldia unit is considered as one of the largest foreign direct investments in Bengal, one of the biggest in Indian chemical sector and also one of the largest cash flowed from Japan.
Amit Mitra, State Finance, Commerce and Industries Minister, said, “The project would get a 125 per cent incentive on fixed capital investment. There would be no sunset clause on the incentive.” He also mentioned that during the Left Front regime, there was a sunset clause that the amount of incentive had to be taken within a given time frame. But now, there will be no such constraint. MCC will get incentive till the admissible amount is exhausted. This is a major shift from the earlier r e g i m e. D P Pa t ra , E xe c u t i ve C h a i r m a n , M C C P TA I n d i a , said, “We are grateful to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, w h o h a d g i ve n u s a n a s s u ra n c e. T h i s w i l l s e n d i nve s t o r s a positive message.”
Clariant Sells Water Treatment Business to AECI Mumbai, India: Clariant has signed an agreement to divest the Water Treatment business in Africa to AECI, domiciled in South Africa, for total consideration of CHF 34 million in cash. The deal is expected to close by the end of the second quar ter 2014. The transaction is subject to cer tain conditions precedent, as well as regulatory approvals. Hariolf Kottmann, CEO, Clariant, said, “The divestment is a result of our continuous active por tfolio management. The Water Treatment business does no longer meet our positioning as a globally leading company in all of our businesses. Although Wa t e r Tr e a t m e n t i s a n ove ra l l a t t ra c t i ve i n d u s t r y a n d t h e business is well positioned in Africa, Clariant has decided to identify a better owner who is able to focus on this ser vice driven activity.” Mark Dytor, Chief Executive, AECI, added, “We are delighted to have reached agreement with Clariant for this transaction. The water treatment industr y is one we have identified a s b e i n g o f s t r a t e g i c s i g n i f i c a n c e fo r o u r g r o u p ’s f u t u r e growth in Africa. There are many synergies between A E C I ’s e x i s t i n g a c t i v i t i e s i n t h i s s e c t o r a n d C l a r i a n t ’s Wa t e r Tr e a t m e n t b u s i n e s s . T h e a c q u i s i t i o n w i l l e n h a n c e our ability to provide customers with leading edge products and ser vice solutions on our continent where water is often a scarce resource.” Chemical Engineering World
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æ Maintenance-free The fibreoptic measurement principle dispenses with regular calibration æ Pressure-proof up to 200 bar Measurements are possible in areas with very high levels of pressure æ Measurement in gases Reliable measurement results æ Drift-free and with long-time stable Long-life sensor and robust sensor head æ ATEX-certified Approved for hazardous areas æ Web interface Configuration by web interface æ Compact dimensions for easy integration
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CEW Industry News KBL’s Fifth Authorised Refurbishment Centre Opens in Bellary Pune, India: Kirloskar Brothers Limited (KBL), a global fluid management company, opened doors to its fifth Authorised Refurbishment Centre (ARC) at Bellary in Karnataka. Sanjay Kirloskar, Chairman & Managing Director of KBL inaugurated the First Authorised Refurbishment Centre in the State of Karnataka. The ARC facility in Bellary offer services like overhauling of pumps, impeller balancing, hydro testing, coating, performance enhancement, testing, shot blasting & painting and lastly it will also cater to customers having annual maintenance contract (AMC). Sanjay Kirloskar, Chairman & Managing Director, KBL, said, “By expanding our refurbishment centres across India, we aim to strengthen our relationship with our customers. The centre in Bellary will cater to our bulk pump users by continuously implementing upgraded methods to increase the efficiency of our pumping equipment.” Commenting on the inauguration, Ravindra Murthy, Vice President & Business Head of Customer Service & Spares, KBL said, “Like our other Authorised Refurbishment Centres in India, the outlet in Bellary will serve as a one-stop-shop for complete pumping solutions. Our expanded presence in Karnataka will benefit our large customer base here with speedy and convenient process of corrective maintenance and repair of pumps. True to KBL’s focus on delivering best of technology and services, this new initiative will provide comprehensive and proactive service facilities to our existing and potential end users.”
Westlake Chemical Opens US Chlor-Alkali Facility
Versalis to Redesign Italian Cracker Utilities Bengaluru, India: Versalis will redesign manufacturing plants at its Por to Marghera site, Italy, following an agreement with the unions. According to the moder nisation of the programme, the chemicals subsidiary of ENI will invest EURO 200 million in Porto Marghera to focus on the optimisation and reorganisation of cracker utilities and energy savings. T h e p r o j e c t i s a l s o l i ke l y t o h e l p Ve r s a l i s t o r e s u m e competitiveness and to develop the green chemistry project, as well as to optimise exposure to commodities products. Launched with American company Elevance Renewable Science, the green chemistry project will leverage the existing infrastructures and Versalis’s production stream. The green chemistry project aims to improve new plants and new technology for bio-chemical intermediates and vegetable oils production for sectors with high added value applications such as detergents, bio-lubricants and chemicals for the oil industry. As part of the investment, the company will temporarily stop the cracking/aromatic cycle for six months to absorb the current downturn in the market and to optimise the material balance of Versalis’s industrial system. According to the Versalis’s officials, “The agreement activates solutions outlined within the national collective bargaining agreement for employees of the chemical industry from September 2012.”
Mitsui Chemicals to Shut Down PU, Phenol Production Facilities
L o u i s i a n a , U S : We s t l a ke C h e m i c a l , manufacturers and supplier of Petrochemicals, polymers and building products has opened a new chlor-alkali plant in Geismar, Louisiana, US. Albert C h a o, P r e s i d e n t & C E O, We s t l a k e Chemical, said, “We have enjoyed a long and rewarding relationship with Louisiana, operating since 2002 in Geismar and Albert Chao, President & CEO, in Louisiana since 1986. Our Louisiana Westlake Chemical operations are a vital hub for our enterprise and we are proud to be a responsible corporate citizen of the great state of Louisiana.”
Minato, Japan: In order to bring down the losses due to its underperforming polyurethane and phenol businesses, Japanese chemical major Mitsui Chemicals Inc has announced a major restructuring plan, which involves closing down of some production facilities. As a part of the plan for polyurethane business, all plants at the Kashima Works (Japan) and diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) plants (having production capacity of 60,000 tpa) at the Omuta Works (Japan) of Mitsui Chemicals are scheduled to be terminated and disposed of by December 31, 2016. The Kashima Works will close down by December 31, 2016 due to difficulties in ensuring the competitiveness of specialty isocyanates and organic acid, resulting from the termination of the tolylene diisocyanate (TDI) plants. Post shutdown, production of specialty isocyanates will be shifted to the Omuta Works.
The new plant created 70 additional permanent positions in Geismar, US, while creating more than 2,000 construction jobs at the peak of construction. Houston-based Westlake Chemical has invested over USD 2.5bn in Louisiana, in grassroots construction and other capital expansions during its time in the state.Westlake Chemical manufactures a wide range of products including ethylene, polyethylene, styrene, propylene, caustic, VCM, PVC resin and PVC building products.
Attributing reasons for these shutdowns, Mitsui said that business profitability of TDI and MDI dropped due to market oversupply caused by rapid expansion of production in Asia, especially in China. As for phenol business, the phenol plant at the Chiba Phenol Co Ltd, a joint venture between Mitsui Chemicals and Idemitsu Kosan will be closed. Following the closure, Mitsui Chemicals will meet Idemitsu’s phenol needs by providing in-house produced phenol.
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Chemical Engineering World
CEW Industry News KSB to Build New Pumping Station for Athmania
BASF Invests in the Resin Production at Münster
Berlin, Germany: Middle of this year, Belgian subsidiary KSB Belgium SA/NV has received an order for equipping a new pumping station for the Athmania project with ten large water pumps. The pumps t ype RDLO 700-980 A are to be driven by a 1,810-KW electric motor each. Running at full load, each of the ten pump sets will be delivering 2,025 litres of water per second at a head of 75 metres. To rule out the risk of corrosion, all impellers will be made of stainless steel. The pump casings are made of nodular cast iron. Each of the ten units will weigh around nine tonnes.
M u n s t e r, G e r m a n y : B A S F h a s a n n o u n c e d t o i n ve s t approximately EURO 7 million for expanding and optimising the resin production at its Munster site. Since resin being a n i m p o r t a n t i n t e r m e d i a t e fo r t h e p r o d u c t i o n o f a l l p a i n t materials, the capacity expansion supports the company’s plan for growth.
The customer is the Algerian National Agency for Dams and Water Transfer (ANBT). The construction project will serve the water transfer from the dam at Athmania to the intermediate stations of Oued Seguin and Ain Kercha. From there, the water will be conveyed to the more water-deficient dams of Koudiat-Medouar and Ourkiss. It will be used to secure the drinking water supply of the local population and for irrigation in agriculture. The reason for the Belgian KSB subsidiary winning this order is the fact that it has been successful in the planning and hydraulic design of pumping stations for over 37 years. In Algeria, it has equipped 300 pumping stations to date. The pumps are expected to be ready for delivery in the summer of next year.
KBL’s Fifth Authorised Refurbishment Centre Opens in Bellary City of Brussels, Belgium: Belgium-based chemicals group Solvay has commenced a new research and innovation centre in Singapore, which will serve as the company’s core innovation ground for its consumer chemicals growth engine in the AsiaPacific region. The laboratory will help in global innovation projects primarily for Solvay’s business unit Novecare, which is engaged in home and personal care, coatings and oil and gas domains. Based in Singapore’s Biopolis research hub, the centre will serve as a regional hub in development of sustainable solutions for the agro-chemical business, and will provide technical support to Solvay’s regional customers. Pierre Franck Valentin, Vice President and General Manager, Solvay Novecare Asia Pacific, said, “Singapore has undergone a n i m p o r t a n t t ra n s f o r m a t i o n i n re c e n t y e a rs a n d i s n o w established as a key knowledge and innovation hub in the Asia-Pacific region. Basing one of our global research and innovation centres in Singapore will allow us to benefit from the country’s research capabilities, ready infrastructure and strong intellectual proper t y protection.”The c ompany has invested approximately EURO 2m in the laboratory, wherein an additional EURO 5 million is expected to be invested in the next five years to improve the centre’s capabilities, including the hiring of an extra 30 researchers. Solvay has also received support from the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) in establishing laboratory, which represents its second investment in Singapore after Novecare announced the construction of a large-scale alkoxylation facility . 18 • February 2014
Dr Walter Jouck, Head of Operations Coatings Europe, BASF, said, “With this investment, we are primarily strengthening the competitiveness of the Münster site. Our resin competence is an important competitive edge and by expanding the resin capacity, we are adapting to the future market development. We will be able to serve our customers more flexibly, especially those from the automotive industry.” The investment in resin production will result in an expansion of the production capacity and will also contribute to a significant improvement of the environmental perfor mance. The energy efficiency for heat generation and the exhaust gas combustion will be increased. The investments are scheduled to be completed in 2016.
Technip Secures Ethylene Furnace Contract in Russia Moscow, Russia: Technip, a French engineer ing fir m has secured a contract from Kazanorgsinte, according to which they will have to provide technology and services for a grassroots fur nace which will be installed at the Kazan petrochemical complex in Russia. As per the company officials,the project covers engineering and procurement of Technip’s SMK double-cell cracking furnace and is preferred for cracking high-capacity, low-cost ethane and propane gas feedstock. Technip’s operating centre in Zoeter meer, the Netherlands, will instrument the project, which is likely to be completed in 2015. The project that forms part of Kazanorgsintez’s ethylene cracking furnace replacement programme, follows the start-up and operation of a Technip SMK double-cell cracking furnace supplied in 2007. The engineer ing fir m confir med that the fur naces are par t of the ethylene plant at the site, with the output used as fe e d s t o ck fo r o t h e r d ow n s t r e a m u n i t s. S t a n K n e z , S e n i o r V i c e - P r e s i d e n t , P r o c e s s Te c h n o l o g y, Te c h n i p, s a i d , “ W i t h more than 100 installations around the world, this technology is recognised for giving clients reliable, flexible and highly selective solutions to improve operational efficiency. We are pleased that Kazanorgsintez has selected again Technip’s SMK coil technology for this new fur nace.” Technip noted t h a t t h e l a r g e s t c a p a c i t y f u r n a c e i n t h e wo r l d u s e s S M K technology and has a capacity of 210,000t per year of ethylene per furnace cell. Chemical Engineering World
CEW Industry News Dow Produces First STYROFOAM
Kaneka to Build New Acrylic Fibre Facility
Michigan, US: Dow Building Solutions joint-venture Dow Kakoh has generated the first STYROFOAM extruded polystyrene (XPS) foam with the new polymeric flame retardant (PolyFR) technology in Japan. Dow Chemical Company subsidiary Dow Building Solutions has converted three Japan-based STYROFOAM XPS foam plants to PolyFR as part of a phased approach, which will see the conversion all of its plants in North America, Europe and the Middle East to the new technology. Takahiro Sugiyama, President, Dow Kakoh, said, “The new product has been extensively tested and has proven to maintain its flame retardant performance while having a more sustainable profile. “We have made the new PolyFR containing product available to customers in commercial quantities in order for the construction industry to meet the Japanese regulations banning the use of the flame retardant hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) as of May 2014.”
Tokyo, Japan: Kaneka, Japan based chemical company will build a new acrylic fibre manufacturing facility in Malaysia, marking as their first production base established overseas.
Inken Beulich, R &D Director New PolyFR Project Leader, Dow Building Solutions Europe, said, “This allows for a controlled conversion process that meets our quality requirements in every region and at the same time ensures product availability meeting global regulatory demands.” Dow introduced the PolyFR technology in 2011, which is a stable, high-molecular weight, non- persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic (non-PBT) additive offering a fire-safety solution for XPS and EPS foams. The technology was released to the global XPS and expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam insulation industry through three manufacturing and marketing licensees, including Chemtura as Emerald Innovation 3000, ICL as FR-122P and Albemarle as GreenCrest.
Ineos Expands German Ethylidene Norbornene Plant Berlin, German: Ineos Oxide has expanded its Ethylidene N o r b o r n e n e ( E N B ) p l a n t a t i t s A n t we r p fa c i l i t y, G e r m a ny, increasing its capacity to 28,000t. Completed during Q4 2013, the expansion made the ENB facility the largest in the world, according to the company. Hans Casier, CEO, Ineos said, “We are pleased to be able to announce that we have successfully expanded our ENB plant to support our customer’s needs. Ongoing global growth, and demand from new ENB customers, in particular those producing ethylenepropylene-diene rubber, requires new capacity. Debottlenecking the Antwerp plant is a unique step by INEOS that will provide sufficient ENB for the next two to three years.” ENB is used mainly to yield ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM) that is used in the automotive, white goods and construction industries and is also used in the high-value fragrance and flavours industry as a scent carrier. Ineos Oxide manufactures ethylene oxide, ethylene oxide derivatives, propylene oxide and propylene oxide derivatives, as well as a wide range of solvents and specialty chemicals. The company operates manufacturing facilities in Antwerp, Belgium; Köln, Germany; Lavéra, France; Plaquemine, Louisiana, US; and Hull, UK. 22 • February 2014
Built in the premises of Kaneka Malaysia, Kanekalon/Kanecaron acrylic fibre plant will need a capital investment of approximately USD 88m and is likely to aid the company meet the increasing global demand for acrylic fibres. With a manufacturing capacity of 12,000t per annum, this facility will bring the yearly total production capacity of Kanekalon/Kanecaron to 73,000t. The plant is expected to go onstream in October 2015. Since 1957, Kaneka has been manufacturing Kanekalon/Kanecaron at its Takasago Plant, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, with a production capacity of 61,000tpa. Kaneka is planning to sell all Kanekalon/Kanecaron manufactured in Malaysia to the African market, for hair extension applications. Kaneka manufactures and sells acrylic fibres under the trade name of Kanekalon/Kanecaron.
Audia to Buy BASF’s Liquid Masterbatch Business in France Paris, France: BASF, a German chemical firm has approved to sell their liquid masterbatch business in Clermont de l’Oise, France, to Audia International. The companies did not disclose the financial details of the transaction, which is expected to be completed in mid2014. Audia will run BASF’s liquid masterbatch business as part of its subsidiary, Uniform Color Company. Uniform Color Company supplies masterbatches and has facilities in North America and Europe. Officials from BASF said liquid masterbatches is a niche business and not part of its future focus. The chemical company added that it will concentrate on its business with solid and powder masterbatches that is manufactured in Cologne, Germany. The acquirement signifies Audia’s expansion in technology, markets and geography and complements its entry into the European market over the past seven years. Audia International is a privately held firm focused on plastic compounding, colour solutions and distribution.
