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CEW Industry News Claro Energy Receives USD 2 Million Credit Facility for Solar Water Pumps New Delhi, India: Claro Energy has received a first-of-its-kind USD 2 million credit facility from RBL Bank to scale up its solar pumping business. Of this USD 1 million is a Direct Line of Credit to meet working capital needs and another USD 1 is a commitment from the Bank towards direct farmer financing for Claro Energy’s solar water pumps. With a team of over 100, Claro Energy currently operates in 10 states across the country and has installed solar pumps from 1HP to 10HP across drinking water, irrigation, purification and aquaculture applications. The tie up comes even as the Union Government has announced a provision of ` 1,000 crore for promoting solar energy in the country. This comprises of an allocation of ` 500 crore for Ultra Mega Solar Projects in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Ladakh; a provision of ` 400 crore for schemes for solar power driven agricultural pump sets and water pumping stations; and a provision of ` 100 crore for the development of 1 MW Solar Parks on the banks of canals.
Centre Allows UP Govt to Import Fertilisers Lucknow, India: The problem of shortage of fertilisers faced by the farmers will be resolved in Uttar Pradesh as the Central Government has permitted the state government to import it directly. In an interaction with the press, R P Goswami, Managing Director, Pradeshik Cooperative Federation (PCF), said that the situation had turned into a crisis as the supply of fertilisers was less by almost 50-70 per cent of the expected quota. He further added that since the central government has allowed the state to directly import fertilisers, there are is some hope. The state government had written to the central government for importing DAP, phosphetic fertilisers and urea as well, of which the permission for imported DAP and phosphetic fertilisers was grated in December. Goswami was of the opinion that this would also keep a check on the black marketing of fertilisers. A tender has been floated by the state government and in the next one year it plans to import 5 lakh tonnes of fertiliser.
Kansai Nerolac Signs JV with Capital Holdings Maharaja New Delhi, India: Kansai Nerolac Paints (KNP) has signed a Joint Venture (JV) pact with Capital Holdings Maharaja Pvt Ltd from Sri Lanka. KNP stated in a BSE filing that the company has entered into a JV agreement with Capital Holdings Maharaja and the company now has plans of incorporating a company through this joint venture having an estimated cost of 65 crore Sri Lankan rupees in total. The statement further stated that KNP would have an equity contribution of 60 per cent which is around 39 crore Sri Lankan rupees. 6 • February 2015
Asian Paints to Set Up Plant Worth ` 1,700 Crore Hyderabad, India: Asian Paints has crossed all the administrative i n t r i c a c i e s r e q u i r e d by t h e A n d h ra P ra d e s h g ove r n m e n t for setting up a manufacturing plant wor th ` 1,700 crore in Vishakhapatnam. The company has made plans for setting up the land the government had allotted the land and given the necessary environmental and other clearances for the project. A review meeting between officials from Asian Paints, AP Chief Secretary I Y R Krishna Rao and the industries department was held in January for tackling any bottlenecks in setting up the plant.
CII Recognises KEPL for KAIZEN Practices Pune, India: Pune-headquartered Kirloskar Ebara Pumps Limited (KEPL), a sister concern of Kirloskar Brothers Limited, emerged as the Winner under the large scale category at the 10th Kaizen Competition, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Kaizen is a system of continuous improvement in quality, technology, processes, company culture, productivity, safety and leadership. In today’s scenario, ‘Kaizen activity’ is one of the benchmarked tools that enhance the growth of any organisation. KEPL received this award for the presentation made by two teams on the theme of ‘Reduction in Line Organisation Loss using Single-Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED) technique’. Around 90 teams participated in this event and the jury panel consisting of 16 experts from the industries across Maharashtra selected the winning teams. The awards were distributed by Nishikant Ahire, Chairman, CII - North Maharashtra Zonal Council and Chairman & Managing Director, Machine House India Pvt Ltd. KEPL started its journey of instilling the Kaizen culture in April 2013 by introducing innovative schemes for challenging its workforce towards implementing this process.
Ramugundam Fertiliser Plant to be Revived through NFL-EIL JV New Delhi, India: A joint venture has been formed between National Fertiliser Ltd, (NFL), Engineers India Ltd, and Fertiliser Corporation of India Ltd, (FCIL) for the revival of Ramagundam fertiliser plant in Telangana which has been closed at an estimated project cost of ` 5,000 crore. NFL and EIL will have an equal stake of 26 per cent each while FCIL will have a stake of 11 per cent in this joint venture company named Ramagundam Fertiliser and Chemicals Ltd. The JV will be looking for partners for the remaining stake. This JV is a part of the NDA government’s plant to revive closed units of FCIL. Neeru Abrol, Chairman and Managing Director, NFL said that this complex will have new ammonia and urea plants having a capacity of 2200 tonnes per day and 3850 tonnes per day respectively along with associated offsite and utility facilities. She added that the completion of the project is target to be in 2018. Chemical Engineering World
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CEW Industry News Lanxess Offers High Performance Plastics for Automobiles
Plan to Set up Fertiliser Plant in Iran on the Forefront
Gandhinagar, India: Lanxess presented a range of modern and light weight solutions with high-performance plastics for the automotive and two-wheeler industry at PlastIndia 2015. The company also exhibited select applications of high-performance plastics in the electronics and electrical industry. Polyamides and polybutylene terephthalates, reinforced with a glass fibre content of up to 60 per cent, are ideal for applications in lightweight construction, which can be attributed to their strength and stiffness. They form a lightweight and economical alternative to sheet moulding compounds (SMC) and other reinforced thermosets, as well as to metals like steel, aluminium and die cast zinc.
New Delhi, India: The plan of setting up a fertiliser plant in Iran having an investment of about ` 5,000 crore has been revived and the government has asked Iran to provide a long term gas contract to ensure manufacture of soil nutrients. This proposed plant will have a capacity of 1.3 million tonnes urea production and the PSUs nominated are Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers (RCF), Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilisers and Chemicals (GNFC) and Gujarat State State Fertilisers Corporation (GSFC). It was reported that an Iranian firm would also be involved. Both the countries have been in talks about setting up a fertiliser plant in Iran since 2013 but the plan was facing a hurdle due to the gas price issue. The Indian government has communicate to the Iranian authorities that it is keen on having a long-term gas contract at feasible rates for urea production. This issue was taken up after Gholamreza Ansari, the Ambassador of Iran met Ananth Kumar, union ministry for Fertilisers and discussed having a cooperation between the two countries and India’s plans of setting up the urea-ammonia plant there.
Recently, Lanxess has developed a new class and range of genuine retanning agents. The Levotan X-Biomer technology effectively utilises biopolymers for a more sustainable production of high quality leather. With the new technology based on biodegradable polymers, Lanxess ‘ experts have accomplished an innovative leap forward in retanning chemistry.
Fertiliser Subsidy to Increase to ` 71,000 Crore Mumbai, India: An increase is expected in the fertiliser subsidy for FY16 to ` 71,000 crore from ` 65,000 crore in FY15 according to a report by India Ratings & Research (Ind-Ra). The report states that this rise would be at a gas price of around USD 6.0/mmbtu. Even as the subsidy has increased by the government, it has still not been sufficient as a result it has been carried forward into the next year. This has been the situation in FY15 as well where it saw a spill over of aound ` 30,000 crore of subsidy of FY14. The report stated that the build-up of subsidy dues and a delay in its payment in the second half of each year will be a repeated occurrence if allocations are not increased or the subsidy obligations are minimised through some crucial and bold reforms like moving the commodity under the NBS regime and decontrolling urea prices. This delay of subsidy receivables has become a characteristic of the industry where the bills have been pending for almost six months. The report has maintained a stable negative outlook on the fertiliser sector in light of the delays that the government has made in undertaking comprehensive reforms in the fertiliser sector.
MRPL Increases its Stake in OMPL Mangalore, India: Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) Board has approved acquisition of major stake in ONGC Mangalore Petrochemicals Ltd (OMPL), Mangalore, increasing the holding from 3 per cent to 46 per cent by purchasing fully paid up equity shares from individual shareholders. The Aromatic Complex of OMPL set up in the 442 acres of Mangalore Special Economic Zone (MSEZ) is situated adjacent to MRPL Phase III so as to receive feedstocks directly from MRPL. OMPL’s Aromatic complex is designed to produce 0.9 MMTPA of Paraxylene and 0.3 MMTPA of Benzene. 8 • February 2015
Investment of ` 40,000 Crore in Fertilisers in 4 Years’ Time New Delhi, India: While speaking at the signing of the joint venture for revival of Ramagundam fertiliser plant, Ananth Kumar, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, said that there would be an investment of about ` 40,000 crore in the next four years to ensure India is self-reliant in production of urea. He added that the fertiliser plants that will be revived are Barooni, Gorakhpur and Sindri. There are plans of setting up new plants in the pipeline including RCF’s new plant at Thal. The minister also stated that work has already begun on reviving the fertiliser plants in Talcher and Ramagundam and joint ventures between a number of PSUs have been formed for the same. Requests by the state governments of Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh have been received for setting up plants in their respective states.
GCPL Expanding Household Insecticide Portfolio in Africa New Delhi, India: Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL) has plans of expanding its household insecticide business in Africa; the company already has a significant presence there in the haircare category with annual revenue of about USD 200 million. Ajay Dang, VP-Marketing, GCPL, said that the company is trying to figure out what are the right products for the right environment and has done well in India and Indonesia. GCPL has been acquiring branks in the African continent, mainly focusing on local firms in the emerging markets. Earlier this year, GCPL completely acquired Frika Hair (Pty) Ltd, which is a South African hair extensions firm for an undisclosed sum. In 2011, it acquired a stake of 51 per cent in Darling South Africa in September and Darling Mozambique later in October. Chemical Engineering World
CEW Industry News Solvay Will Sell German Operations of Refrigerant Business
KH Neochem and Petrochemical Complex
Brussels, Belgium: Solvay has agreed to sell its German-based refrigerant business and pharma propellants to Daikin in Japan, as its Special Chemicals Global Business Unit is gearing its activities towards selective high value-added segments in fluorine specialties and high purity chemicals. Solvay’s Global Business Unit (GBU) Special Chemicals will divest all of its businesses on its site in Frankfurt. About 75 employees will be transferred to Daikin. The sale of the Frankfurt businesses follows the exit of the LifeScience activities in 2013. Since then, Special Chemicals has been focusing on fluor specialities with a new facility in Germany serving applications in the agrochemical industry and expanded production capacity in China to support strong growth in the electronics industry. It recently strengthened its aluminium brazing capabilities and products with the acquisition of German Flux Schweiß- und Lötstoffe.
Tokyo, Japan: KH Neochem Co, Ltd, (KHNC) signed a joint venture agreement with CPC Corporation, Taiwan (CPC) and Mega Inter national Commercial Bank Co, Ltd, (MICB) for establishing the JV company, Taiwan-Japan Oxo Chemical Industries, to produce and sell Iso-nonyl Alcohol (INA). INA is a higher alcohol and one of KHNC’s major products which i s m a i n l y u s e d fo r t h e p l a s t i c i s e r, D i - i s o n o ny l P h t h a l a t e (DINP). The demand of DINP has increased rapidly all over the world for mainly auto-motive, electric wire and cable, and construction material. This project is the largest joint investment venture ever held by Japanese and Taiwanese companies in the petrochemical area in Taiwan. KHNC and CPC will have a stake of 47 per cent each while MICB will have the remaining 6 per cent. The plant will require an investment of USD 400 million and will have a production capacity of 180,000mt/y of INA.