G l y e c o S t a r t s 2 nd P h a s e E x p a n s i o n o f N J Processing Centre New Jersey, US: GlyEco has started the second phase of expansion at its New Jersey processing centre in the US, to meet customer demand for its refinery-grade recycled T1 glycol.Currently underway, the upgrades are expected to further expand the company’s waste glycol processing capacity and storage capabilities. The additional on-site storage will allow the company to increase its batch processing flexibility, which is claimed to result in improved margins. John Lorenz, Chairman & CEO, GlyEco, said, “There are approximately 700 million gallons of waste glycols produced each year in the US. The company started production and sale of GlyEco certified T1 product in commercial quantities during the fourth quarter of 2013.Increasing our processing capacity allows us to take more market share more quickly, while the added storage capabilities will be a major profitability driver for the company, leading to strong shareholder value improvements in the months and quarters ahead.” Chemical Engineering World
CEW Technology News Honeywell’s UOP to Supply its 1,000 th Hydrogen Purifying System New Delhi, India : A Honeywell‘s company, UOP LLC declared the award of its 1,000 th system for purifying hydrogen, which is being installed at Ruwais Refinery, United Arab Emirates, and is operated by the Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company –Takreer. The UOP Polybed PSA system will recover and purify hydrogen for TAKREER’s Carbon Black and Delayed Coker Project to meet the increasing need for clean transportation fuels. UOP first invented the Polybed PSA technology in 1966 and has supplied improved versions of the technology to meet the growing global demand for hydrogen. Hydrogen is essential in today’s refining industry for upgrading heavy crude oils into refined fuels, in addition to helping meet increasingly tight transportation fuel specifications. Rebecca Liebert, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Honeywell’s UOP Gas Processing and Hydrogen Business Unit, said, “The selection of our 1,000th PSA unit is a great milestone for UOP that demonstrates the value we have brought to high-purity hydrogen technology over the last half century. It also shows that UOP remains at the cutting edge of innovation while offering the most compelling economic solutions for our customers.”
Mouvex Launches SLC Series Pumps Auxerre, France: A leading manufacturer of positive displacement p u m p s , hy d r a u l i c c o o l e r s , s c r e w c o m p r e s s o r s a n d va n e compressors, Mouvex have announced that its Series Eccentric Disc Pumps - SLC is ideal for liquid-transfer applications which is found in the pulp-and-paper industry that undergoes handling of numerous chemical-based compounds. The design of Mouvex’s SLC Series pumps can meet the challenges found in pulp-and-paper manufacture because they have been designed to deliver superior volumetric efficiencies while handling thin, abrasive, aggressive and higher viscosity fluids. Other design benefits of the SLC Series include seal-less construction; low shear and agitation of the pumped product; the capability of handling solids and abrasives; self-priming; line stripping; and the ability to run dr y. Specifically, Mouvex’s new SLC4 and SLC8 models are ideal for pulp-and-paper applications because they feature major technological advancements that include the incorporation of a double-wall bellows into the design, along with monitoring that is done by pressure switch. By mounting the pressure switch on the bellows flange, the bellows becomes an independent sub-assembly within the pump, making for safer and easier operation. Other improvements in the SLC4 and SLC8 pumps includes the ability to handle differential pressures up to 10 bar (145 psi) in the SLC4 and 6 bar (87 psi) in the SLC8, and high-quality sand castings that are integrated into the manifold flange and bracket and also compatible with ISOPN16 and ANSI150 flanges. 24 • February 2014
PSG Launches PSG TV Oakbrook Terrace, IL, US: Pump Solutions Group (PSG), an operating company within Dover Corporation and a global leader in the manufacture of industrial pumps and related flow control technologies has launched new PSG TV website, which can be found at www.psgdover.com/psgtv. The new website has been designed to provide customers with an easy-to-navigate multimedia channel featuring an assortment of pump and related flow control technology videos. Walter Bonnett, Vice President -Global Marketing, PSG, said, “Solutions is part of our company name for a reason. At PSG, we are focused on providing solutions for our customer’s most demanding challenges. But we don’t stop there. We want to provide these solutions in a format that’s easy to access and digest. Finding information on the Internet is getting more complex all the time. Now, with the launch of PSG TV, we can help customers find the answers to their toughest challenges quickly. Whether it’s through a customer success story or a ‘how to’ video, we want to provide expert advice that’s just a click away. PSG TV is a global communication channel targeted to anyone who uses pumps or systems to move valuable materials.” The new PSG TV website already features a number of videos from PSG and its brands – such as Almatec, Blackmer, Ebsray, Griswold, Maag, Mouvex, Neptune, Quattroflow and Wilden with topics ranging from maintenance tips to customer success stories to new product demonstrations. Sortable by market, brand and technology, PSG TV videos feature an in-depth description and can easily be shared via a variety of social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter.
GEA Wiegand’s Cooling Systems Features Low Maintenance & Eco-Friendliness Ettlingen, Germany: In autumn 2005, a steam jet cooling plant was taken into operation within an EO/EG process unit of a big chemical company in China. It has been operated continuously for more than seven years without requiring any shut-down of the plant for maintenance purpose. Water steam under a slight overpressure (waste steam) is used as drive energy for this plant. Apart from the drive energy the steam jet cooling system requires relatively warm cooling water (37°C). With the cooling system a refrigerating capacity of 16,450 kW can be generated. In this case, 1,572 m³/h of water are cooled from 29 o C to 20 0 °C. This chilled water is used to optimise the EO/EG production in particular during summer periods when the cooling water is relatively warm. Steam jet cooling systems can be an extremely environmental-friendly alternative to absorption cooling systems, as they only requires water or aqueous solutions instead of chemical cooling agents. Instead of high-value electricity, low-pressure steam (waste steam) can be used for the operation of such systems. For this reason, the operating expenses are extremely low compared to other technological systems. Steam jet cooling systems are used to cool water or aqueous solutions down to the formation of ice. The structure and function of these systems is simple, and they perform a nearly maintenance-free operation. Chemical Engineering World
Chemical Engineering World
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CEW Technology News Agilent Technologies Expands its Next - Gen Sequencing Target-Enrichment Platform Santa Clara, California: Agilent Technologies Inc declared SureCall version 2.0 software, expanding the capabilities of the company’s current market-leading, next-generation sequencing target-enrichment solutions. The newly upgraded software features compatibility with SureSelect custom target-enrichment and Human All Exon panels. Dr Robert Ohgam ,Stanford University School of Medicine, Pathology Department, said, “In NGS clinical cancer research, analysis is the key. We rely heavily on SureCall to analyse sequencing data in our hematologic myeloid neoplasms studies. It enables rapid alignment and base calling for reporting significant mutations, and data output is in a simple tabular format. Victor Fung, Senior Director - Marketing, Agilent’s Genomics Solutions Division Demand for Clinical Research Labs, said, “The fast, efficient data analysis is a potential roadblock for both in-house bio-informatics teams and for those outsourcing data analysis. SureCall can help by reducing both set-up time and external bioinformatics spend.” SureCall software is ideally suited for clinical research labs that are not accustomed to performing complex, in-house bio-informatics analyses. With customisable algorithms in the software, users can easily identify copy number changes and somatic mutations in tumours when comparing them to normal sample analyses and de-novo mutations with trio analysis.
S-Oil to Build New South Korean Technical Service and Development Centre Seoul, South Korea: Oil refiner and aromatics producer S-Oil has planned to build a new technical service and development centre in South Korea. Thus, Nasser Al-Mahasher, CEO, S-Oil has signed a contract with Seoul Major Park Won-soon. The technical service and development centre built at the Magok Industrial Complex is expected to ramp up S-Oil’s R&D function. The centre will play an essential role in the company’s refining and petrochemical downstream businesses. By using basic petrochemicals produced by upgrading facilities, the refiner is also considering performing research on technologies related to high value-added petrochemical materials. Nasser Al-Mahasher, CEO, S- Oil, said, “The centre will play a vital role in the company’s refining and petrochemical downstream business. With the construction of the technical service and development centre in Magok, S-OIL will beef up its R&D capability, which is essential for the success of our new project, the largest size ever since the company’s foundation, as well as the key to our advance into the petrochemical downstream field. We will conduct research activities to the highest standard in and out of the country in the petrochemical material field by making the best use of high-quality infrastructure for R&D activities in Seoul, which is the heart of the economy, academic study and culture.” 26 • February 2014
Siemens Launches Best-Fit Controller Bavaria, Germany: The Industry Sector of Siemens launched SIMATIC PCS 7 AS 410 SMART - a compact process automation controller for small to mid-sized standard DCS applications. A new addition to the Siemens SIMATIC controller family, it comes with the same hardware ruggedness and proven quality as that of the powerful AS 410 controller. This compact, affordable and easy-to-use controller provides repeatability, meaning once a standard solution is designed, the same can be used for several similar applications as well. Designed in Germany for round-theclock industrial applications, AS 410 SMART can withstand harsh temperature conditions, vibration/shock and EMC requirements. It is also equipped with a conformal coating, which is in line with G3 standards, thus making the controller highly robust. With a speed of 450 MHz, this multi-processor system is equipped with 48 MB memory and can be scaled up to 800 Process Objects. Simultaneous management and control of different process tasks at different cycle times is yet another advantage of this high speed controller. As 410 SMART also provides ease of maintenance to customers as only one controller-spare part needs to be managed. With the addition of AS 410 SMART to the SIMATIC PCS 7 portfolio, Siemens is now well equipped of addressing the different requirements across all Process Automation market segments.
Ashland wins the China Personal Care & Cosmetics Innovation Award 2014 Shanghai, China: Personal care manufacturers continuously look for innovations to fulfill consumer desires for younger, healthier-looking skin. Ashland Specialty Ingredients (ASI), a commercial unit of Ashland Inc, offers Actopontine biofunctional in response to this consumer demand. The product recently w o n t h e C h i n a Pe r s o n a l C a r e & C o s m e t i c s I n n o v a t i o n Award 2014, sponsored by Ringier Media Group and Happi China magazine. Actopontine biofunctional is a bio-engineered peptide which design is inspired by the latest advances in the role of dermatopontin in matrix-forming systems. Michael Ling, technical service manager, Care Specialties, Ashland Specialty Ingredients, Asia Pacific, said, “Ashland is passionate about the personal care industry, and our deep market understanding and continuous lab trials help ensure that our products perform well in the lab and in the marketplace.” William Lau, Sales Manager, Care Specialties, Ashland Specialty Ingredients China , said, “Ashland has developed hundreds of safe and high-performing skin care products that help protect skin and help to detoxify, firm, nourish, revitalize, and smooth it”.Actopontine biofunctional is the latest discovery for anti-aging and improving skin firmness and elasticity. Ashland is proud to receive the China Personal Care & Cosmetics Innovation Award. It reinforces our position of providing world-class personal care ingredients, and active research to innovative new product solutions.” Chemical Engineering World
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CEW News Features
E-waste Management – A Rising Global & National Concern E-Waste management system implementations have been hovering around the industrialist and government bodies for a long period of time. Dr P Parthasarathy, Managing Director, E-Parisaraa - a recycler shares his opinion on e-waste management and his desire for revival in policy.
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nation’s GDP, climatic, geographic and socio-economic factors and tighten our regulation administration. The policy importantly needs to cater the needs and problems of our country and thus it has to be customised accordingly.
evelopment, if not managed tactfully can be disastrous. E- Waste is a term that includes practically all kinds of consumer and commercial electronics disposal system. The term has evolved due to rising ecological concerns and nonexistent merely a few years ago when all the electronic waste was illegally or informally disposed and eventually caused immense harm to environment and nature. Electronics - being the world’s largest and fastest growing manufacturing industry - has gradually anticipated the role of providing a powerful influence to the socioeconomic and technological growth of a developing society. This is an absolute result of the consumers gaining the high purchasing power. Some years back, it was considered as an emerging business opportunity along with several challenges. Currently, the practice of e-waste in India suffers from several drawbacks which have eventually raised a cause of concern. After the statement released from Anwar Shirpurwala, Executive Director, MAIT, that after 2020, India will generate 1.5 lakh tonne of e-waste per year, many suggestions pooled in and targeted the lack of awareness in our country - towards the system of electronic waste disposal. Few years back the challenges varied from difficulty in inventorisation, insalubrious conditions of informal recycling, lack of awareness, corporate reluctance, insufficient legislation and so on, and thus were badly criticised globally. According to Dr P Parthasarathy, Managing Director, E-Parisaraa, increase in the current ratio of e-waste which is approximately 1 million needs to be catered sooner by the government. No wonder, though two years 28 • February 2014
old E-Waste Policy has been introduced by The Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India, it assures us a good sign in the future. He states that the growth in E-waste in past few years in merely due to the increase in consumer purchase power. The growth in GDP leads to direct growth in consumer demands. Even the traditional and cultural influence completely reflects in our consumers, and is also indirectly proportional to the challenges in e-waste. Parthasarathy believes that the introduction of policy for E- waste is a step towards betterment, though it needs to be revised on the front of capitalism and investment. Out of his experience, he also adds that the entrepreneurs desiring to commence recycling units have to struggle extensively in the industry and raising the capital for hi-tech infrastructure. Thus, he stresses on revising policy and making funds accessible to suitable entrepreneurs, eventually reducing the strain of e-waste as well grow opportunity for in-house businesses. The policy makers need to connect the people desiring to design e-waste management strategy with the industrialist ready to rationally invest in their concepts and strategies. Parthasarathy continues that our government need to frame our policy considering cultural aspects, the
It is very much essential to establish advanced infrastructure which enables the recycling organisation to assist the client. Currently many of the organisations do not meet the basic infrastructure criteria, and thus fails in the execution part. He clears that lack of awareness about the processing system of e-waste is the brief reason of illegal and unregulated e-waste management. The processing system needs to include innovative and cost effective recycling solutions that will focus on environmentally sound technologies. It is thus important to create an opportunity to convert the waste into socially and industrially beneficial raw material by utilising a low cost and environment friendly technology. The technology is developing and growing at very high pace and thus everyone that is part of this supply chain (from production to disposal) needs to carefully regulate the system and avoid foot fall. Technology manufacturers have to be specifically cautious about their productions and consider this as a cohesive issue which needs severe attention. Parthasarathy summed up wisely that it India needs ‘Tech Backup’. For a nation that is rapidly catching up with the pace on the global development, it is important to figure out this crucial and so far ignored concern, and rise up to create an identity for itself on a global platform. - Namrata Tanna Chemical Engineering World
CEW Features Technical Article
Reference Recorders: The Future of Pressure Measurement Within the pressure measurement industry, relentless innovation has become the norm. New technology continually supplants the old, providing higher quality, lower cost and often both. Today, reference recorders are shaking up old standards in the oil & gas, chemical processing, power generation and wastewater treatment industries.
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reference recorder is a new class of instrument that is gaining ground over other common pressure instruments. While chart recorders, deadweight testers and analog pressure gauges all brought several advantages in their time, reference recorders are demonstrating the ability replacing all three with a single instrument.
chart, relying on ink pens mounted on mechanical arms, which pivot in response to pressure. Their primary advantage is the ability to record for extended periods in remote locations. Chart recorders may be battery-powered or entirely mechanical (requiring no external power), allowing them to operate in hazardous locations.
Reference recorders unify the recording capability of a chart recorder, the high accuracy of a deadweight tester, and the continuous measurements of a pressure gauge into one tool that is easier to use and less expensive.
An experienced user may provide preliminary analysis on the output from a chart recorder in the field. Communicating or storing this data electronically becomes possible only after a technician enters or scans the chart into a computer. This process typically takes several days before results become available.
On their own, none of these features is unique, but when you put them all in the same device and make it cost-effective, you end up with something really useful. Offering reference recorders for both laboratory and field applications has real advantages for the user.
Chart recorders typically claim an accuracy ranging from 0.25 per cent to 1 per cent of span, but that figure depends on changes in ambient temperature and on the thickness of its pens—which can cause an additional error up to 1 per cent of the recorded reading. Chart recorders are also susceptible to errors caused by overpressure, and can easily be damaged if dropped. In contrast, a reference recorder exports digital data in a familiar spreadsheet that can be easily shared and understood by multiple users. Accuracy remains consistent with temperature changes; it is protected from high over-pressure events, and is not affected if the gauge is dropped. Despite
While data logging devices are nothing new, improved microprocessors allow today’s reference recorders to read and record faster and more accurately than previously. Reference recorders detect readings from modules that read pressure, temperature, current or voltage and store the data in digital memory. These modules are usually interchangeable and recorders generally accept two inputs at a time. In addition to their compact size, reference recorders offer several improvements over bulky chart recorders. Improving on a Chart Recorder Originally patented in 1915, chart recorders produce a graph on a moving paper 30 • February 2014
Figure 1: R eference recorders can replace three decades-old technologies with a single instrument.