Chemtura Organometallics Confidently Enters 2015 Philadelphia, USA: Although Chemtura Organometallics Specialties (OMS), has manufactured organometallics for more than 50 years, a period of change over the past several years challenged the company to rethink the way it approaches the market. Embracing the positive promise of this change, OMS embarked on a series of recent infrastructure investments, enhanced its portfolio of world-class products, and made a renewed commitment to delivering customer value. The result is an OMS that confidently enters 2015 as a leaner business, better aligned with current and emerging customer needs and that is an even stronger global partner for the manufacture, marketing and development of specialty organometallic products.
Kurita’s Acquisition of BKG Businesses Complete for Euro 237 Million To k yo , J a p a n : Ku r i t a Wa t e r I n d u s t r i e s L t d , ( Ku r i t a ) h a s completed the procedures for the acquisition of the Water Solutions, Paper Solutions and Alumina Compounds businesses of BK Giulini GmbH of Germany and its affiliates (BKG), and Kurita Europe APW GmbH (KEAG), an overseas subsidiary e s t a bl i s h e d i n L u d w i g s h a fe n , G e r m a ny, h a s c o m m e n c e d operations. In October last year, Kurita, BKG, and its ultimate p a r e n t c o m p a ny, I s ra e l C h e m i c a l s L i m i t e d , e n t e r e d i n t o a n a gr e e m e n t t o a c q u i r e t h e bu s i n e s s e s. S u b s e q u e n t l y, Kurita has performed the procedures under the agreement. Kurita has completed the acquisition at a cost of 237 million euros (32.1 billion yen) and is continuing to perform procedures for the acquisition of production sites in China. As an overseas subsidiary with production sites in Germany and Turkey, an R&D facility in Germany, and sales offices in nine countries, mainly in Europe, KEAG will manufacture, develop, and market water treatment chemicals, paper chemicals, and alumina compounds. 10 • February 2015
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Ku r a r ay C o m p l e t e s S a l e o f E u ro p e a n P V B Film Business Tokyo, Japan: Kuraray has completed the divestment of the company’s European polyvinyl butyral (PVB) film business to GVC Holdings’ subsidiary, GVC. This is a part of the company’s efforts to comply with the European Commission’s conditional approval for Kuraray’s acquisition of DuPont’s glass-laminating solutions/ vinyl (GLSV) business. The PVB film assets that would be transferred to GVC are a production facility in Uentrop, Germany and a research and development centre in Mechelen, Belgium. Kuraray produces specialty chemicals, fibres and other materials, including functional resins and films, synthetic isoprene chemical products, synthetic leather, vinylon fibre and polyester fibre. Kuraray Co, Ltd, also announced that it will boost the ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH resin) production capacity of EVAL Europe NV, a wholly owned Kuraray subsidiary located in Antwerp, Belgium. The capacity added to the current production capacity would be 11,000 tons/year and is expected to be operational by the end of 2016. EVAL boasts superior gas barrier properties which is why its demand is steadily expanding, particularly for food packaging applications that offer better food preservation and for automotive plastic fuel tanks that effectively prevent hydrocarbon emission.
Global Ammonia Capacity to Reach Almost 250 Million Tons per Year by 2018 , according to GlobalData. Chemical Engineering World
CEW Industry News Air Liquide to Construct Air Seperation Unit for Methanol Complex
Showa Denko and Eternal Materials to Construct Bulk Molding Plant
Paris, France: Air Liquide has been selected by Chinese petrochemical company Yuhuang Chemical, Inc, as the supplier of oxygen for its new world-scale methanol manufacturing complex to be built in St James Parish, Louisiana. Air Liquide will invest around USD 170 million in this high growth area for the chemical industry. The new Yuhuang Chemical methanol manufacturing complex will produce approximately 5,000 tonnes of methanol per day, making it one of the largest methanol production facilities in the US based on capacity.
Tokyo, Japan: Showa Denko (SDK) decided to establish a new production site for thermosetting bulk moulding compound (BMC) in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China, jointly with Eternal Materials Co, Ltd SDK Group aims to strengthen its BMC business through this establishment of its second BMC production site in China. BMC is a thermosetting bulk moulding compound made from unsaturated polyester resin as main component, kneaded together with glass fibre and other additives. BMC is used as headlamp reflectors and engine covers for car applications, and encapsulation material for home electrical appliances and precision parts.
Air Liquide has entered into a new long-term agreement to supply Yuhuang Chemical with 2,400 tonnes of oxygen per day. Air Liquide will build a new, state-of-the-art, energy efficient Air Separation Unit (ASU) producing oxygen, nitrogen and argon. Connected to Air Liquide’s extensive pipeline system in Louisiana, providing enhanced reliability of supply, the ASU is expected to be commissioned by the second half of 2017. Air Liquide, via its Global Engineering & Construction activity, also recently signed a contract to license its leading MegaMethanol process technology to Yuhuang Chemical. The MegaMethanol Technology which converts natural gas to methanol is part of Air Liquide’s proprietary technology portfolio. In providing a stable long-term oxygen supply and proprietary natural gas-to-methanol conversion technology, the Air Liquide group further demonstrates its leading position in offering an integrated value proposition for large-scale methanol production.
TPC Group to Expand its Polyisobutylene Capacity Houston, USA: TPC Group announced an achievement of another significant milestone in its comprehensive expansion program to increase polyisobutylene (PIB) capacity. TPC’s Board of Directors has approved the front end engineering and design (FEED) to finalise the design and cost estimate for the installation of a third PIB production unit. This project is targeted to satisfy future industry growth, mainly resulting from anticipated changes in fuel and lubricant additive standards beginning in the second half of 2017. These higher standards are driving substantial growth in demand for highly reactive polyisobutylene, which TPC Group manufactures using its proprietary process. TPC is in discussions with its customers regarding definitive off-take commitments for its third line. In parallel with its third production unit engineering work, TPC continues to debottleneck its PIB capacity. Capacity has increased more than 20 percent since 2012 with significant progress made in 2014. Additional debottlenecking effor ts are continuing in 2015. This debottlenecking effort is targeted to supply the current and near term needs of our customers in the lubricant additives, sealants, adhesives and industrial lubricants segments. 14 • February 2015
Recently, SDK also concluded a business alliance agreement with KBR Inc, to cooperatively market SDK’s proprietary technologies to produce acetic acid and its derivatives (acetyls). Under the licensing agreement, SDK will provide KBR with its proprietary technologies, which were cultivated over many years, to catalyse and process acetic acid to produce its derivatives. In addition, SDK will provide KBR with its plant operation skills and know-how accumulated through safe and stable operation of the complex.
Daelim to Expand its Highly Reactive Polybutene Plant Seoul, Korea: Daelim’s Petrochemical Business Division disclosed its plan to expand its highly reactive polybutene plant. The company intends to expand the annual output of its existing plant, which is located at Yeosu National Industrial Complex, from 65,000 tons to 100,000 tons by November 2016 by investing KRW 74 billion. After the expansion, Daelim will be able to produce 185,000 tons of polybutene annually by including the polybutene plant’s annual production output of 85,000 tons of general-purpose polybutene. With such expansion, Daelim expects to position itself as the top polybutene manufacturer in terms of world market share, widening the gap with Germany’s BASF. Polybutene is mainly used as raw material for lubricant additives and fuel purifiers. Since it is highly reactive, polybutene can simplify the lubricant manufacturing process and it enhances production efficiency.
PPG to Add Silica Production Capacity Pittsburgh, USA: PPG Industries (PPG) announced that it is increasing precipitated silica production capacity at its Delfzijl, Netherlands, manufacturing location by more than 15,000 tons per year, due in part to growing global demand for AGILON performance silica products. The expansion is expected to come online in 2016 and will help PPG meet growing demand for its silica products, including large-scale Agilon volumes tied to a new multiyear global supply agreement with a multinational tire manufacturer. Chemical Engineering World
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CEW Industry News URALCHEM and Stamicarbon will Revamp Urea Production Facility
Evonik to Optimise its Production of Plasticizer Alcohols
Moscow, Russia: URALCHEM OJSC and Stamicarbon BV have reached an agreement to start the project of urea production modernisation at Mineral Fertilizers OJSC (PMF) in Perm. The investment in the project is estimated at 4.2 billion rubles. It is planned that by 2019 plant capacity for the production of urea will be increased by 40 per cent or by 250 thousand tons annually. Stamicarbon will act as the licensor of urea production technology, and as a general contractor for the project design and survey works. The corresponding contract was signed by Dmitry Konyaev, General Director, URALCHEM OJSC and Pejman Djavdan, CEO, Stamicarbon BV. NIIK JSC will be a subcontractor to ensure the compliance of design documentation with the Russian standards and regulations.
Essen, Germany: In the future, Evonik Industries will be able to produce the plasticizer alcohol 2-propyl heptanol (2-PH) much more efficiently at the Marl site. This is made possible by the development of the new ligand OxoPhos 64i; ligands are important components of catalysts and essential for many large-scale processes. The new ligand makes the process more efficient and enables longer plant operation and less maintenance. With this innovation Evonik strengthens its technology position in the attractive growth market for plasticizer alcohols.
The modernisation of urea production at the PMF plant will be performed in accordance with the newest technology of Stamicarbon - Urea2000plus. By replacing part of the existing equipment and the addition of a new cycle of production facilities at PMF, the performance of the existing urea aggregate will be increased from 1930 tons per day to 2700 tons per day. The modernisation of Perm Mineral Fertilizers plant will be the second joint project of URALCHEM and Stamicarbon.
Bio-on & Eridania Sadam to Create Molecule for Green Chemical Industry Bologna, Italy: A new collaboration is announced between two Italian companies operating in the sustainable chemical and agricultural industry, Bio-on SpA and Eridania Sadam SpA. The two companies will work together on defining and optimising the production of levulinic acid. Already available on the international market, but in insufficient quantities, levulinic acid is currently obtained from industrial processes with an environmental impact that fails to meet European standards. The new project aims to convert the by-products of the sugar industry into levulinic acid, optimising innovative processes that team environmental sustainability and the reduction of production costs. The integration between agriculture and advanced biochemistry will enable levulinic acid production solely from agricultural waste not intended for human food, with carbon atoms generated from carbon dioxide captured in the atmosphere with chlorophyllian photosynthesis. The collaboration between Bio-on SpA and Eridania Italia SpA adds a further building block in the construction of the Italian green chemical industry. This natural molecule, which has immediate application in the biodegradable plastics sector, extending its field of application, also contributes towards the creation of new eco fuels, fertilisers and antiparasitics; it is also an intermediate element in the creation of high-performing plastics, medications and many other new ‘green’ products. 16 • February 2015
Plasticizer alcohols have a volume of 5 million metric tons per year and represent an interesting, continuously growing market for Evonik. Besides 2-PH, the company also produces the plasticizer alcohol isononanol (INA) on a world-scale level. With a capacity for both alcohols of more than 400,000 metric tons annually, Evonik is the largest manufacturer of C9/C10 plasticizer alcohols in Europe. The plasticizer alcohol 2-PH is produced using the so-called oxo reaction. An alkene is transformed using a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen as well as a catalyst system, which is made of a metal and a ligand. Because this key step is one of the most cost intensive process steps, Evonik has developed OxoPhos 64i using cutting-edge methods such as computational chemistry. The improved process started at the end of 2014. With this production network Evonik converts C4 crack generated in crude oil processing to high-quality precursors and products such as butadiene, MTBE or plasticizer alcohols.