Chemical Engineering World
CEW Features a proprietary mathematical algorithm that corrects for ambient temperature. Achievable accuracies range from 0.025 percent of the indicated reading at lower pressures, to 0.1 percent of reading up to 15,000 PSI. To produce dependable measurements, a reference recorder’s accuracy should not change with temperature across its operating range. This is where different models vary widely. The best manufacturers will provide proof of their accuracy claims with a calibration certificate from an accredited lab, showing test data at different temperatures.
Figure 2: D ata collected by reference recorder is easily transferred to any PC.
being battery-powered, reference recorders are also rated Intrinsically Safe for use in hazardous locations. New regulations in many industries require that safety tests be documented in an electronic format. Some even require that the files produced are in a tamper-proof, secure file format. Reference recorders can meet these requirements by saving the data in a signed .pdf file, which produces read-only files that cannot be manipulated. Using Deadweight Testers in the Field Deadweight testers are used primarily in a laboratory setting. They produce a repeatable reference pressure by balancing calibrated masses on a piston of known area. Operators must use a different set of masses for each engineering unit (i.e., one set of weights for PSI, another for kPa). In an indoor, temperature-regulated environment, deadweight testers can be very accurate - serving as a primary standard for the calibration of other pressure measurement devices. Field versions also exist but, outside the lab their accuracy depends on a host of factors. In order to deliver an accurate reading, a field deadweight tester must be perfectly level. Additionally, ambient temperature, humidity, wind, and local gravity will all impact the reading. Without adjusting for these, a field deadweight tester’s accuracy may be no better than a common pressure 34 • February 2014
gauge. Even with these compensations, a field deadweight tester cannot actively detect or record changes in pressure—it only offers an accurate reference pressure for comparison. A reference recorder serves two purposes: • First, it stores readings continually, with update rates up to 10 readings per second, and allows the operator to record an entire test from start to finish; • Second, such a device will provide a consistent, accurate reference for field calibrations. Measurements from modern reference recorders are independent of local gravity or humidity, and produce their accuracy via
Replacing Multiple Pressure Ranges Pressure and temperature gauges are widespread and varied in form. Gauges will continue being useful for years, because of their portability, customisability, and affordable cost. Their drawbacks stem from their inherent fragility and the need to carry multiple gauges to cover a given pressure range. Linearity and ruggedness are the two most important features of any pressure gauge. Many would be useful across a much larger pressure range if their sensors were more linear and predictable. Also, many gauges continue to display readings that appear accurate even after their sensors sustain damage. To overcome these challenges, reference recorders extend their usability by accepting different modules, each of which covers a wide pressure range. Within each module range, a reference recorder will have superior accuracy and linearity, compared to most pressure gauges. The advanced selfdiagnostics in reference recorders prevent them from displaying invalid readings if they have been damaged. Reference recorders offer a reliable improvement over decades-old technology. Replacing chart recorders, deadweight testers, and older pressure gauges with reference recorders helps companies reduce their equipment costs, training time, and operator error.
Figure 3: . AMETEK Crystal Engineering nVision Reference Recorder.
Author’s Details David K Porter, P.E. Division Vice President Crystal Business Manager AMETEK, Inc. Email: david.porter@ametek.com
Chemical Engineering World
Chemical Products Finder | November 2013 | 57
CEW Features Technical Article
Top Ten Alarming Blunders American comedian Sam Levenson once said, “You must learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t possibly live long enough to make them all yourself.” When it comes to alarm management, Levenson is correct. The article contains the top ten alarming blunders, which - if addressed in advance – can improve safety, the environment, and plant profitability.
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neffective alarm systems pose a serious risk to safety, the environment, and plant profitability. Too often, alarm system effectiveness is unknowingly undermined by poorly configured alarms. Static alarm settings cannot adapt to dynamic plant conditions, and many other nuisances result in alarm floods that overwhelm operators when they instead need concise direction. Alarm systems are the primary tool for identifying abnormal situations and helping plant personnel take timely, appropriate action to move their processes back to operational targets. For operators considering undertaking an alarm management programme, taking the time to examine common alarming blunders is important to ensure steps are taken to avoid them. Examining the Alarm Management Process Before diving into the common mistakes associated with alarm management, it is important to illustrate and review the proper execution path. The overall structure of a successful alarm management process is fundamentally the same across industries, regardless of plant size. This includes benchmark, alarm philosophy, rationalisation, implementation, continuous improvement, and maintenance. Benchmarking and evaluating current performance is the time to identify the most pressing alarm system problems and the biggest opportunities for improvement. This is also the best place to start if it is unclear what actions are required for a successful alarm management programme. With the landscape better understood, it is also important to develop an Alarm
36 • February 2014
Philosophy Document (APD). The APD is not a theory but an engineering document focused on all aspects of the alarm management system. This document should clearly outline key concepts and governing rules for the alarm strategy, such as what constitutes an alarm and what risk categories pertain to site operations. The philosophy should also outline roles and responsibilities and change management procedures and project goals, such as target alarm rates. For reference, the ANSI/ISA-18.2-2009, Management of Alarm Systems for the Process Industries standard identifies all the sections required in the alarm philosophy document and covers other areas (e.g., rationalisation). There are different methods of rationalisation, and more than one method may be used to solve alarming issues. The purpose of alarm rationalisation is to determine the causes, consequences, and corrective actions for an alarm. Once rationalisation is complete, the next step is implementation, which is a key to a successful alarm system. Control logic, alarm design, and graphics need to be included in the implementation stage. Alarms are dynamic and will be affected by process or control changes, and routine performance monitoring helps to identify new opportunities for improvement, such as dynamic alarm strategies. Once the alarm practices are at a comfortable level, they can be integrated into plant workflow to sustain optimised plant performance over the long term. Even with a proper execution path in place, however, operators are still at risk of committing alarm blunders that can impede a
successful alarm management programme. By avoiding these common pitfalls in their alarm management programmes, operators can continue effectively responding to abnormal situations and better ensure their plants are meeting their operational targets. 1.Operations Ownership of the Alarm System Often, the operations group in facilities believes alarm issues belong to the controls or instrumentation group since this group’s responsibility is computer system maintenance. It is important for operations to take ownership and realise that the computer control system is also their responsibility, and how it functions is determined by their requirements. It is irresponsible, for instance, to take a car to a mechanic and let them decide on what maintenance needs to be done. Similarly, operations should not expect the maintenance group to resolve the alarm issue. Maintenance will make the required changes, but operations must drive them. 2.Missing or Incom p le t e Ala r m Philosophy Document The APD defines all aspects of the alarm system. One reason alarms are out of control is they are not being properly designed or maintained. Failing to establish and document best practices is a recipe for disaster. Guidelines for performing alarm rationalisation need to be formulated. For example, an alarm philosophy should include methodology and rules for setting alarms, an alarm review to build commitment and consolidate training, and an audit process to ensure the philosophy is consistently applied. These guidelines will clearly define the criteria for legitimate alarms and the setting of Chemical Engineering World
CEW Features their priorities. These are the backbone of an APD, which acts as a corporate standard to guide the organisation’s alarm management initiatives. 3. Using the Wrong Tools Alarm and event archiving and proper analysis tools are required to ensure that time spent on problem correction delivers maximum return. All alarms should be reviewed to ensure consistent priorities, but it is inefficient, costly, and irresponsible to correct minor nuisances when problems remain that pose serious risk to plant safety. Beyond simple analysis, tools that enable automatic change control, punchlist generation, discrepancy reporting, and project tracking are available. Forethought needs to be given to how alarm information will be used once this knowledge is in a repository, however. Although these tasks can be performed without special software tools, it is not practical to do so. The effort is often so daunting that alarm management initiatives collapse under the weight of their own logistics. It is best to do away with paper trails for change control and spreadsheets posing as master alarm databases. 4. Neglecting to Benchmark Benchmarking is vital to any serious improvement initiative. If current performance is not measured, progress cannot be accurately determined. The first step is to keep track of alarm rates for several weeks in order to obtain a baseline measurement. Once that is done, it is important to assess how the plant’s current alarm levels measure up to industry standards. Once benchmarking and assessing current performance is complete, the next step is identifying opportunities for improvement. Below, in order of importance, are the key questions that need to be answered when performing this assessment. • Is the dynamic (real-time) alarm load acceptable for all operators? • Does the dynamic alarm prioritisation meet industry standards? • What are the troublesome tags on the system during steady-state operation? • How does the configured distributed control system (DCS) alarm count compare to standards (alarms per tag)? • What does the configured alarm distribution look like compared to standards? 38 • February 2014
A screen shot of Alarm Count Over Time window
Tracking key performance indicators indicates when alarm rates are improving or deteriorating, but the true measurement of a successful alarm management system is the reduction of unplanned outages, safety incidents, and environmental discussions. 5. Only Tracking Alarms Often, and mistakenly, all required data is not tracked, and tracking only alarms is not sufficient. Alarm rationalisation requires more than one type of data. For example, when an alarm occurs, it is necessary to know if an operator actually responded to it. Tracking operator actions is an effective way to identify control problems and automation opportunities and audit the effectiveness of the alarm strategy. If the operator did not respond, it is likely that the alarm is a nuisance alarm. Examine the ratio of operator actions to audible process alarms in order to identify poor alarm strategies. The approach requiring that every alarm expects operator intervention demands that this ratio exceed 2:1. Other data to track are related to operator actions, including controller setpoint, mode changes, and system errors. If a controller’s mode or output is repeatedly changed, it is a clear sign the loop needs fixing. If action data
is coupled with controller performance data, an understanding of the loop’s problems can be quickly diagnosed, saving time. If a controller’s setpoint is frequently changed, and the controller has no supervisory control, then the automation engineer must solve the discrepancy. Installing new automation strategies can free the operator to focus on pushing limits rather than maintaining process stability. In addition, process variable history is important for determining some deadband alarm settings and for performing engineering reviews prior to implementation. It is also worth considering if a loop is poorly performing and the operator is manipulating the output to keep the process in control. Typically, these loops are not a priority, and the work order is placed on the bottom of the maintenance list, yet the operator spends significant time managing this loop. 6. Assuming Users will Read Documentation It is naïve to expect personnel to thoroughly read and examine all manuals and handbooks. In fact, handing operators proper documentation is not a valid substitute for practical training. The easiest way to undermine effective alarm management is to implement a solution without giving personnel the hands-on training they need. Chemical Engineering World
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Road,
CEW Features This point is perhaps best illustrated with a real-world example: A large petrochemical plant went to great efforts to improve their alarm system performance through alarm rationalisation. Once the new settings were designed, changes were uploaded to the control system over the span of 45 minutes. Even though the operator was aware of the rationalisation process and that the changes were being made, he did not understand the ramifications of the changes. After the changes, the console was quiet, and he was very concerned that something was wrong with the computer control system or that the changes made were too radical. It took multiple shifts for him to become comfortable knowing that he would get an alarm for an issue with enough time to respond. With such a culture shift, extra time for training should be expected. Often, and mistakenly, all required data is not tracked, and tracking only alarms is not sufficient.
7. Cutting Resource Corners Alarm rationalisation is an intensive manpower effort that will yield great results when executed correctly. This being said, facilities try to minimise costs by reducing the alarm rationalisation team. If the correct personnel are not in the room, then the determination of alarms will be incomplete. It is disturbingly common for companies to exclude the most important resource from rationalisation meetings: the operator. Operators are the end user and the primary stakeholder in alarm optimisation. And if the operator is excluded from the rationalisation process, the project will fail. Instrument technicians, automation engineers, process engineers, and field operators are not operators. It should be noted that the only person who can be the “operator” is an experienced operator. This person fights alarms and unit problems throughout the day and across shifts. Their knowledge is very valuable during the rationalisation process. Alarm rationalisation is the process of applying operational experience to alarm system design. Although operators are the most important participants in this process, they cannot carry this burden alone. Without a facilitator who is familiar with alarm rationalisation, the rationalisation project will take longer than it should, yield poor results, and most likely have to be repeated. Finally, alarm rationalisation requires an engineering review prior to implementation. This is required to ensure results are consistent with Hazard and Operability Studies (HAZOP) and Safety Integrity Level (SIL) studies. The process, unit, or contact engineer owns this role. 8.Incorporating Alarm Rationalisation in Incident Investigations/ HAZOPs/LOPAs The biggest offender in creating nuisance alarms after rationalisation is incident investigations, HAZOPs, and Layer of Protection Analyses (LOPAs). After investing time and effort in rationalizing the alarms, these procedures are allowed to add alarms without proper rationalisation because they have identified a safety issue, loss of production, or an environmental excursion. Yet with all the right personnel in the room, at least two topics have likely been covered: causes and consequences. However, it is also important to review corrective action, time to respond, alarm setpoint, and severity. These topics will only add a few more minutes and result in rationalised alarms. The solution is to modify the procedures for incident investigations, HAZOPs, and LOPAs, and incorporate the alarm rationalisation when an alarm is defined. 40 • February 2014
9. Adding Dynamic Alarming Too Early The advancement of dynamic alarm techniques has facilities believing that the solution to the alarm problem is through dynamic alarming. It is easier to suppress alarms than to determine the cause and execute the correction. Rationalisation needs to be completed prior to applying dynamic alarming and, in most cases; rationalisation will resolve the alarming issue itself. Part of the rationalisation process is to identify opportunities for dynamic alarming. What needs to be considered is how to maintain the dynamic alarms strategies, which are part of the system and will need to be evaluated when the control strategy or process changes. 10. Lack of Accountability Failure to assign roles and responsibility is the most common and most deadly oversight in an alarm management project. Advocate resolving this issue by encouraging “accountability through visibility.” In other words, ensure everyone has access to each other’s project data, which encourages plant personnel to work together. There may be resistance to this, but the end result is improved plant operations. While it may sound intense, such an approach is effective in practice. It is best to define maintenance tasks and assign responsibilities in the alarm philosophy document. This must be done in a simple manner, both textually and in actual day-to-day practice, to ensure sustained support of the idea. This will also give personnel an opportunity to participate in the system installation and/or verification. They are more inclined to use the new technologies since they have ownership from participating in the initial configuration. An alarm management programme can significantly improve plant safety, reliability, and profitability, but will only succeed if deployed properly. By following the recommended life cycle methodology and avoiding common mistakes, operators will have an effective and successful alarm management program that will undoubtedly ensure plant personnel are more productive, making the plant and operations more reliable. Author’s Details Kevin Brown Global Alarm Management, Best Practices Leader Honeywell Process Solutions Email : kevin.brown3@honeywell.com
Chemical Engineering World
a dust concentration of 300 g/m 3.
CEW Features Technical Article
Delivering Good Customer Experience in Manufacturing? Adapting your IT to react and serve customer better, improving visibility of accurate and timely information along the value chain, speeding up decision/making capability, analysing past customer interaction data, and simplifying or automating business processes are some of the crucial customers enablers that are helped by an ERP solution, reveals An IDC Manufacturing Insights white paper by Epicor. In this article, the author further explains how ERP is crucial for improving customer experience.
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oes size or age matter when it comes to delivering a good customer experience in manufacturing? it shouldn’t. However, recent research by IDC Manufacturing Insights shows that 75 per cent of the large manufacturers (5,000 employees or more) surveyed, indicated that their ERP is a vital platform for delivering a good customer experience, due to the levels of ERP integration and higher instances of single ERP systems being used. In contrast, for companies with 100 –1,000 employees, over 90 per cent of respondents indicated that their ERP has limited, little or no contribution towards the delivery of a good customer experience.
complaints have been logged around a particular product or service. To be successful, the data needs to be available anywhere and anytime, but the real key is how you react to this information. Customer responsiveness is at its peak if you can respond to a situation and communicate with the customer quickly, regardless of whether you are at your desk or on the road. These are just some of the aspects of a customer experience which can breed loyalty, repeat business and differentiation,
without having to always win business based on price. Furthermore, these processes and ways of working are all underpinned by the technology and functionality in the next generation of ERP systems that are available for mid-sized and smaller companies. Available in various deployment forms and with various financing options, engaging with and serving customers better is not something that just larger companies can afford. The fact is that the smaller companies continue to have a higher instance of
A customer centric culture should not be exclusive to the big boys. Every company, regardless of size, should be endeavouring to apply and optimise the right technology to help put customers at the very heart of their business. At its simplest, it should be about making quality products at a competitive price, having short production lead times and delivering on time, every time. But increasingly it’s more than just about features, price and delivery, it’s about collaboration and relationship with customers – how they order goods or interact with you to adjust orders or raise an issue. And then there is the internal aspect that can enhance this customer experience. Accessing and analysing data to provide insight and decision making capabilities relating to customer orders, for example, or understanding how many customer 42 • February 2014
Epicor Issues Call to Action to Use Modern ERP for Driving Customer Experience
Chemical Engineering World
Features CEW home-grown, multiple ERP systems, or even no ERP at all, which is almost certainly why they say that their ERP has limited, little or no contribution towards the delivery of a good customer experience. Their often outdated and inefficient infrastructure results in data being stored in too many different IT systems that are loosely connected, making it difficult to influence customer satisfaction even at the most basic level. Old technologies can stop a company dead in its tracks, preventing it from taking customer experience to the next level. It hinders a company and drains them of the inspiration needed for the management team to identify, justify and implement solutions that truly differentiate a company from its competitors. If this is something you can relate to, perhaps it’s time for you to consider if this situation is stopping you serving and retaining customers in the best way possible, and what impact this has on your bottom line. It’s not just size that matters, age is also relevant. Mature companies in mature markets are forced to move from tactics such as price and delivery to other ways of differentiating themselves. Growth for them depends on a more mature approach to customer experience to win market share, they simply don’t have a choice. But if your market isn’t mature, if you’re growing by competing purely on price and delivery, why should you bother with customer experience beyond this? Because your market and competitors will mature around you, perhaps faster than you anticipate and those that will win in the long run will be the ones offering the superior customer experience. Adopting the right technologies and applications now means you can compete on today’s terms today, and tomorrow’s terms tomorrow. Smart companies build a platform for today with an eye on tomorrow. They avoid having to rip-and-replace systems by working with visionary partners who have an eye focussed on the future. Their partners don’t force them to build capabilities with no immediate ROI that they don’t need today, they help them build on their systems and add capabilities at the time they need them, like when the market matures, prices have stabilised and the customer demands a better experience. And of course they do it quickly with the intention of keeping their customers ahead of their competitors. That’s inspiring business! With an emphasis on total cost of ownership, ERP systems for mid-sized manufacturing companies are available based on the latest technologies with the most recent application developments. With ease-of-use, responsiveness and flexibility at their very core, such systems are designed for modern manufacturers and how they need to work to stay competitive. This means that as companies grow, their customers and their ERP system can remain at the heart of the business.
Author’s Details Anish Kanaran Channel Director Epicor - Middle East, Africa and India Email: akanaran@epicor.com
Chemical Engineering World
February 2014 • 43
CEW Features Report
Shutdown for Start-up: Operational Downtime for Maintenance and Testing at Chemical Plant From October to November 2013, TÜV SÜD Chemie Service supervised its biggest shutdown of a chemical plant to date at the INEOS site in Cologne. A highly complex cracking plant on the site was shut down for two months for cleaning, maintenance and testing. Where the production of base chemicals such as ethylene and propylene normally takes place, there were around 1,250 people working on the shutdown every day – a report from testing in the field.
Cracker plant with scaffolding and cranes
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undreds of steel scaffolding structures – temporary mobile structures – surround the approximately 15 hectare chemical plant. The filigree structures look almost like the gateway to a highly technical futuristic city. Behind it are reactors, columns, heat exchangers, pressure vessels and pressure indicators, control fittings, valves and a fine-mesh network of pipes kilometres in length. Thanks to the dense, tidy structural architecture of metal struts and platforms, it is now possible to get to areas where there are usually no steps or ladders.
The plant, when operating, processes the crude oil distillate naphtha. Hydrocarbons flow through the pipes under high pressure and at high temperatures. High-molecular chemicals become smaller molecules which, in downstream plants, then become important plastics for products in everyday use. Now everything is standing idle. The plant has been 44 • February 2014
completely emptied, cleaned and opened up. Maintenance, repair and testing work that cannot be carried out during normal production is now going on around the clock and sometimes seven days a week. The shutdown is also an opportunity to unlock further potential for optimisation. Every Five Years Dr. Anne-Gret Iturriaga Abarzua, who heads corporate communication at INEOS, says, “With a total investment volume of 100 million euros, including a programme of upgrading and renovation, the current shutdown is the biggest we have ever had at our Cologne site.” In addition to 2,000 of its own workforce, there are an additional 4,000 employees from partner companies. TÜV SÜD Chemie Service
is involved in the mammoth project on a daily basis with up to ten experts from different specialist field moving around the plant. The plant is generally shut down every five years for maintenance and testing. For about two months, the experts examine all the instruments, columns, tanks and piping systems as well as electrical safety equipment and lifting gear. Logistical Tour de Force 75,000 planning hours were needed to shut down and re-commission the cracker. The preparatory work started way back at the beginning of 2012. The shutdown operation is meticulously orchestrated from rough planning down to the finest detail. “Nothing is left to chance,” reports
With a total investment volume of 100 million euros, including a program of upgrading and renovation, the current shutdown is the biggest we have ever had at our Cologne site. - Dr. Anne-Gret Iturriaga Abarzua, who heads corporate communication at INEOS Chemical Engineering World
CEW Features shutdown manager Marcel Hohnroth. “As it’s well-known that time is money, we’ve specified a precise route for each day and we use this to guide the test engineers to the prepared components.” Auxiliary equipment and tanks are taken apart and cleaned, inspection hatches are exposed and opened, any repairs are carried out, heat exchangers are put under test pressure – then it’s all systems go. Supervised Test Route For every visitor the first day begins with two safety briefings and the required outfit: safety glasses, safety helmet, safety shoes, gloves and flame-resistant overalls. There is a sticker to put on your helmet for the safety briefing. In addition to this, everyone receives an electronic safety pass that has to be worn visibly at all times. The test route starts in a container village close to the plant. This has its own infrastructure with offices for partner companies and subcontractors, who coordinate, plan and provide tools and safety gear. From the Four-eyes to the Six-eyes Principle In the conference room of TÜV SÜD Chemie Service, the test engineers and the shutdown planners clarify which structural components, and which plant components are next in line. Almost 1,000 in total have to be tested within a little over six weeks. In addition to the daily tests, there are also night shifts and weekend assignments. “We look at every single component,” explains Klaus-Dieter Peschel, Head of Plant Safety & Inspection at the TÜV SÜD Chemie Service site in Dormagen. The test engineer leads the team of experienced experts who are on the move within the plant every day. “We keep a second documentation list parallel to our customer to make doubly sure that nothing has been forgotten.” The experts go through this list again both in-house and after the end of every testing day so that the four-eye principle becomes a six-eye principle. Zero Accidents is the Standard We pass by the catering tent. The safety pass has to be registered on a computer
terminal for check-in to the plant. Then it’s possible simply by pressing a button on the PC to work out how many people are in the plant. At the entrance to the plant there’s a safety guard waiting to accompany us through the plant. Everywhere you look; people are grinding, welding and fitting. Everyone knows what’s to be done, where to do it and how long it will take. Peter Löffler, Test Engineer at TÜV SÜD Chemie Service, says, “When you’re dealing with timecritical processes, it’s essential to have maintenance and test schedules that are coordinated with each other. We reduce the effort and expense for the operator by using software-assisted test interval management with electronic access to test reports.” A Place for Everything It begins to drizzle. After internal testing of a vessel shell, we move on to a heat exchanger which is connected to pumps and hoses. It is briefly put under 13 bar hydraulic pressure. The expert from TÜV SÜD Chemie Service states that, “Component E-1050 withstands the pressure, is leak-tight and there are no deformations that give any concern for safety.” The engineer tests connections, welds and any particularly critical areas, “The heat exchanger is fine. However, the component has to be approved as a whole. Where are the covers that belong to it?” he asks the planning engineer. After a short telephone call, there’s a trip to a storage area where the heat exchanger’s covers are lined up. At just under four meters long and 70 centimetres in diameter, the heat exchanger is relatively small. Nevertheless, it weighs a good 1.6 metric tonnes. The reason for this is the large number of tubes in the component, the so-called bundle – around 80 in this model but up to 10,000 in other heat exchangers. Larger components can also weigh over a hundred metric tons. Even smallish components can’t be moved without a crane. And there are lots of
In the conference room of TÜV SÜD Chemie Service, the test engineers and the shutdown planners clarify which structural components, and which plant components are next in line. Almost 1,000 in total have to be tested within a little over six weeks. 46 • February 2014
Visual inspection of a raised manhole
them standing by in the aisles and on the access roads ready to do just that. There are up to 40 cranes in use in the plant on any one day. Towering above them all is a fire-engine-red crawler crane with a hook height of 188 meters that’s equipped with signal lighting to warn air traffic. It’s taller than Cologne cathedral and is the tallest crane ever used for an inspection shutdown on the INEOS site. It can lift far more than half its own weight of 927 metric tons. Expertise with History We move on to an access hatch the height of a man for a visual inspection of the inner wall. Then another heat exchanger comes under inspection on the test rig. Initial findings based on a dye penetrant test are checked. The next station is a block valve. The same but equally important questions are asked over and over again: Is there any corrosion or other apparent damage? If yes, how should it be assessed? Is the wall thickness sufficient to operate the component safely for the next five years? Is the insulation intact, the sealing face undamaged? Can condensation that would pose risks collect under the insulation? Have any repairs been carried out properly? Further tests are necessary if particular questions arise. TÜV SÜD Chemie Service expert Peter Löffler says, “The technical progress made in so-called non-destructive test procedures using ultrasound or digital X-rays provides us with new answers in this case.” High-resolution images of possible inhomogeneities in welded materials, plant components or complex structures make it possible to initiate more specific measures in order to combine optimum safety and cost-efficient maintenance. Chemical Engineering World
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CEW Features The inspectors, however, draw not only on their specialist knowledge and testing tools but also on many years of experience. In this case very specific experience as they have already supervised the preceding major shutdowns. So they are familiar with the individual components and can see whether and to what extent they have changed. The archive held by TÜV SÜD Chemie Service for the Dormagen site reaches even further back than the memory of its individual inspectors. It goes right back to 1917 when the foundations were laid on site for the inexpensive production of nylon stockings. Long-term Value Retention As the engineers know the plants like the back of their hand, they can also support the operator with other work that is carried out during the shutdown, such as lifecycle projects or plant expansions. Klaus-Dieter Peschel of TÜV SÜD Chemie Service says, “As an independent service provider, we not only look after the safety of the plants but also contribute to long-term value retention. As a result of our extensive experience with major shutdowns, we can offer the chemical industry all the services it requires with a high level of quality and from a single source.” The test day draws to a close. Not a single component has been rejected. This is not always the case. If damage is detected and has to be repaired, fast action is required. The experts from TÜV SÜD Chemie Service clarify the scope of the repair, carry out the necessary calculations, approve the test plans and supervise the repair so that it’s possible to keep the cracker’s restart date on schedule. In November 2013, the plant is ready to go. Within ten days, pressures are built up again; the plant is brought up to operating temperature, liquid and gaseous substances flow into the systems. Everything looks just like before but the scaffolding has been dismantled, the biggest cranes have moved on. And the chemical plant, which still looks like some futuristic city, is once again producing chemical feedstocks for tomorrow’s world.
Authors’ Details Helmut Bode M A Specialist Editor For TÜV SÜD Chemie Service
Dipl.-Ing. Klaus-Dieter Peschel Head of Plant Safety & Inspection TÜV SÜD Chemie Service Email: Klaus-Dieter.Peschel@tuev-sued.de
48 • February 2014
Chemical Engineering World
CEW Features Case Study
Importance of Efficient Force Distribution on Agitators in Continuous Stirred Tank Slurry Reactors This article demonstrates the significance of maintaining force balance along the agitator blades while debottlenecking stirred tank reactors. In this case study, uneven force distribution developed on agitator blades of HDPE reactor due to capacity expansion led to frequent agitator blade breakages. The force balance was achieved through simple modification suggested by a detailed CFD study.
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n Reliance, Multimodal HDPE is produced through two Continuous Stirred Tank Slurry Reactors in Series. The multimodal molecular weight distribution is built in the second reactor. The heat of reaction is removed through two external cooling legs and the reactor is agitated using 4 Intermig agitators separated along the axial direction. In the second reactor, the injection point of two recirculation legs was separated radially by 30 o angle. To improve the cooling (production capacity) as well as fouling behaviour in the second reactor, the recirculation rates of the slurry were increased by 1.5 times. After this change, the top impeller blade started breaking frequently. Detailed CFD study was carried out to understand root cause for the behaviour through analysing velocity, force and torque distribution profiles inside the reactor due to this change. The study revealed that materials from two recirculation legs communicated with each other leading to very strong jet hitting on one side of top impeller blade creating huge force imbalance on the agitator which led to the frequent breakage. A simple modification was proposed, as result of CFD studies, one of the recirculation streams was moved away from another by 150 o thereby avoiding the cross-communication between two recirculation streams. After it was implemented, no agitator blade breakage was seen for very long time and plant has been running very smoothly. This case study implied that force balance needs to be given importance while debottlenecking agitated vessels with recirculation loops. Computational tools like CFD can be effectively leveraged to 50 • February 2014
precisely indicate the potential areas of issues while carrying out debottlenecking or capacity expansion. Introduction High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) is one of the largest synthetic commodity polymer which is widely used in the pipe, films, oriented structures, wires & cables and container industries due to low production cost and versatility in mechanical, chemical resistive and rheological properties. The major advantages of slurry polymerisation for HDPE production include mild operating conditions, excellent heat transfer capabilities, high monomer conversion rates and relative ease of processing. [1,2] In the petrochemical industry, mechanical agitated reactors involving multiple phases are very common such as slurry polymerisation for HDPE. The main function of agitator is to ensure intimate contact among all reagents. Since petrochemical plants run continuously, achieving optimum plant reliability is the main goal of the petrochemical industry. Therefore, an equipment failure that may occur at an unexpected instant will result in production shutdown and its related costs. Such events can occur predominantly in rotating equipment, e.g., in large agitators usually when going for capacity enhancement. Thus, they cause significant loss of plant
availability. The complexity of the flow generated in the industrial size process equipment (3 Dimensional, recirculating and often turbulent) is compelling the designers and practicing engineers to increasingly use computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tool to tackle the problems associated with the reliability enhancement, design and scale-up. [3] This work is mainly concerned with mechanical integrity of agitated system of HDPE Reactor. HDPE is produced through two continuous stirred tank reactors in series, with four impellers mounted on same shaft, rotating at fixed rpm. Feed streams consist of ethylene; catalyst and solvent enter the reactor at various locations. The reaction is exothermic and the reactor temperature is maintained constant by removal of heat by circulating the reaction mixture through external heat exchangers with suction at the side and discharge through two nozzles at the top. There are two such recirculation loops and their angular separation between the slurry discharge nozzles is 30 o. To improve the cooling and fouling behaviour of the second reactor, where the multimodal nature of polymer is built, and the recirculation rates were increased by 1.5 times. This had led to frequent breakage of agitators. The objective of this
In the petrochemical industry, mechanical agitated reactors involving multiple phases are very common such as slurry polymerisation for HDPE. The main function of agitator is to ensure intimate contact among all reagents. Chemical Engineering World
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CEW Features study is to avert the frequent failure of agitator of HDPE reactor. To understand the root cause of the issue and resolve it, it was decided to undertake detailed CFD simulations considering the entire reactor volume. CFD simulations are performed for various operating and design changes to circumvent the aforementioned problem while ensuring the better mechanical stability. CFD predictions are used to quantify detailed flow distribution inside the reactor and subsequent forces, moments on the rotating impeller. Problem Formulation in CFD Detailed Reactor Geometry was created along with withdrawal and return lines (dip tubes). The reactor essentially consists of 4 equispaced Intermig impellers, and 900 orientations with each other. The well mixed solid-liquid reactor mixer is considered as pseudo homogenous fluid. Therefore, representative apparent density and viscosity is calculated and used for defining the fluid properties. Ansys design modeller and meshing are used for geometry generation and meshing, respectively. Entire geometry is discretised into hexahedral and tetrahedral cells.