Platform Specialty Products Acquires Arysta LifeScience M i a m i , U S A : P l a t fo r m S p e c i a l t y P r o d u c t s C o r p o r a t i o n (Platform) has closed its previously-announced acquisition of Arysta LifeScience Limited (Arysta) from the Permira funds for approximately USD 3.51 billion, consisting of USD 2.91 billion in cash, subject to working capital and other adjustments, and USD 600 million of Series B convertible preferred stock. The closing of this acquisition marks Platform’s third acquisition within the crop protection operating segment after the acquisitions of Agriphar on October 1, 2014 and Chemtura AgroSolutions (CAS) on November 3, 2014. Through the Arysta, CAS and Agriphar businesses, Platfor m has an operating agrochemicals footprint in more than 100 countries and expects to benefit from a global supply chain that should allow operational efficiencies to become realised almost immediately. Platform expects to realise in excess of USD 65 million in synergies from the combination of these businesses over the next three years. Upon closing of the acquisition, Arysta’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Wayne Hewett, became Platform’s President, leading the agrochemical businesses and overseeing Platform’s ongoing operations. Chemical Engineering World
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CEW Industry News Saudi Kayan to Increase Ethylene Production Capacity Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia: Saudi Kayan reached an agreement with the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and SABIC to enhance the company’s business and financial performance. The agreement involved allocating an extra volume of ethane gas, amounting to 10 million square feet every day, as of July 01. Saudi Kayan is obligated to implement the debottlenecking projects to increase the production capacity of ethylene to a minimum of 93 ton per annum, and the pure ethylene oxide to a minimum of 61 ton per annum. The projects are to be commissioned not later than the 2nd quarter of 2017. Till this date according to the agreement, Saudi Kayan will be utilising the allocated ethane instead of the butane –as of the above date – to produce ethylene. The agreement stipulates that SABIC will reduce the marketing costs with one-third value, as of July 01. This has been stated by Omar Al-Amoudi, Chairman, Saudi Kayan, who indicated that this agreement would probably have a positive financial impact on the company’s financial performance in form of Saudi Riyal 280 million in 2015, and Saudi Riyal 600 million per annum, upon completion of the projects in light of the current prices and production rates.
BASF & Petronas to Set-up 2-Ethylhexanoic Acid Production Plant Ludwigshafen, Germany: BASF and PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad (PCG) will build a new world-scale production plant for 2-Ethylhexanoic Acid (2-EHAcid) at the site of their existing joint venture, BASF PETRONAS Chemicals, in Kuantan, Malaysia. The construction of this plant, which will be the first of its kind in the ASEAN region, is expected to commence in Q2 of 2015. The plant, with a total annual capacity of 30,000 metric tons of 2-EHAcid, is expected to start production in the fourth quarter of 2016. The new plant will benefit from backward integration into the site, allowing high delivery reliability and maximising efficient use of energy and feedstock. BASF operates a 2-EHAacid production plant at its Verbund site in Ludwigshafen, Germany. In addition to the proposed plant, BASF PETRONAS Chemicals Sdn Bhd is also building an Integrated Aroma Ingredients Complex at its Kuantan site for the manufactur ing of citronellol, L-menthol as well as citral and its precursors which are widely used in flavour and fragrance industry. Groundbreaking for the USD 500 million integrated aroma ingredients complex was done in April 2014 and the first plant is scheduled to come on stream in 2016. 18 • February 2015
AkzoNobel to Increase Capacity of Coatings Amsterdam, Netherlands: AkzoNobel Performance Coatings has announced plans to invest Euro 2.5 million to expand its plant in Cikarang, Indonesia. The investment will add capacity to help meet growing demand for the company’s international brand products, which are supplied by the Protective Coatings and Marine Coatings businesses. The project is expected to be completed by April 2015. “The local market has been expanding over the last three years. Further growth is now anticipated as Indonesia seeks to improve its position in the petrochemical and power sectors, while an improvement in marine new build is also anticipated,” explained Mauricio Bannwart, Managing Director, AkzoNobel’s Protective Coatings business. News of the expansion comes after AkzoNobel recently invested a total of Euro 5 million to add capacity for both its Marine Coatings and Protective Coatings businesses in Singapore and Sunshine, Australia.
Anellotech and Johnson Matthey Agree to Create Bio-based Aromatics Catalysts London, England: Anellotech, Inc, and Johnson Matthey Process Technologies have announced an alliance to co-develop advanced catalyst systems for Anellotech’s Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis (CFP) Process for production of bio-based benzene, toluene and paraxylene for the chemical industry. Anellotech is an emerging leader in developing new technologies to create low-cost, green bio-based chemicals from nonfood biomass. Johnson Matthey Process Technologies is a division of Johnson Matthey Plc and a leading global supplier of catalysts, licensed technologies and other services to the petrochemical, syngas, oil refining and gas processing industries. The two partners will collaborate in three major areas; on the technical development of an optimal catalyst for Anellotech’s CFP Process; for the supply of high-quality catalysts manufactured for use in the testing and development of the CFP Process, and to manage subsequent commercial implementation. Anellotech’s newlydeveloped green aromatics products are ‘drop-in’ replacements for petroleum-derived aromatics and have use in a variety of valuable derivative applications.