Figure 1a: Velocity contour of the old operating condition
k–ε As the flow regime is turbulent, it is modelled using the standard model. The multiple reference frame (MRF) approach is employed for accounting an interaction between the rotating impellers and stationary baffles. The location of the interface between the volumes was selected at the middle of the gap between the impeller tip and the inside edge of the baffle. Full three-dimensional, steady state simulations are performed for the different configurations using the computational fluid dynamics code FLUENT 13. This is a finite volume based computational fluid dynamics analysis programme which solves the non-linear set of equations formed by the discretisation of the Navier–Stokes conservation equations. Various geometry changes are made to the reactor, precisely to the dip tubes and their respective orientations and calculated the change in forces and moments distribution on the top impeller upon introduction of material through dip tubes. All the results are compared to the base case simulation in terms of flow distribution, forces, moments and the location of resultant force. Results and Discussion The computational fluid dynamic study was carried out to quantify the impact of the increased recirculation flow by 50 per cent. The velocity contour inside the reactor for these cases is shown in Figure 1a (old operating condition) and Figure 1b (new operating condition). It can be seen from the figures that the increased recirculation rate in other words, the increased velocity leads to intercommunication between these recirculation streams as they are separated by 30 o. Due to the impeller nature of the agitator, it sucked the combined stream towards the intermig leading increase of velocity in the x and z direction where y is the flow direction. The forces acting on the direction of flow did not change significantly and were 7205N and 6965N while the forces on x direction increased from 297N to 827N. The forces in the z direction also decreased from -172N to -37N thereby creating huge imbalance in the plane of rotation. 52 • February 2014
Figure 1b: Velocity contour of the new operating condition
The centre of pressure on the top blade in x direction increased from 0.0052m to 0.018m and in the z direction, it increased from 0.022m to 0.06m. Increase in the centre of pressure indicates that it had moved away from the centre of the agitator significantly. This led to impingement of strong fluid currents on the top blade on one direction leading imbalance of the top blade. Blades broke very frequently in one year which is unacceptable for a continuous operation. The objective of the study is to minimise the force imbalance on the top blade. Various options were evaluated and the best option which involved minimal change and the reactor is operating without any breakage after its implementation has been discussed in this article. To avert this problem, the communication between two recirculation streams need to be broken and best possible way to establish this is to separate them in radial direction. One of the recirculation legs was moved away by 150 o radially from other. The velocity vectors of the new operating condition and proposed operating conditions are given in Figure 2a and 2b, respectively Chemical Engineering World
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CEW Features
Figure 2a: Velocity contour of new operating condition indicating the combined stream is being sucked into the impeller as jet leading to significant force imbalance of the top blade. Figure 3: Plant behaviour after the blade changeover indicating no significant change in the normalised operating current and normalised throughput
Figure 2b: Velocity contour of proposed operating condition which does not allow merging of the recirculation streams thereby not creating a jet which impinges on the top blade.
It can be clearly seen from the figures that the creating impinging jet is completely avoided by spacing the recirculation jets radially thus reducing the force imbalance on the top blade. The force acting on the x direction and z direction for the proposed option came down significantly to 46N and -16N from 827N and -37N respectively. One can also note that force imbalance in the plane of rotation in the proposed case is 60N whereas in the operating case is 850N. The forces acting on the flow direction did not change as the recirculation rate is not altered and is 6948N against 6965N of the new operating condition. Also, the centre of pressure on the top blade moved towards the centre in both x and z direction to 0.003m and 0.008m from 0.018m and 0.06m respectively. The lead parameters such as velocity vector, contour, forces acting on top blade
and centre pressure on the top blade suggested the proposed modification can avert the frequent blade breakage as well as improved mixing in the HDPE reactor. The recommendations were implemented and operating performance was observed for long period of time. There are no blade breakages and operation has become smoother. The normalised operating behaviour of the plant can be seen from Figure 3. It can be seen from the figure that the normalised current did not change significantly due to the implemented modifications and mixing pattern has improved as shown in Figure 2b. A simple modification proposed, as result of CFD studies, to swap the injection points of reactor feed and one of the recirculation streams thereby avoiding the cross-communication between two recirculation streams resolved the blade breakage issue once forever. This case study implied that force balance needs to be given importance while debottlenecking agitated vessels with recirculation loops. Computational tools like CFD can be effectively leveraged to precisely indicate the potential areas of issues while carrying out debottlenecking or capacity expansion. Acknowledgment Authors would like to thank Jayant D Divey, V P Mishra from Technology Group, J B
The lead parameters such as velocity vector, contour, forces acting on top blade and centre pressure on the top blade suggested the proposed modification can avert the frequent blade breakage as well as improved mixing in the HDPE reactor. 54 • February 2014
Patel, and Moolnarayan from HDPE Plant for the helpful discussions during this study. References 1. Hakim, S., Moballegh, L., “Simulation of a series of industrial slurry reactor for HDPE polymerization process using deconvolution of the GPC graph of only the first reactor”, Iran. Polym. J., 15 (8), 2006, 655-666 2. Zhang, C., Zhan, Z., Shao, Z., Zhao, Y., Chen, X., Gu, X., Yao, Z., Feng, L., Beigler, L. T., “Equation oriented optimization on an industrial high density polyethylene slurry process with target molecular weight distribution”, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 52 (22), 2013, 7240-7251 3. Murthy, B. N., Ghadge, R. S., Joshi, J. B., “CFD simulations of gas-liquid-solid stirred reactor: Prediction of critical impeller speed for solid suspension”, Chem. Engg. Sci., 62 (24), 2007, 7184-7195. Authors’ Details Dr G Sivalingam Assistant Vice President Reliance Technology Group, RIL Email: sivalingam.gunasekaran@ril.com Dr Bontu N Murthy Senior Technologist - Modeling & Simulation Group Reliance Technology Group, RIL
Girish Kale Senior Technologist – Polyolefins Reliance Technology Group, RIL
Suketu M Vakil Group President - Polymer Technology Reliance Technology Group, RIL
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CEW Features Technical Article
Manufacturing Execution System In simple terms, a manufacturing Execution System (MES) can be defined as the layer that bridges the communication gap between the real-time plant operations systems and other business systems of the plant including ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), PLM (Product Lifecycle Management), etc. The article explains how modern MES system has evolved with time, with general system architecture and latest technological trend, and highlights the functionalities a standard MES system should contain.
A
s most of us know, the final product will be created in the most efficient manner when the right resources are available in the right quantity at the right place at the right time, with the right quality and right costs maintained throughout the process. And to meet this requirement, it is necessary to implement a MES System. After introduction of the PLC, DCS and other intelligent instruments/control systems, shop floor automation became advanced, but a communication gap remained between the shop floor system and the business systems. And as the ERP system advanced and it became the integral part of most of organisations, the communication gaps became more visible, and fulfilling this gap became very critical for organisations. That was the time when MES came into picture. Before MES came into picture Work Order to shop floor management used to be communicated either via a paper print out or through the ERP screen kept at shop floor. Similarly, actual production for the day used to be inputted manually into ERP system at the end of the shift or day. Initially, a key feature of MES was to provide a data collection grid between the business (ERP) layer and Shop Floor (Control) layers. Modern MES Functionalities Today, MES is used to integrate various business entities together in a corporation. There are several functionalities included in modern MES system. Some of them are mentioned below: Production Scheduling: In the chemical industry, efficient scheduling is very important - especially for intermediate processes, because in-progress goods also have expiry 56 • February 2014
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Figure 1: Depicts how various entity are collaborated by modern MES
dates. As the production processes go further from the material input phase, the inprogress goods become more complicated. MES helps industries to handle this scenario with its scheduling capability. Gantt charts are a very common visualisation tool for an MES scheduler, which enables checking of overdue orders, wait times of each process, inventory allocation, resource allocation, attaching instructions, etc. Labour Management: Further, due to the large number of workers with a variety of skills, it becomes difficult to allocate/de-allocate those resources in efficient manner. High labor turnover increases the level of difficulty further. MES systems enable managing of employees’ capacity, task ability/inability and processing speed. And it (MES) also enables companies to map labor parameters with process segments to dynamically allocate labor at any given point of time.
Operation Management: A high degree of process integration and complex integration of data between individual processes are very critical. Information about equipment models, product specifications, process specifications, production orders, inventory information, production execution rules, laboratory information etc. can be stored and rules enforced in the MES. This, along with real-time production information, provides an integrated environment to monitor and manage overall production processes and ensures quick identification and addressing of problems. Operations Management can include: Material Management, Order Management, Genealogy (the “as built” record), Audit Trails, Electronic Signatures, Alarm Notifications and Real-Time Corrective Action, Statistical Process Control, Defect Management, Electronic Work Instructions, Multi-Product and Parallel Production. Chemical Engineering World
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CEW Features Warehouse and Inventory Management: WM systems manage movement and storage of materials within a warehouse, and process the associated transactions. A full-fledged WMS can be altogether a separate solution but a lighter version of WMS became an integral part of MES. WMS and inventory management functions of MES helps to streamline Raw Material Receiving at warehouse, issuing raw material to production, triggering a raw material procurement process, ranking suppliers, tracking intermediate and finished product, shipping and response to rush order. Quality Management: Chemical industry generally needs to follow stringent regulations in terms of quality. Chemical contamination can lead to costly and potentially devastating product recalls, which are completely preventable using MES. Some of the Quality functionality MES provides include Automatic and manual quality data acquisition and storage, time or event-based quality planning modeled into production operations, at-line testing (HACCP plans) and LIMS for off-line quality testing. Genealogy Management: It is critical to know exactly what lots of chemicals, composition of chemicals, and what grades of chemicals are moving through a plant at any given time. Even after finished goods are produced, it is critical to know which goods are produced from which batch of raw material. MES instills the organization to track forward and backward genealogy of products at any given point of time, as well as work order and batch tracking. KPI Management: Key performance indicators (KPIs) help to optimize production process parameters, while Line Efficiency and Downtime information ensure maximum utilization of production assets. Additional Functionalities of MES Along with the functionalities explained above, there are functionalities which can be incorporated as add-on functionalities to your MES: Laboratory information Management System: A Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) offers a set of key features that support a modern laboratoryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s operations. It normally is a totally separate system altogether. But a light 58 â&#x20AC;˘ February 2014
Figure 2: ISA95 Production Elements
LIMS can be an add-on to MES to play an important role in off-line laboratory quality data management. It also helps to manage workflow and intermediate quality data during new product development. Statistical Process Control: Additional SPC functionality can be added into a MES system, to collect various process data and produce various statistical charts and trigger various events in case of non-conformance. It can be used for Process Capability monitoring and Impurity Analysis, monitoring yields, etc. Maintenance Management System: Though a full fledged maintenance management system (MMIS) can be a separate system, a light maintenance management such as a maintenance and servicing planning and implementation of suitable improvement measures to meet their performance targets can be added functionality of a MES.
for known issues etc. which will help various plant people, including operators, to take quick and standardized actions to events. Corrective and Preventive Action: CAPA which is a concept critical to good manufacturing practices (GMP), can be added functionality along with MES Quality functionality to continuously improve existing processes by identifying the root cause of issues and eliminating the cause of non-conformance in a closed loop fashion. Regulatory Compliance: Regulators expect companies to have proper risk infrastructure with the scale and complexity of business activities. Within MES, additional functionalities can be built which will help organization to comply (with validated documentation) with various regulatory compliances.
Documentation Management System: Full fledged document management system (DMS), normally a totally separate system, provides structure to store, retrieve and secure documents critical to the process.
Cyber Security: For any Chemical Industry, protection of recipe and formula from cyber threat is one of the most important priorities. Cyber security risks can result lengthy periods of downtime and negative customer impact to financial loss and theft of proprietary information.
In MES, a lighter version of DMS can be added to store various production related files, like machine standard operating procedures, standard maintenance procedures for equipment, standard rectification processes
MES can help organisations deal with cyber threats by implementing proper access controls, strong password policies, proper patch management and proper network segmentation and firewalls management. Chemical Engineering World
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CEW Features MES Standard With the increased complexity of MES systems, it became necessary to incorporate some standard which would define it and which will guide any organization to define their MES requirements. ISA 95 is the international organization which defines the standard functionalities of a MOM (Manufacturing Operations Management)/MES requirement. As per the ISA 95 standard, a production system should able to answer how a product will be produced, what will be produced, when it will be produced and efficiency. Few Modern MES Architectural Technique With the increased complexity of MES functionality, complexity of interfacing with various systems, increased data modeling complexity and most, but not the least, with critical requirements of data security, modern MES architecture also is getting changed quickly to respond to these challenges. Some of the modern architecture techniques which are either already included or are being included are mentioned below: Service Oriented Architecture: Service Oriented Architecture is a design concept where several pieces of software function independently and communicate to each other via services, using standards which allow users faster integration and more flexible business processes. SOA-based solutions allow separating development of application components, such as data models, business rules, user interfaces, and workflows, to meet their individual specific business requirements. After development those individual components can be quickly assembled through services using standards. The flexibility of these ‘composite applications’ allows reconfiguring processes more quickly and effectively in response to changing business conditions or requirements. MES in the Cloud: Cloud based MES system is an upcoming concept specially for SMEs (Small or Medium Enterprises) where organizations don’t need, or can’t maintain, a complex hardware infrastructure or a permanent specialist to maintain the MES system. MES in the cloud even offers software on a pay for use basis—called Software as a Service. Complex Data Modelling: Though basic modeling of master data, transactional data, 60 • February 2014
Figure 3: MES General System Architecture (Application Server is heart of the MES system and it communicates with other systems in a collaborative manner)
etc. exists from the initial days of MES, due to the increasing complexity of MES, a careful approach of a data modeling requirement is very critical for any complex MES implementation. Poor data modeling is one of the most common reasons, in past, for a failed MES implementation. Various data modeling techniques like extended entity-relationship (EER), Object-relational mappings (ORM) are now being used to model MES data. Platform Approach: A Standard platformbased framework is a modern approach. The Framework consists of standard templates which help to create industry-specific functionalities, enforces the programmers to follow certain design patterns, creates a standard background data model, and enables built-in MES knowledge and integration with other business systems through services. A powerful platform allows for the quick development of new MES applications with ease of integration with external systems and easy scaling up in future. Business to Manufacturing Markup Language (B2MML):B2MML consists of a set of XML schemas written using the World Wide Web Consortium’s XML Schema language (XSD) that implements the data models in the ISA-95 standard. In summary, B2MML is an XML implementation with ISA95 standards. Integration of MES with business systems such as ERP, SCM can be done using B2MML files which are an implementation of the ISA-95 standard.
ROI OF MES: According to various research organisations, implementing and using MES can dramatically change profitability, productivity and process performance. A MES system can reduce manufacturing cycle time, data entry time, work in progress (WIP), paperwork between shifts, lead time, paperwork and blueprint losses, and product defects. MES positively affects products quality, cost of products produced, yields, throughput and error reduction. It can be used as the framework for Good Manufacturing Practices and drive your organization to a leaner, more sustainable, set of operations. Implemented and architected correctly, MES can be a long term strategy by which your company can grow, adapt, and sustain changes, economies and customer demands.
Authors’ Details Saikat Sarkar Technical Sales Consultant, Software Invensys India Email: saikat.sarkar@invensys.com Samir Gijre Senior Manager, Software Invensys India Email: samir.gijre@invensys.com Maryanne Steidinger Director, Product Marketing- Asset, Operations & Information Software, Invensys, USA
Chemical Engineering World
CEW Market Insights
Emerging Trends in Refining
F
rom total capacity of 62.8 MMTPA in 1998, Indian Refining sector has increased three-folds to 215.6 MMTPA at present and will increase to 310 MMTPA by the end of 12 th Five Year Plan in 2017. Industry experts deliberated over the Emerging Trends & Technologies in the Indian Refining Sector during the recently convened “International Refining Conference” organised during the Oil & Gas World Expo 2014. We bring you the lowdown on emerging technologies and trends in Indian refining sector based on the deliberations that were organised during one and a half day meet. Since the deregulation of sector in 1998, India’s refining sector has witnessed paradigm shift and India has gained significant prominence in the global market as net exporter petrochemicals. While giving a lowdown on the country’s refining sector, L N Gupta, Secretary Oil Industry Development Board, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Government of India, acknowledged the last decade as the period of fastest growth for India’s refining sector and there has been a sizable increase from 62 MMTPA in 1998; country’s refining capacity stood at 215.06 MMTPA by the end of 2012.
Currently India has surplus refining capacity of 60 MMTPA which is equivalent to 38 per cent of its consumption. This sector has grown at 5 percent CAGR over the last couple of years and accorded impressive export earnings of USD 59.3 billion during 2012-13. Amidst Highly Volatile Markets Crude prices saw maximum swing during 2008 when per day barrel rate peaked to all time high. Globally, over 70 refineries have closed on account of failing to maintaining high profitability so far. World over, refiners are walking tight rope for maintaining the Gross Refining Margins (GRM) in the era of highly volatile markets and fluctuating crude prices. Report by McKinsey & Company suggests that Indian refiners need at least USD 5-6 per barrel to cover the operating cost and an additional USD 7-8 per barrel to generate an adequate return on capital. Energy is pivotal issue for the refiners since it is the largest component of OPEX and accounts for average of 34 per cent in America, 58 per cent in Europe, 69 per cent in Asia Pacific and 81 per cent in India. As a part of long term sustainable growth strategy, refiners are using cheap petcoke to produce power taking several energy
Refiner
Number of Capacity Refineries (as on 01.10.2012)
IOC Group
10
65.70
BPCL Group
4
30.50
HPCL Group
3
23.80
ONGC/MRPL 2
15.06
Total PSU
19
135.06
RIL (Pvt)
2
60.00
Essar (Pvt)
1
20.00
Total Private
3
80.00
Total
22
215.06
saving measures to optimise energy usage. In addition to carrying out the yield and optimisation studies across hydrogen units, the refiners are emphasising on adoption of energy savings technologies, deriving cheap energy out of petcoke, low level heat recovery and improving power generation efficiency. Petcoke gasification using CBFC technology for power generation has gained noteworthy momentum as refiners have been able to achieve remarkable decline in the energy costs hence improving GRM. Deploying CFBC
Indian PSUs started phased capacity addition to meet the growing product demand with emphasis on upgradation of product quality and bottom of barrel along with enhancement of complexity factor. Currently, Indian public sector companies comprise approximately 63 per cent of country’s total refining capacity while 37 per cent of capacity if owned by private sector companies. By the end of 2013-14, with the Paradip and Cuddalore grass root refineries, country’s refining capacity is projected to reach around 236 MMTPA, which is expected to increase to 333 MMTPA by 2022. 62 • February 2014
Minimum GRM required in India. Source: Expert interviews: McKinsey analysis, McKinsey & Compnay
Chemical Engineering World
Market Insights CEW technology to produce power is one of the common routes which involves typical investments of approximately ` 700 crore for 2X300 TPH CFBC boilers, 2X37 MWH STGs result in significant saving in power and steam cost which results in improving GRM of USD 1.3 per barrel and fuel savings of ` 2.4 crore per day. Refiners are also adopting various routes to improve GRMs right from enhancing capabilities to process different crude mixes such as - High Sulphur Crudes, Heavy Crudes, High Acid crudes, Unconventional Crudes etc. HMEL, BORL and PDRP refineries are designed for 100 per cent HS crude. Refiners are further widening the product basket through continuous addition of opportunity crudes by setting up refineries with higher complexities. The Saviour Changing market dynamics are driving the shift in technology trends, some of them include - preference of HCU over FCC, use of hydroprocessing and mild hydrocracking to meet product demand & quality, RFCC operation to shift towards petrochemical mode, reforming to shift towards high octane operation, Use of Alkylation & Dimerisation to meet MS quality, Hybrid separations (Membranes/ Divided Wall Column for lighter products), Multifunctional Reactors (Catalytic Distillation Units), and Hydrogen Generation Process (Single Stage) etc. to name a few. Diesel & gasoil leads the pack in refined product demand and maximum demand will come from the BRIC nations. Indian refiners have consistently improved the processes in accordance with the auto fuel policy and introduced BS IV auto fuels in 13 major cities in 2010 which will be extended to 50 additional cities by 2015. However the refinery - petchem integration is one of the most preferred routes for the refiners. Complete integration of refinery, aromatics & petrochemical complex with supersite concept to sustain global competitiveness. Addition of value added speciality products widens the product slate and
Lowdown on the Future • Bottom upgrading to distillates or value added products • Refinery Residue to clean fuel • Hydrogen Production from Petcoke • Advanced Process Control & Optimisation • Upgradation of FCC streams to Petrochemical feedstocks • Improving efficiency of LPG Stove by 5-10% • Waste to fuel using refinery spent catalyst • Non-HDS based desulphurisation technologies • Bio-refining • Catalyst/Additive development • New process development • Scale-up of multiphase reactors • Separation technologies (Progressive Distillation, Divided Wall Column) • Process intensification for large scale application • Alternative Energy Source • Development of high performance lubricants • Development of technology for fuel from plastic • Coal to Liquid, Gas to Liquid (GTL), CO 2 Capture Technologies enables the refiners to balance the oil and petrochemical products in line with market opportunities and leads to better profit realisation. Gazing into the Crystal Ball Future refineries would be high capacity, fully automated, integrated and energy efficient, ZLD, environmental compliance from carbon capture. Refiners will be compelled to maintain refining margins above benchmark refining margins which can only be achieved through technological interventions for meeting product quality with minimum hydrogen consumption, processing heavy crudes optimising refinery costs, emission control and exploring ways to curb water footprint. Indian refiners have significantly invested in capacity increase and reasonably in research and development and are geared up to play a notable role in the international market. However in the changing scenario like availability of cheap feedstock like shale gas in the US, Indian refiners could find themselves in the tight spot lest they address the energy issues to cut down the overall OPEX and maintain the GRMs. S M Vaidya, Deputy General Manager, Panipat Refinery and Petrochemical Complex, IOCL reiterated A T Kearney’s statement based on global refinery study, “With one in five oil refineries expected to cease operations over the next five years, choosing the right operating model and level of integration will be crucial for survival and sustained profitability”.
Refining Closures
Chemical Engineering World
- Mittravinda Ranjan February 2014 • 63
Media Barter
HTRI CC-India Meetings - a ‘Huge Success’
M
umbai/Delhi, India: Tema India Limited and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) co-hosted two back-to-back HTRI CC-India Meetings on 30th and 31st January 2014 at Taj, Mumbai and IIPM, Delhi, respectively. Thermal Process Engineering Industry covering pan-India overwhelmed the knowledge imparting agenda and hosting of the events so much so that they attended both the Meetings amass. 203 participants from 89 Companies, covering all the major players of the Industry, were present during the meetings. Ashis Nag, Executive Director – PDEC of Indian Oil Corporation Limited and Haresh Sippy, CMD of Tema India Limited delivered the inaugural speeches. Whereas, Rajan Desai, HTRI International Coordinator, India, and Ugrasen Yadav, Chair, HTRI CC-India, explained the ‘theme’ of the events and thanked the participants for providing varied feedback and attending in a big number – which in fact seemed the highest participation globally ever to happen at HTRI CC-Meetings. The highlights of the events were the ‘open forum’ panel discussions on “How best to bridge the Thermal Process Engineering requirements among EPC Companies, Engineering Consultants, Equipment Manufacturers and Processors;” where very
HTRI CC - Meeting at IIPM, NCR
64 • February 2014
HTRI CC - Meeting at Taj, Mumbai
senior experts from various HTRI Member Companies from India volunteered to share their experiences from the dais. These interactive discussions - co-moderated by HTRI-TC Members and CC-India ex-office bearers - proved very useful as participants could intermingle with the experts to express their views, suggestions and valued feedback on various aspects covering lifecycle of unfired heat exchangers, as well as fired heaters. During the events, total 19 presentations showcased the recent trends and future requirements covering diverse aspects
on Thermal, Process and Mechanical engineering. All the feedback received during the brainstorming sessions were sent to HTRI (Texas, USA) and they too have appreciated the efforts put in by the participants and co-sponsors. HTRI (Heat Transfer Research, Inc.) is a unique industrial research and development consortium, founded in 1962 and stationed at Texas, USA. It serves the Thermal Process Engineering needs of more than 1,400 corporate member sites world-wide. HTRI has greatly increased its presence in India during last 10 years encompassing all the four industry sectors. Currently India has the second highest number of HTRI memberships globally – next only to the USA. HTRI CC-India (Communication Committee) is a formal “Users’ Forum”, which attracts niche and very important participations covering all the major stake-holder, and it provides a non-aligned platform to collect feedback on various aspects related to HTRI technology and its usage. This forum regularly discusses the current relevant matters and sends feedback to HTRI, which gets documented and suggestions implemented for the future developments. Chemical Engineering World
Marketing Initiative
“Continuous Improvement and Innovation Leads to Continuing Excellence” The fluid control industry in India has experienced strong growth over the past decade, although in the past two years there has been a slow-down, asserts Sophie Moochhala, Managing Director, Fluid Controls Pvt Ltd
Please apprise of your company’s performance in recent few years. How has the company been able to meet its goal of “continuing excellence”? Let me define our company’s performance from both an internal and an external perspective. Continuous improvement and innovation – which we believe leads to continuing excellence - is one of the cornerstones of our organisation. Internally, over the past few years, we have been streamlining and re-engineering our processes and this means that we constantly question the way we execute any activities relating to our business. We have launched Lean Six Sigma as our approach – though we have some way to go, we have already begun to reap some benefits. Most importantly, we have found that this approach and method is helping us to come to a common understanding of performance. Of course, as one starts to streamline internal performance, it automatically gets reflected externally. Therefore, over the past few years, our approach to our customers and their needs has also changed. Instead of simply selling a product, we now work with our clients to offer solutions. Our motto of “continuing excellence” means that we work towards annual and long range plans. This means that we focus on people / processes, responsibility/accountability and tangible deliverables. Because of this, our performance over the past years has been great and to our expectations. What is the current market share of FCPL – in India and globally – particularly in Oil & Gas and Process Industries? Industry and company figures are not readily available so it will be difficult to estimate our local
Sophie Moochhala Managing Director Fluid Controls Pvt Ltd Chemical Engineering World
market share. We are, however, one of the most experienced companies in India – with a heritage of 40 years of product development, design and manufacturing. The key growth drivers are: • Brand, culture and talent management: We all appreciate the fact that once an organisation starts growing, one needs to build an organisation culture to sustain growth. We have put in a lot of efforts toward this such as team building, leadership trainings, review mechanisms, employee succession and career growth planning. • New Product Development and Technology: Though we have a rich product heritage, I must add that we were not systematically focused on new product development based on changing industry needs. In the past few years, based on our Vision and Mission statements, we have put in place a product development plan and a dedicated R&D team members, who are frontline drivers. Also, we are using best in class technologies available as a path to achieve new developments. Emphasis on experimental validation of product performance has helped us walk the talk through our product performance. • Re-engineering and Market Segmentation: We understand that positioning our existing products for a specific market segment is very important. In order to meet specific produce expectations, we have improved/altered/ re-engineered our products. We are also focusing on re-engineering design and material parameters of our existing products for an optimal performance. How your
have you been strategising business activities to face the
We understand that positioning our existing products for a specific market segment is very important. In order to meet specific produce expectations, we have improved/altered/re-engineered our products. February 2014 • 65
Marketing Initiative competition within the country, especially from international companies, who are expanding their business horizons in India? As mentioned earlier, since we are competing with ourselves internally as a part of continuous improvement, I feel we are ready for any type of competitive threat. People and processes being our greatest assets, we are ready for any new competition. Having said this, we do monitor developments within our competitive sphere and have segmented our competition – both international and local start-ups. We are working on sector/pricing/client focus strategies as well as product performance certification to meet the challenges posed by an increasingly competitive industry. How do you evaluate the growth of fluid control equipment industry in India? What are the challenges? The fluid control industry in India has experienced strong growth over the past decade, although in the past two years there has been a slow-down. We envisage a clear 15-20 per cent growth for us with our existing product range and the new product we propose to introduce will add incrementally onto this. The challenge in an industry, which is increasingly competitive, is the “quality vs. cost” debate. Recognising this, we are working towards implementing product optimisation and supply chain processes that will enable us to offer clients quality at a competitive price. How do you evolve the research and development within the company? At Fluid Controls, every idea counts and we systematically review new development suggestions. Our R&D approach is three-fold: out-of-box products, new products within our field, and minor-edits of our existing product portfolio.
ask us to provide a basket of products, including those we do not manufacture. For this, we have set up a vendor team, aided by a product designer, who looks into sourcing of high quality products. The third – and most important – trend is the move to reducing leak points and temperature loss in systems. We successfully designed, manufactured and supplied close couple instrument hookups for impulse piping arrangements which overcome the problems of temperature/pressure loss. Most clients, at the project engineering stage, address the issue of corrosion with the right selection of material. In order to ensure that the right material has been selected, we try to actively work with our clients from the project definition phase itself to address this and to suggest materials such as NACE / 904L etc. depending on the environmental factors at the installation site. We are also working on various coating/plating techniques in order to reduce the corrosion and have recently introduced zinc-nickel plating on carbon steel which offers a performance of 720 hours to red rust. What are your plans for future? Fluid Controls has a five year planning horizon which covers people, R&D and new product development, sales and marketing, operations and systems/processes. Our plans for the future include new product developments, consolidating and streamlining our operations, expanding further into global markets (we currently export 30% of our products) and setting up an R&D resource center. With all these initiatives and with the team that we have with us today, we are confident that the next few years will live up to our expectations!