FMC to Sell Alkali Chemicals Business to Tronox Philadelphia, USA: FMC Cor poration (FMC) has signed a definitive agreement to sell its Alkali Chemicals business to Tronox Limited (TROX). The transaction, valued at USD 1.64 billion, is expected to close in the first quarter of 2015, subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions.The Alkali Chemicals business is the largest global producer of natural soda ash with its mining and processing facilities located in Green River, Wyo. Alkali Chemicals’ products are used in glass manufacturing, water treatment, pulp and paper, textiles, food and pharmaceutical and cosmetics. Chemical Engineering World
CEW Technology News Researchers Create Magnetic Graphene
Better Catalysts, Made-to-order
California, USA: Graphene, a one-atom thick sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice, has many desirable properties. Magnetism alas is not one of them. Magnetism can be induced in graphene by doping it with magnetic impurities, but this doping tends to disrupt graphene’s electronic properties. Now a team of physicists at the University of California, Riverside has found an ingenious way to induce magnetism in graphene while also preserving graphene’s electronic properties. They have accomplished this by bringing a graphene sheet very close to a magnetic insulator – an electrical insulator with magnetic properties.
Utah, USA: Most of our food, medicine, fuel, plastics and synthetic f i b r e s wo u l d n o t ex i s t without catalysts, materials that open favourable pathways for chemical reactions to run forth. And yet chemists do not fully understand how University of Utah chemists captured enough most catalysts work, and data on the crucial steps in a reaction to developing new catalysts accurately predict the structures of the most efficient catalysts, those that would speed the o f t e n s t i l l d e p e n d s o n process with the least amount of unwanted by- l a b o r i o u s t r i a l - a n d products. The plot shows the predicted versus error. But in a new study measured efficiency of catalyst-substrate appearing in the journal pairs (represented by an energy difference). Science, University of Utah chemists captured enough data on the crucial steps in a reaction to accurately predict the structures of the most efficient catalysts, those that would speed the process with the least amount of unwanted by-products. The new approach could help chemists design catalysts that are not just incrementally better, but entirely new, says Sigman. With a clearer understanding of the forces at play as molecules cling and shape-shift together, chemists might be able to take advantage of interactions now regarded as unimportant or impossible to control. Read more on http://unews.utah.edu/ news_releases/
“This is the first time that graphene has been made magnetic this way. The magnetic graphene acquires new electronic properties so that new quantum phenomena can arise. These properties can lead to new electronic devices that are more robust and multifunctional,” said Jing Shi, a professor of physics and astronomy, whose lab led the research. The finding has the potential to increase graphene’s use in computers, as in computer chips that use electronic spin to store data. Read more about the research on http://ucrtoday.ucr.edu/26810
Material Synthesised for Efficient Plasmonic Devices N or th C a ro lina, USA: A research team led by North Carolina State University has identified and synthesised a material that can be used to create efficient plasmonic devices that respond to light in the mid-infrared (IR) range. Graphene is a one-atom thick sheet of carbon This is the first time anyone atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice. UC has demonstrated a material Riverside physicists have found a way to induce magnetism in graphene while also preserving that performs efficiently in graphene’s electronic properties. response to this light range, and it has applications in fields ranging from high-speed computers, to solar energy to biomedical devices. At issue is a phenomenon called surface plasmon resonance. This is when researchers illuminate the interface between a conducting and an insulating material. If the angle, polarisation, and wavelength of the incoming light are just right, electrons in the conductor begin oscillating. This oscillation creates an intense electric field extending into the insulator that can be used in everything from biomedical sensors to solar cells or opto-electronic devices. The wavelength of light that causes these oscillations depends on the nature of the conductive material. Until now, there was a huge gap – scientists were unable to identify materials that could support efficient surface plasmon resonance when targeted with wavelengths of light in the mid-IR range (ie, between 1,500 and 4,000 wavenumbers). Read more on https://news.ncsu.edu/2015/02/ maria-mid-ir-plasmonics-2015/ 20 • February 2015
Self-stretching Material Innovated by Researchers at Rochester University Rochester, USA: Although most materials slightly expand when heated, there is a new class of rubber-like material that not only self-stretches upon cooling; it reverts back to its original shape when heated, all without physical manipulation. The material is like a shape-memory polymer because it can be switched between two different shapes. “However, unlike other shape-memory polymers, the material does not need to be programmed each cycle-it repeatedly switches shapes, with no external forces, simply upon cooling and heating,” said Mitchell Anthamatten, an associate professor of chemical engineering. Anthamatten and his team built on the success of a recently developed polymer that can also stretch when cooled. The other polymers need to have small loads or weights attached in order to direct the shape to be taken. Anthamatten’s team ‘tricked it into thinking’ a load was attached. To carry out their strategy, the researchers introduced permanent stress inside the material. They began with polymer strands that were loosely connected by bonds called crosslinks that create a network of molecules. The material was stretched with a load attached to give it the desired shape. They added more crosslinks and cooled the polymer, causing crystallisation to occur along a preferred direction. Read more on http://www. rochester.edu/newscenter/ Chemical Engineering World
CEW Technology News Semiconductors More Efficient with Graphene California, USA: Experiments at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory looked at the properties of materials that combine graphene with a common type of semiconducting polymer. They found that a thin film of the polymer transported electric charge even better when grown on a single layer of graphene than it does when placed on a thin layer of silicon. “Our results are among the first to measure the charge transport in these materials in the vertical direction the direction that charge travels in organic photovoltaic devices like solar cells or in light-emitting diodes. The result was somewhat expected, because graphene and silicon have different crystalline structures and electrical properties,” said David Barbero of Umeå University in Sweden, leader of the international research team that performed the experiments at SLAC’s Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL), a DOE Office of Science User Facility. Although it was widely believed that a thinner polymer film should enable electrons to travel faster and more efficiently than a thicker film, Barbero and his team discovered that a polymer film about 50 nanometers thick conducted charge about 50 times better when deposited on graphene than the same film about 10 nanometers thick. Read more on https://www6.slac. stanford.edu/news/