We have a clear five year product development plan and strategy which we periodically review. We may not be really able to predict exact timelines but yes, searching the unknown “within timeframe” is part of our R&D approach. In conjunction with our plan, we have a dedicated R&D team which keeps product design and the re-engineering moving constantly. One of the challenges with new product development is the timeframe – which can be quite lengthy. We have installed and are using the latest Solid Modeling and Finite Element Analysis methods to virtually subject a product to near-reality conditions. This helps reduce the single prototype development time. Also, lot of creativity can be added in the define phase of the problem itself. Will you share insights into the latest trends in manufacturing and designing the products you offer? How do you address the issue of ‘corrosion’? There are a couple of trends in our industry which have a bearing on our manufacturing and product design. The first is to provide products with fine tolerances for high performance. All our manufacturing is done on CNC’s and we are in the process of providing a CAM link at our factories to control our output. The second trend is that clients 66 • February 2014
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Chemical Engineering World
Products CEW High Shear Mixers with SLIM For demanding dissolution requirement, consider the solids/liquids injection manifold (SLIM) technology available on batch and inline Ross high shear mixers. It is a novel method of delivering solids below the surface of the liquid and right where rigorous mixing takes place. A ported rotor and stator specially designed to generate powerful vacuum draws powders directly into the high shear zone of the mix chamber. Solids are prevented from floating on the liquid surface. SLIM technology is ideal for the rapid introduction of difficult to wet solids. Wet-out is virtually instantaneous: although the powder, pellets or granules are injected at fast rate, it does not lead to lump formation. SLIM combines the mixing of powders and liquids simultaneously by injecting powders directly into a specially engineered high-shear rotor/stator mixer, where the powder is immediately dispersed into the liquid stream. In most applications, these new solid/liquid injection systems shorten mixing cycles dramatically. The high shear mixers with SLIM from Ross are best for high volume dispersion. Whereas for CMC dispersions, dualshaft and triple-shaft designs are available ranging from 1 gallon laboratory up to 4,000 gallon production models. For details contact: Ross Process Equipment Pvt Ltd Gat No: 255, Chikhali-Moshi Road, Bhoradewadi, Moshi, Pune, Maharashtra 412 105 Tel: 020-65111101/2 E-mail: mail@rossmixers.in or Circle ReadersÊ Service Card 1
CNC Pipe Bending Machines The new machine control from Schwarze-Robitec reduces auxiliary process time to a minimum. The bending machine manufacturer has broken down the original sequence of the bending process and arranged the individual steps synchronously. The new, effort-saving control software is supplemented by an integrated diagnostic and maintenance tool which minimises downtimes. While the tube is being fed to the tool, the clamping functions close almost fully. This means that the tool is immediately ready for the next bending step when the tube reaches its target position. For Schwarze-Robitec it was also very important to develop a simple, intuitive and effortsaving control. Menu navigation and structure are also designed in a clear manner which simplifies workflow additionally. The integrated diagnostic and maintenance tool guides the operator through all setting and optimising steps and checks all data reliably for validity. If the machine operator forgets to define a parameter, the tool will remind him of this. For details contact: Schwarze-Robitec GmbH Olpener Straße 460ă474, 51109 Cologne, Germany Tel: +49 (0)221 89008-0 | Fax: +49 (0)221 89008-9920 E-mail: sales@schwarze-robitec.com or Circle ReadersÊ Service Card 2
Chemical Engineering World
Multi-stage Centrifugal Air Blowers Vacunair Engg Co Pvt Ltd offers energy saving multistage centrifugal air blowers in capacity up to 50,000 m 3 /hr and pressure up to 3,000 mm WG with fans utilizing variable inlet vanes, a dynamic new concept in centrifugal machinery to give highly efficient performance at higher message. Selected for high-pressure application to achieve better efficiency, impellers are fabricated from aluminium/ MS riveted high strength construction fitted with hub. It internally passes through guide vane/externally connected stage construction. It finds application in combustion, atomizing, agitating, blowing, cooling, drying, conveying and exhausting. For details contact: Vacunair Engg Co Pvt Ltd Nr Gujarat Bottling, Rakhial Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380 023 Tel: 079-22910771 | Fax: 91-079-22910770 E-mail: info@vacunair.com or Circle ReadersÊ Service Card 3
• February 2014 • 69
CEW Products Rotational Viscometer Series The Cole-Parmer rotational viscometer series offers greater chemical resistance, enabling the instruments to handle chemically corrosive materials. Each is designed with SS-316 spindles, a sealed keypad and over/under range alarms. You can determine the dynamic viscosity of samples in applications such as food, adhesives, petroleum products, biofuels, paints, pharma, chemicals, etc. Over/under range alarm sounds when your sample is too high/low for the spindle selected. All models feature 10 language options, pushbutton control with easy-to-use menu system, motor self-test, user enabled calibration to a known standard and universal power supply. Select from basic, intermediate, and advanced models: For details contact: Cole-Parmer India 403-404, Delphi-B Hiranandani Business Park, Powai, Mumbai 400 076 Tel: 022-67162253, 6716222, 67162209 Fax: 91-022-67162211 E-mail: response@coleparmer.in / vinita.singh@coleparmer.in or Circle ReadersÊ Service Card 4
Automated Grease-Dispensing System
Tray Dryers Aero Therm offers tray dryer in capacity ranging from 12 to 200 trays of 32‰ x 16‰ x 1.25‰ size. The temperature range available is up to 550 oC. Fan impeller with axial flow design will give better uniformity and quick drying. T h e d i g i t a l t e m p e ra t u r e i n d i c a t o r c o n t r o l l e r w i l l g i ve accurate temperature control. Control action can be OnOff or PID as per control accuracy required. Construction of dryer can be made of MS/aluminium/SS-316/SS-304 or FRP-lined as per the requirement. Flameproof and sparkproof versions are also available. Heating can be electrical/thermic fluid or steam radiator/oil fired hot air generator. For details contact: Aero Therm Systems Pvt Ltd Plot No: 1517 Phase III, GIDC Vatwa, Ahmedabad Gujarat 382 445 Tel: 079-25890158, 25834987 Fax: 91-079-25833987 E-mail: contact@aerothermsystems.com or Circle ReadersÊ Service Card 5
70 • February 2014
An intelligent automated grease-dispensing system (AGS) from Weir-Jones Engg reduces operational and maintenance costs and lowers the potential for human error in operations that deploy submerged pumps or equipment requiring regular lubrication that must be remotely verified. The system is ideal for the oil and gas sector and other industries that operate under extreme conditions where remotely operated equipment must be regularly maintained and its maintenance status confirmed. The Weir-Jones AGS is a user-friendly configurable dispensing unit capable of supplying bearing and sealing greases to submerged pumps at pressures of up to 300 Bar and down line lengths of 200 feet. The AGS is designed to manage dispense frequency and start/stop timing internally and to report status over a standard communications link. The units can be customized to suit specific machine application and will maintain a continuous record of system health and dispense data. For details contact: Weir-Jones Engg 2040 West, 10th Avenue, Vancouver British Columbia, V6J 2B3, Canada Tel: +1 (604) 732 8821, (613) 425-383, (613) 816-3873 Fax: +1 (604) 732 4801 E-mail: info@weir-jones.com / Randyray@weir-jones.com. or Circle ReadersÊ Service Card 6
Chemical Engineering World
Products CEW Specialty Carbon Blacks
Compressor Coolant
Orion Engineered Carbons offers specialty carbon black COLOUR BLACK FW 255. This product replaces XPB 255. This unit increases OrionÊs production capacity and enables it to meet demand in the global market. COLOUR BLACK FW 255 is the first launch of a new generation of Specialty Carbon Blacks. It sets a new benchmark for coloristic performance, high jetness and compatibility with both water-borne and solvent-borne systems. These characteristics will support the harmonization of products for solvent-borne and water-borne systems and reduction of raw material portfolios. For details contact: Orion Engineered LLC 4501 Magnolia Cove Drive, Suite 106, Kingwood TX 77345, U.S.A. E-mail: Americas-Pigments@orioncarbons.com / alessandro.vulcano@orioncarbons.com or Circle ReadersÊ Service Card 7
Ingersoll Rand Ultra EL is a high-performance compressor coolant based on a blend of PAG and POE base stocks and incorporates the latest performance additive technology. Ultra EL is available for use in all rotary screw compressors and are available in 1 litre pail, 5 litre pail, 15 litre pail, 208 litre drum. Ultra EL is biodegradable according to OECD-301B test methods The main goal of the development work was to produce a product that would last up to 16,000 hours in a rotary screw air compressor, twice the expected life of similar products available in the market place today. For details contact: Ingersoll Rand (India) Ltd 21-30 GIDC Estate, Naroda Ahmedabad, Gujarat 382 330 Tel: 079-22820123, 22820323, Fax: 91-079-22821003 or Circle ReadersÊ Service Card 8
Portable Ultra-Low Temperature Freezer Cole-Parmer offers lightweight portable temperature freezer, developed to bring ultra-low -86ĈC temperature storage to places conventional compressor freezers cannot go or wonÊt work. It weighs less than 19 kg, making it ideal for benchtop or field applications. It offers secure mobile transport of biological specimens. Ideal for use within biorepositories and other applications associated with pharma distribution. Operating on a stirling engine, the freezer requires no compressors, dry ice, or LN2, and draws the same amount of energy as a conventional light bulb, making it environmentally friendly and cost effective. The Humm free-piston stirling engine contains two moving parts that float on helium gas bearings to eliminate contact wear. The linear driver modulates engine power to deliver cooling on demand for straight line control without On/Off cycling. Freezing is performed by the thermosiphon evaporator. A microcharge of environmentally friendly cooling medium creates a uniform ultra-low temperature by a continuous process of evaporation and condensation within the sealed tube. For details contact: Cole-Parmer India 403-404, Delphi-B Hiranandani Business Park, Powai, Mumbai 400 076 Tel: 022-67162253, 6716222, 67162209 | Fax: 91-022-67162211 E-mail: response@coleparmer.in / vinita.singh@coleparmer.in or Circle ReadersÊ Service Card 9
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• February 2014 • 71
CEW Products Scaling Watch
Agitators
Flowrox offers scaling watch for the precise measurement of scale in pipelines and other fluid control environments. It is a wafer piece of pipeline engineered for insertion between two flanges for a precise fit that allows the detection of scale, often the result of the hardened mineral deposits that can reduce the flow of fluids through a pipeline. The device uses electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) technology, which allows operators to see inside piping systems without stopping the process or opening up the pipeline and enables 3D imaging and measurement of non-conductive media inside process pipelines and tanks. The Flowrox scaling watch can show the scale thickness, scale profile, growth rates over time, composition and free flow volume. It is a predictive device rather than reactive and allows its operators to address scale issues before they reach critical levels. The Flowrox scaling watch is manufactured in carbon steel, SS-316/316L type and titanium to meet the needs of industries with intense scaling issues that can result in high costs of maintenance. While the Flowrox scaling watch is not designed to detect scale on the entire length of the pipeline, it precisely measures scale in the precise spot where it is installed usually in a section or segment where the heaviest scaling is known to occur.
Fluidyme offer agitators with reaction vessels, stirred vessels, pressure vessels, dosing systems and pilot plants with various types of direct and gear driven agitators, agitators with single and double mechanical seal and gland packing. The system is designed to process wide range of fluids of varying viscosities and specific gravities in various processes like blending, dispersion, reactions in solution, flocculation, dissolution, solid suspension, gas dispersion, high viscosity mixing, heat transfer, crystallization/ precipitation in the industries, viz, pharma, chemicals, paint and coatings, screen ink, adhesives, resins, sealants, plastisols, concentrates, biotech, lubricant, coolant, chemicals, dye, etc. Modular design of the agitator enables various mounting arrangements, ie, from open tank to closed tank. High efficiency impellers designed for specific process applications. Efficient chemical duty totally enclosed (TEFC) or explosion proof motors and air motors can be offered. Variable output speed by variable frequency drive and inverter duty motors with power range from 0.06 to 50 HP and onwards.
For details contact: Flowrox Inc 808 Barkwood Court Suite N, 21090 Linthicum, MD, U.S.A. Tel: +1 410 636 2250 | Fax: +1 410 636 9062 E-mail: todd.loudin@flowrox.com / molly.bragg@flowrox.com
For details contact: Fluidyme Process Flow Technologies E-2/4, Popular Prestige, Off Highway Bridge. Warje, Pune, Maharashtra 411 058 E-mail: fluidyme@vsnl.net
or Circle ReadersÊ Service Card 10
or Circle ReadersÊ Service Card 11
Lightweight Dryer for Small and Micro Parts The LUXOR CA S range with hopper volumes of 0.75 / 1.5 / 3 and 5 litres has been conceived especially for the production of small and micro parts. The range is comprised of a modular line of correctly sized drying equipment helping moulders to meet the small tolerances without waste or contamination. The LUXOR CA S compressed air dryers take factory supplied compressed air which is expanded to atmospheric pressure. This produces dry process air ă with a very low dew point ă which is then heated to the required drying temperature. No desiccant is necessary. All models are equipped with a thermostat and low air flow safety switch to prevent overheating of the material in the event of insufficient air throughput. Due to the wide temperature range (30-180ĈC) the LUXOR CA S micro dryers can be used for many different materials. A pre-filter cleans the compressed air. This feature prevents contamination of high-quality materials and provides optimum drying conditions. The complete drying bin body is made from a single piece of special glass ă ideal for contamination critical process applications. An additional benefit of the all glass construction is its transparency. Constant and stable conditions in the entire drying hopper are an essential prerequisite. Therefore, the complete drying hopper right down to the material discharge is heat insulated. The expertly designed air diffuser provides uniform distribution of the dry air ensuring that the material is kept at a constant temperature and in the required dry condition. For details contact: Motan-Colortronic GmbH Rüdiger Kissinger, Otto-Hahn-Str. 14 , 61381 Friedrichsdorf, Germany Tel. +49 6175 792-214 E-mail: ruediger.kissinger@motan-colortronic.de armer.in or Circle ReadersÊ Service Card 12
72 • February 2014
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Petroleum Istanbul Dates: 10-13 April 2014 Venue: Tuyap Fair Convention & Congress Center, Istanbul, Turkey Details: Trade fair for petroleum upstream and downstream Equipment, technology and services Organiser: Hannover Messe International Istanbul Limited Contact: +90 212 334 69 48; +90 216 466 74 96 Email: info@petroleumistanbul.com.tr Website: www.petroleumistanbul.com.tr OYCE 2014
Global Petroleum Show
Dates: 8-9 March 2014 Venue: Thadomal Shahani Engineering College, Bandra, Mumbai Details: An annual competition organised by the IIChE, Mumbai Regional Committee. The competition is open for the participants from all over India Organiser: IIChE, Mumbai Regional Centre Contact: +91 77387 88556; +91 88988 45219 Email: tsec.oyce14@gmail.com Website: www.oyce2014.com
Dates: 10-12 June 2014 Venue: Big Four Building, Calgary, Canada Details: Global Petroleum Show presents a world throbbing with power - the world of oil & gas Organiser: DMG World Media Contact: +1 403 209 3555 (Toll-free: 888 799-2545) Email: paulaarnold@dmgevents.com Website: www.globalpetroleumshow.com
AZeotropy 2014
Chemspec Europe
Dates: 8-9 March 2014 Venue: IIT Bombay, Mumbai Details: IIT BombayĂ&#x160;s Annual Chemical Engineering Symposium Organiser: : IIT Bombay Contact: +91 77384 35775: +91 94040 64510 Email: manishratna@azeotropy.com Website: www.azeotropy.com PU TECH
Dates: 18-19 June 2014 Venue: HUNGEXPO Budapest Fair Center, Budapest, Hungary Details: Exhibition of fine and speciality chemicals Organiser: Quartz Business Media Limited Contact: +44 1737 855 076; +44 1737 855 000 Email: johnlane@quartzltd.com Website: www.chemspecevents.com Saudi Plastics and Petrochem
Dates: 12-14 March 2014 Venue: India Expo Centre and Mart, Greater Noida Details: An exhibition highlighting developments in the polyurethane industry Organiser: The Indian Polyurethane Association Contact: +91 44 2499 5923; +91 44 2496 4131 Email: admin@pu-india.org Website: www.putechindia.com
Dates: 17-20 February 2014 Venue: RICEC, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Details: Saudi Plastics and Petrochem is dedicated to the plastics and petrochemical industry Organiser: Riyadh Exhibitions Co Limited Contact: +966 1 4541448 Email: kamil.jawhari@recexpo.com Website: www.saudipp.com
India Chem
Dye+Chem Sri Lanka International Expo
Dates: 9-11 October 2014 Venue: Bombay Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC), Mumbai D e t a i l s : A n ex h i b i t i o n o n c h e m i c a l , p e t r o c h e m i c a l a n d pharmaceutical sector Organiser: Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry Contact: +91 11 2373 8760; +91 11 2376 5081 Email: manoj.mehta@ficci.com Website: www.indiachem.in Chemical Engineering World
Dates: 6-8 March 2014 Venue: SLECC, Colombo, Sri Lanka Details: An exclusive International exhibition on all kinds of dyes and fine & specialty chemicals for the Sri Lankan Industry Organiser: CEMS Contact: +91 11 4200 4700/12; +94 11 2591 750/2 Email: contact@cems-motorshow.com, cems@cemslanka.com Website: www.dyechemonline.org February 2014 â&#x20AC;˘ 73
CEW Project Update
New Contracts/Expansions/Revamps The following list is a brief insight into the latest new projects by various companies in India. Ć CHEMICALS SK Solvochem Private Limited is planning a 1,500 TPA dye and dye intermediates, bulk drug and intermediates excluding drug formulations, synthetic rubbers, basic organic chemicals, other synthetic organic chemicals and chemical intermediates manufacturing project at a cost of ` 20 million in village Nimbua, district Mohali, Punjab. The project is waiting for environmental clearance. Nuray Chemicals is implementing a ferric citrate-manufacturing project at the existing unit in SIDCO Industrial Estate, Kakalur, district Tiruvallur, Tamil Nadu. Civil, mechanical and engineering work is in progress. The project is scheduled for completion in Q4 2014. Equipment is already available. Lion Tapes Private Limited, a sister concern of Stretch Bands (Gujarat), is planning a 100 TPM synthetic organic chemicals manufacturing project in GIDC, Chitra Estate, district Bhavnagar, Gujarat. As of October 2013, the project is waiting for environmental clearance. Work on the project will commence soon. According to the MoEF sources, the project includes products like 40 TPM of Fast Red B Base, 20 TPM of Fast Bordeaux GP Base, 10 TPM of Fast MNPT (Red G) Base, 5 TPM of Fast Red 3GL Base, 10 TPM of Fast Scarlet RC Base, 5 TPM of Fast Yellow GC Base, 5 TPM of Fast Orange GC Base and 5 TPM of Fast Red RC Base. The commercial waste generated from administration building would be disposed through sale to scrap vendors. The generated industrial wastewater will be treated in ETP and treated effluent will be discharged through common pipeline. Ascent Pharma is planning a synthetic organic chemical manufacturing project at village Veraval, district Rajkot, Gujarat. As of September 2013, the capacity of the proposed unit is yet to be finalized. The project is waiting for environmental clearance. Work on the project is expected to commence soon. Vasudha Pharma Chem Limited is planning a chemical 1-(2-Phenylethyl) piperidin-4-one manufacturing unit in Parawada, district Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. As of September 2013, the project is waiting for Government approval. 1-(2-Phenylethyl) piperidin-4-one is used as an intermediate in the manufacture of chemicals and pharmaceutical drugs. This is a new product line in the existing plant. The company also plans to produce Amitriptyline HCl in the same unit in future. Resil Chemicals Private Limited is planning a specialty chemicals manufacturing project in Malur, district Kolar, Karnataka. As of July 2013, land has been partially acquired. The project is in conceptual stage. Other details are yet to be finalized. 74 • February 2014
Macro Polymers Private Limited is planning a 15,000 TPM synthetic resin manufacturing project at a cost of ` 250 million in village Chacharwadi, district Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Land acquisition is in progress. The project is waiting for clearances and is planned for completion on 1 st April 2014. Hindusthan Chemicals Company, formerly known as Cyanides & Chemicals Company, is planning an expansion of its sodium cyanide manufacturing project from 5,400 TPA to 12,000 TPA in Olpad, district Surat, Gujarat. As of May 2013, the project is waiting for environmental clearance. Work on the project will commence soon and is planned for completion in 2016. Ć MINING Sri Venkatesh Granites is planning a colour granite mining project in Kamanpur, district Karimnagar, Andhra Pradesh. As of December 2012, environmental clearance has been received. The project will come up on 4.56 hectare of leased area. Global Enviro Labs is the environmental consultant. Western Coalfields is planning the Penganga opencast coal mining project (3-MTPA and peak capacity is 4.5-MTPA) on 781 hectare land in village Wirur, district Chandrapur, Maharashtra. As of November 2012, the project has been submitted in the 59th EAC (Thermal & Coal Mining Projects) meeting held on 6 th November 2012. Central Coal Fields is planning the 0.3-MTPA Ray Bachra underground coal mining project in district Ramgarh, Jharkhand on 1,215.45 hectare land. As of September 2012, the project has been submitted in the 57 th EAC (Thermal & Coal Mining Projects) meeting held on 17 th September 2012. Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam is planning 10-MTPA opencast Parsa East and Kanta Basan coal mining project and 10-MTPA coal washery in Udaipur, district Surguja, Chhattisgarh. As of August 2012, the project has been submitted in the 55 th EAC (Thermal & Coal Mining Projects) meeting held on 28 th August 2012. Odisha Power Generation Corporation is planning the Manoharpur opencast coal mining project in district Sundergarh, Odisha. As of July 2012, the company is waiting for environmental clearance. Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation is planning ÂSondihaÊ open cast and underground coal mining project in district Surguja Chhattisgarh. As of July 2012, the company is waiting for environmental and forest clearance. Central Coalfields Limited plans expansion of its Churi Benti UGP coal mining capacity from 0.16 MTPA to 0.81 MTPA in district Chatra, Jharkhand. As of June 2012, MoEF clearance has been received and the project is planned for completion in 2 years from zero date. Chemical Engineering World
Project Update CEW
Zain Coke & Energy India is planning 150,000 TPA metallurgical coke manufacturing project at a cost of ` 450 million to ` 500 million in Chickanthapura, district Bellary, Karnataka. As of May 2012, The project is waiting for revenue and statutory clearance and is planned for completion in 10 months from zero date.