Scientists Find Atomically-Thin Gas and Chemical Sensors California, USA: The relatively recent discovery of graphene, a two-dimensional layered material with unusual and attractive electronic, optical and thermal properties, led scientists to search for other atomically thin materials with unique properties. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has proved to be one of the most promising. Single-layer and few-layer molybdenum disulfide devices have been proposed for electronic, optoelectronic and energy applications. A team of researchers, led by engineers at the University of California, Riverside’s Bourns College of Engineering, have developed another potential application, sensors. Alexander Balandin, UC Presidential Chair and professor of electrical and computer engineering at UC Riverside and the graduate students in his lab built the atomically thin gas and chemical vapour sensors from molybdenum disulfide and tested them in collaboration with researchers at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. The devices have two-dimensional channels, which are great for sensor applications because of the high surface-to-volume ratio and widely tunable concentration of electrons. The researchers demonstrated that the sensors, which they call molybdenum disulfide thin-film field-effect transistors (TF-FET), can selectively detect ethanol, acetonitrile, toluene, chloroform and methanol vapours. Read more on http://ucrtoday.ucr.edu/ 22 • February 2015
Potassium Salt Better Catalysts than Precious Metals California, USA: A team of Caltech chemists has discovered a method for producing a group of silicon-containing organic chemicals without relying on expensive precious metal catalysts. Instead, the new technique uses as a catalyst a A crystal dispersing a beam of light cheap, abundant chemical that serves as a metaphor for a striking, natural chemical process that is is commonly found in chemistry seemingly effortless, yet efficient labs around the world-potassium and powerful. Here, potassium terttert-butoxide-to help create a butoxide—the catalyst in the new reaction—is represented within the host of products ranging from prism. Simple, bulk organic molecules new medicines to advanced (depicted in the white light) pass through materials. And it turns out that the the prism and are transformed into complex building blocks that are useful potassium salt is more effective in a variety of applications (represented than state-of-the-art precious in the colour spectrum). metal complexes at r unning very challenging chemical reactions. The finding marks one of the first cases in which catalysis—the use of catalysts to make certain reactions occur faster, more readily, or at all—moves away from being a practice that is fundamentally unsustainable. While the precious metals in most catalysts are rare and could eventually run out, potassium is an abundant element on Earth. The team describes its new ‘green’ chemistry technique in the February 5 issue of the journal Nature. The lead authors on the paper are Toutov and Wen-bo (Boger) Liu, a postdoctoral scholar at Caltech. Toutov recently won the Dow Sustainability Innovation Student Challenge Award (SISCA) grand prize for this work, in a competition held at Caltech’s Resnick Sustainability Institute. Read more about the research on http://www. caltech.edu/news/
New Catalyst Turns Nitrogen into Ammonia with Light Illinois, USA: Northwestern University scientists are the first to develop a catalyst that can perform a remarkable feat found only in nature – take nitrogen from the air and turn it into ammonia under natural conditions. No high temperatures or pressure required. Driven by light, the new method offers promise for a more environmentally friendly fertiliser. “This is a big-deal reaction, turning nitrogen into ammonia under ambient conditions. Scientists have been fascinated by the biological enzyme nitrogenase, which catalyses the reaction in nature, for more than 60 years. Now we have created a successful mimic of nature’s process,” said inorganic chemist Mercouri G Kanatzidis, who led the research. Plants rely on the nitrogen fixation process for nutrition and growth. Nitrogen straight from the atmosphere is inaccessible to plants, so the nutrient must be in a reduced form, such as ammonia. The Northwestern method uses light to catalyse the important reaction. A process that uses abundant solar energy to turn nitrogen into ammonia offers an attractive alternative to Haber-Bosch, the industrial standard for producing ammonia, Kanatzidis said. Read more on http://www. northwestern.edu/newscenter/ Chemical Engineering World
Chemical Products Finder | November 2013 | 57
CEW News Features
Our Vision is to Reach 500 Crore by 2022: Godse Having served some of the big names in the global and Indian market viz, SBM Offshore, Qatar Fertilizer, Qatar Petroleum, Halliburton, Cipla, Reliance, NMRL, BHEL, BARC, NCL, Pfizer to name a few, Excel Gas and Equipments Pvt Ltd (Excel) has come a long way. The company has laid an ambitious roadmap to reach ` 500 crore by the year 2022 and gradually executing that vision into success. Nitin Godse, Managing Director, Excel Gas and Equipment, spoke to CEW about the company’s plans, the present market scenario, R&D in a niche domain, HSE practices, expansion plans and more.
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aving humble beginnings in 2000 with a capital of ` 3 lakh, Excel is expecting a turnover of ` 45 crore in FY15-16. In the last ten years, the company has experienced phenomenal growth rates of almost 200-300 per cent. Excel’s core business is to offer ‘turnkey solutions for gas, utility and chemical handling systems.’ The company also manufactures pipe settings regulators, valves, etc, for applications in nonhazardous gases, utilities. Almost 80 per cent of Excel’s revenue comes from the Indian market as the demand is more than what the company can offer today. The rest 20 per cent of the revenue comes through exports; it exports to over 10 countries from Africa, Middle East and USA. Presently, Excel is focusing on the Indian market but is hopeful of increasing its footprint overseas as well. Niche Domain Excel undertakes piping commissions, especially high purity gas piping, utility piping and process piping. It is a part of a market where a company has to be experienced to get contracts. There are not more than 5 to 7 companies in India. Nitin Godse, Managing Director, Excel Gas and Equipment imparts that that the market in India is a very large one but it is niche because of the entry restriction, the work involved which is highly skilled and the people involved must have great knowledge along with a track record. Being a niche market, the raw materials, viz, valves, regulators, pipes, required for executing the project, are not available in India and must be imported. 24 • February 2015
The manufacturing capabilities are slowly developing in the last 10-15 years but it would require some more time for the perception to change. As high purity gas piping and chemical handling systems involve hazardous gases and chemicals, reliability plays a great role. A sought after aspect that the users look for is expertise. The next crucial point here is the quality and capability to carry out installation works since the volume of work involved is huge and the client has to be assured that a company is able to execute it as expected. So, it all comes down to the reliability of the contractor and the capability of the turnkey solutions provider. The fact that Excel is able to give turnkey solutions gives it a unique position. When talking about turnkey solutions, the solutions provider should be able to handle any kind of situation that arises in the project. Many a times, the client themselves will not be aware of the kind of roadblocks involved. Being an experienced player, the solutions provider can very well anticipate these when setting up the whole system. Also, a number of approvals are required for many of the gases used. There are many specifications or standards that need to be met. Excel is able to undertake and meet all of these requirements.