Tathagata Bio Energy Private Limited plans to set up 12-MW
Calcom Cement India, belonging to the BK Group, is implementing the limestone mining project in village New Umrangshu, district Dima Hasao, Assam. As of April 2012, mining work commenced in 2013.
lignite-based captive power project from 34.5-MW to 54.5-MW at a cost of ` 8,500 million (inclusive of viscose filament yarn project) at Indian Rayon unit, Veraval, district Gir Somnath, Gujarat. The project is waiting for environmental clearance. The project is planned for completion in 2 years from zero date.
Jaiprakash Associates is planning limestone mining project in village Kothar, district Satna, Madhya Pradesh. As of March 2012, the project is waiting for environmental clearance and the project completion date is yet to be finalized. Ć NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY The Jeypore Sugar Company Limited is planning an expansion of its bagasse-based co-generation power plant from initial 0.5 MW to 8.5 MW in Chagallu village, district West Godavari. Andhra Pradesh. As of January 2014, the project will come up along with a new 120 KLD grain-based distillery. The project is waiting for environmental clearance. Savera Beverages is planning a 5-MW coal and bagasse-based captive power project in village Hiranwali, district Fazilka, Punjab. The project is waiting for environmental clearance and is planned for completion in 6 months from zero date. 28 acres of land has been acquired. The project will come up along with a 100-KLD grain-based distillery to produce extra neutral alcohol. Arunodaya Techsolar Power Projects Private Limited, an SPV of BM Solar Systems LLP, is planning a 5-MW solar independent power project in village Kudluru, district Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh. Work on the project is expected to commence in November 2013. 26 acres of land has been acquired. DPR is yet to be prepared. Approval has been received from the Central Power Distribution Company of Andhra Pradesh. Favorich Sugars, belonging to the Favorich Group, is planning a 15-MW bagasse-based co-gen power project in Krishnarajpet, district Mandya, Karnataka. As of January 2013, the company is waiting for land approval from Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board. The project is waiting for financial closure and is planned for completion in 18 months from zero date. The State government had allotted 250 acres of land for the sugar project, distillery and mega Food Park. Ć NON-CONVENTIONAL POWER IPL Sugars & Allied Industries, a group company of Indian Potash, is planning a 20-MW bagasse and rice husk-based IPP spread over 250 acres of land in village Motipur, district Muzaffarpur, Bihar. As of March 2012, the existing plant will be demolished and the new plant will be constructed. The project is planned for completion in 1 year from zero date. Chemical Engineering World
biomass power plant in Gaya, Bihar. As of May 2011, work on the project is under planning stage. Ć THERMAL POWER Aditya Birla Nuvo is planning an expansion of its coal and
Rashi Steel & Power, formerly known as Rashi Strips, is
implementing a 43-MW coal-based captive power project in village Paraghat and Beltukri, district Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. Grass Roots Research and Creation India are the Consultant to this project. Civil work is in progress and the total project is scheduled for completion in 4 years. According to MoEF sources, total land requirement is 199 acres, out of which 77 acres has been acquired and the remaining 122 acres is under acquisition. The power requirement will be 46-MW. Out of the 46-MW power, 43-MW will be produced by the coal-based captive power plant and shortfall of 3-MW to be met from State grid of Chhattisgarh electricity board. The rejects from the coal washery is about 18,000-TPA. This will be blended with 20% of imported raw coal. Then the mix will be recycled to captive power plant of 1ï43 MW for feeding. Dust collected from all dust collecting system consists of iron ore fines will be sent back to the raw pellet mix. The fly ash generation from the power plant is 26,000-TPA, which will be sold to the brick manufacturers The captive power project is a part of its ` 5,400 million integrated steel plant. Jayaswal Neco Industries Limited is planning a 50-MW
waste heat recovery-based independent power project (IPP) in villages Dagori, Ameri Akberi and Udgaon, district Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. As of February 2013, public hearing for the project was over. MoU is yet to be signed with the State Government. The project is waiting for environmental clearance and is planned for completion in 20 months from zero date. Stork Ferro & Mineral Industries , belonging to the Stork Group, is planning a 100-MW captive power project. As of December 2012, the project is in a conceptual stage. Amrut Sugar & Distillery is planning a 18-MW bagasse-based co-gen power project at a cost of ` 2,000 million inclusive of
the sugar project in district Jalgaon, Maharashtra. As of October 2012, 120-acre of land has been acquired. Work on the project commenced in January 2013 and is planned for completion in October 2014. • February 2014 • 75
CEW Ad Index Sr No
Client’s Name
1
Atomic Vacuum Company (Exports)
2
Page No
Sr No
Client’s Name
Page No
Inside Cover I
19
Gopani Product Systems
Avcon Controls
53
20
Hitech Applicator
9
3
Avians Innovations Technology
13
21
HRS Process Systems Ltd
5
4
Azeotrophy
49
22
Kirloskar Brothers Ltd
81
5
Bartec India Pvt Ltd
15
23
Kishor Pumps Pvt Ltd
55
6
Bhavya Polymers
61
24
Kwality Process Equipments
39
7
BHS-Sonthofen (India) Pvt Ltd
43
25
Leister Technologies
55
8
Bonfiglioli Transmissions (Pvt) Ltd
23
26
List AG
47
9
Bry-Air (Asia) Pvt Ltd
59
27
OYCE 2014
45
10
Busch Vacuum India Pvt Ltd
27
28
Raj Process Equipments & Systems Pvt Ltd
11
11
Chempro Technovation Pvt Ltd
80
29
Ross Process Equipment Pvt
19
12
Chemtech World Expo 2015
41
30
Super Industrial Lining Pvt Ltd
3
13
Cole Parmar
57
31
Suraj Ltd
61
14
Dipflon Engineering & Co
7
32
Swam Penumatics Pvt Ltd
37
15
Emjay Engineers
57
33
Uni Klinger Ltd
29
16
Everest Blowers Systems
25
34
UNP Polyvalves
35
17
FLEXIM
53
35
Warade Automation Solutions Pvt Ltd
31
18
Forbes Marshall
17
Back Cover
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Jasubhai Media Pvt. Ltd. Taj Building, 3rd Floor, 210 Dr D N Road, Fort, Mumbai - 400 001 Tel: 022-4037 3636, Fax: 022-4037 3635 Email: industrialmags@jasubhai.com 76 • February 2014
Chemical Engineering World
Book Shelf CEW Automation of Wastewater Treatment Facilities - MOP 21 Author Price Pages Publisher
: Water Environment Federation : USD 89.32 : 546 (Hardcover) : McGraw-Hill Professional
About the Book: Designed to improve plant productivity and efficiency for increased competitiveness, this state-of-the-art WEF Manual of Practice fully examines the selection of instruments, controllers and computers, installation procedures, and sizing of final control elements. Readers will find new chapters on the functionality of modern process control systems that explore the hardware and software issues associated with them. The book also contains a new chapter on advanced control strategies, covering the crucial topic of energy management. Filled with over 200 illustrations and tables, Automation of Wastewater Treatment Facilities--MOP 21 features an expanded chapter on networking and radio that reflects all recent changes in technology; additional information on design documents and the standards used to evaluate them; and three new chapters on the functionality of process control systems, specifications, and advanced control strategies
Industrial Automation: Hands On Author Price Pages Publisher
: Frank Lamb : USD 67.39 : 368 (Hardcover) : McGraw-Hill Professional
About the Book : Industrial Automation: Hands-On is a single source of essential information for those involved in the design and use of automated machinery. The book emphasises control systems and offers full coverage of other relevant topics, including machine building, mechanical engineering and devices, manufacturing business systems, and job functions in an industrial environment. Detailed charts and tables serve as handy design aids. This is an invaluable reference for novices and seasoned automation professionals alike.
Overview of Industrial Process Automation Author Price Pages Publisher
: K L S Sharma : USD 78.08 : 320 (Hardcover) : Elsevier
About the Book : Man-made or industrial processes, localised or geographically distributed, need be automated in order to ensure they produce quality, consistent, and cost-effective goods or services. Automation systems for these processes broadly consist of instrumentation, control, human interface, and communication subsystems. This book introduces the basics of philosophy, technology, terminology, and practices of modern automation systems with simple illustrations and examples.The book: Ć Provides an introduction to automation Ć Explains the concepts through simple illustrations and examples Ć Describes how to understand technical documents Chemical Engineering World
Advanced Control and Supervision of Mineral Processing Plants (Advances in Industrial Control) Author Price Pages Publisher
: Daniel Sbárbaro, René Del Villar : USD 170.05 : 332 (Hardcover) : Springer
About the Book : Advanced Control and Supervision of Mineral Processing Plants describes the use of dynamic models of mineral processing equipment in the design of control, data reconciliation and softsensing schemes; through examples, it illustrates tools integrating simulation and control system design for comminuting circuits and flotation columns. Coverage is given to the design of soft sensors based on either single-point measurements or more complex measurements like images. Issues concerning data reconciliation and its employment in the creation of instrument architecture and fault diagnosis are surveyed. In consideration of the widespread use of distributed control and information management systems in mineral processing, the book describes the platforms and toolkits available for implementing such systems. Applications of the techniques described in real plants are used to highlight their benefits; information for all of the examples, together with supporting MATLAB® code can be found at www.springer.com/978-184996-105-9 February 2014 • 77
CEW Interview
“Striking the Goal of 21 MMTPA Capacity by 2021”
MRPL, a subsidiary of ONGC is a state-of-the-art grassroots refinery located in Mangalore. The refinery has got a versatile design with high flexibility to process crudes of various API and with high degree of automation. P P Upadhya, Managing Director, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited, states that the company will be utilising near to 100 per cent of its capacity in the financial year 2013-14. He also talks about the refinery’s expansion plans, its profit margins, and product basket. Excerpts:
Please apprise us the capacity MRPL is utilising at the moment and the sources of crude? MRPL’s name plate capacity today is 15 MMTPA. MRPL will be utilising near to 100 per cent of its capacity in the financial year 201314. MRPL capacity will be ramped
78 • February 2014
up after stabilisation of secondary processing units of the new expansion project.
source crudes from Latin American countries in future, once secondary units are fully stabilised.
The refinery sources its crude mainly from Middle East viz Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, West African countries and is looking forward to
MRPL Phase III Expansion, which is nearing completion except poly propylene unit. Can you share the detailed approach in order to
Chemical Engineering World
Interview CEW PRODUCTS (Production)
2011-12 in MMT
2012-13 in MMT
LPG
0.28
0.28
LPG
0.40
MS
1.01
1.10
POLYPROPYLENE
0.44
MIXED XYLENE
0.15
0.15
MS
1.10
NAPHTHA
1.14
1.48
MIXED XYLENE
0.26
SKO
0.32
0.41
NAPHTHA
1.32
HSD
5.18
5.57
SKO
0.24
ATF
1.19
1.45
ATF
2.05
FO
2.19
2.11
HSD
5.57
VGO
0.08
0.05
FO
1.25
ASPHALT
0.24
0.19
COKE
0.75
CRMB
0.04
0.02
ASPHALT
0.19
SULPHUR
0.065
0.05
CRMB
0.02
SULPHUR
0.065
0.05
SULPHUR
0.14
enhance the capacity expansion and commissioning activity of MRPL? MRPL has taken up huge expansion plans at the cost of around ` 15,000 cr which include Phase-III Expansion and Upgradation Project (Cost: ` 12,160 cr). With the commissioning of Phase-3 crude unit MRPL’s refining capacity has enhanced to 15 MMTPA on 25 th March 2012. Diesel Hydrotreater and Hydrogen units are in operation. Balance units viz Sulphur Recovery Unit, Petro FCC, Delayed Coker, Coker Hydro-treating Units will be commissioned within next two months. Commissioning has got delayed due to the non-availability of steam and power from captive power plant being built by BHEL. Further, Poly Propylene Project (Cost: `1800 cr) has achieved physical progress of 92.7 per cent as on 15 th December 2013. The unit is expected to be mechanically completed by March 2014 and will be fully on stream by July 2014. The refinery has also set-up a Single Point Mooring (SPM) facility off the Mangalore coast at a cost of about ` 1044 crore. SPM enables MRPL to ship crude using Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC), to source opportunity crudes from West African and Latin American
NEW PRODUCT MIX (in MMT) Production
countries. SPM was commissioned successfully on 29 th August 2013 and is fully operational. However, due to nonavailability of crude cavern for storage of crudes, only Suez Max vessels are loaded at present. MRPL has drawn plans to augment its refining capacity to 18 MMTPA by 2018-19 and 21 MMTPA by 2021. MRPL is also looking to set up a Linear Alkyl Benzene plant with feed streams available from the refinery and OMPL (ON GC Mangalore Petroc hemic als L t d produc ing Para Xy lene and Benzene using the feed stocks from MRPL). Amid high volatility in the crude prices and substantial rupee depreciation against the dollar, MRPL is able to register the highest-ever gross revenue of ` 68,834 cr in fiscal 201213, 19 per cent higher than previous year. How has MRPL been sustained the multi-pronged growth strategy? The revenue of the refinery is based on the crude and product prices prevailing in the international markets where refineries do not have any control. The higher revenue in the year 2012-13 was mainly
MRPL sources its crude mainly from Middle East viz Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, West African countries and is looking forward to source crudes from Latin American countries in future, once secondary units are fully stabilised. Chemical Engineering World
on the account of increased processing crude rate viz 14.4 MMTPA vis-à-vis 12.82 MMTPA in FY 2011-12, and as well as increase in the international prices of petroleum products . As the biggest buyer of Iran Crude, how is MRPL looking into the recent Iran’s truce with world powers will impact the long-standing payment crisis for Indian oil companies for Iran crude, Indian energy insurance pool for covering refineries’ risk and Brent crude price? MRPL Refinery has been processing Iran mix from the inception. Though MRPL has processed several grades of crude, Iran mix crude is proven to be more suitable considering the design configuration and product mix. Once phase-III units are fully on-stream MRPL will have the advantage to process other opportunity crude. Due to sanctions, MRPL reduced only its imports from Iran and future plans depend on how the things shape up with recent relaxation in place. MRPL is paying 45 per cent of its payment in Rupees and balance payment will be made once the payment channels are made operational. MRPL is following regularly with MOP&NG and GOI with respect to creation of the Energy Insurance Pool. February 2014 • 79
8 â&#x20AC;˘ December 2013
Final Ad template amol.indd 8
Chemical Engineering World
20-01-2014 19:44:27
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R.N.I. No. 11403/1966 Date of Publication: 1â&#x20AC;&#x2122;st of every month. Postal Registration No: MH/MR/SOUTH-125/2012-14. Posted at Patrika Channel Sorting Office, Mumbai 400001, on 29th & 30th of every month. Total Page No.: 82
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