Nitin Godse R&D is a Niche Domain Godse states that the researching capabilities in this domain are done a bit differently as compared to the conventional notion of research. It is about sharing knowledge with other players. When involved in high quality gas, it is crucial to collaborate with other players because there is no time for carrying out research, setting up the plant and starting production. In this domain, it is advisable to bring in an established player who has research capabilities. This becomes a win-win situation for the solutions provider and the established player as well. The established player gets access to a ready market while the turnkey solutions provider gets access to new technology. Jointly, both the companies then research, modify and develop newer technologies.
In this domain, it is advisable to bring in an established player who has research capabilities. This becomes a win-win situation for the solutions provider and the established player as well. The established player gets access to a ready market while the turnkey solutions provider gets access to new technology. Chemical Engineering World
CEW News Features Process Automation Solutions Excel also provides process automation solutions to its clients. Since it has to deal with dangerous, corrosive, oxidising or reactive gases like hydrogen, oxygen, hydrogen sulphide, handling these with safety is extremely crucial. A slight manual error can result in great tragedies. So, the company strives to bring in automation solutions which can take care of any loops in the system. Excel does not manufacture the raw materials, like transmitters involved in the automation process. It uses these in designing the system first. The raw material is procured from many MNCs, be it Honeywell, ABB, etc. The software required for integrating all the components are developed by Excel. For a turnkey solutions provider like Excel, automation systems are about providing solution to clients for a particular action. For instance, if there is a gas leakage, it needs to be detected by a sensor and the system has to take some automatic action such as start up the fire hydrant system and probably shut down the electrical grid. These kinds of actions have to be automated and it has been done logically. All of these actions cannot be labelled under one name or product as every project has to be customised as per the clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s requirements. This
26 â&#x20AC;˘ February 2015
customisation includes installation of detectors using PLCs or some other programming techniques and preparing a control panel for them in communication systems. When the project is bigger the automation solutions involved also get complicated. Health, Safety and Environment Practices As a turnkey solutions provider, a company has to ensure that the toxic materials, inflammable and poisonous gases that it handles do not pose a hazard to the environment. The client should not face any trouble so the system should be safe from the HSE point of view. Excel undertakes installation of scrubbers, neutralisation of gases. It ensures that all precautions are taken in the system itself and only then handover a prosperous system to the clients wherein there are no adverse effects to the environment. In most of the projects, the company gets the freedom to redesign the product. Excel reviews the drawings, updates it and puts down the suggestions so that system is corrected as per the clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; need and a safe system is handed over to them. Excel has well defined HSE policies which it follows in all its installations. Diversification Excel has set an ambitious target of reaching a turnover of ` 500 crore
by 2022 and the company is already treading the roadmap it has chalked out. It is in a transitional phase at present and has plans of expanding into the agrochemicals business in the next couple of years. Godse elaborates, taking into account the agrochemicals market demand, the company plans of setting up a first generation bio-refinery using the conventional technology for extracting chemicals such as ethanol, furan, and castor oil derivatives from agriculture by-products be it bio-gas, corn cobs or cotton seeds. These chemicals are essential in the resins, high-end paints, petroleum sectors but are not manufactured in India. These are all imported from China, Dominican Republic and Brazil. Excel will be setting up a bio-refinery with a capacity of 6000 tonnes per annum in the next 3 years. Godse is optimistic about the scenario for SMEs in the years to come with the government putting in concentrated efforts to encourage the industry to flourish. He believes that India has all the capabilities and the highly talented manpower resources; stable and concentrated efforts could put India into a growth trajectory. -Girija Dalvi -Harshal Desai
Chemical Engineering World
CEW Features Guest Column
Challenges & Opportunities for Industrial Gas Market The article talks about industrial gases and challenges and opportunities associated with the industry. It also provides an insight into the Indian market scenario, the key growth drivers and opportunities of industrial gases through applications development. According to Prof R C Bhattacharya, Vice Chairman, Globsyn Business School, Director, Globsyn Technologies Ltd & Technical Consultant, AIIGMA and Prof Avik Mukherjee, Assistant Professor of Finance, Globsyn Business School, the application of industrial gases will grow in all areas of manufacturing industry.
T
he industry started in 1935 with the take-over of three small high pressure gaseous oxygen plants in Calcutta, Howrah and Asansol by the then British Oxygen Company, BOC. This subsidiary of BOC in India came to be known as Indian Oxygen and Acetylene Co Ltd and later, taking advantage of liberalisation, it got rechristened as BOC-India in 1995. By mid-60s, two other companies, viz, Hindustan Gas of Birlas and Asiatic Oxygen of Jalans came into existence. By mid 70s, many small and medium scale manufacturers sprang up using small size gaseous plants all over India to serve the need of local manufacturing industries which could not be served by the existing companies as the distribution cost from long distance was too high. Many of these plants are of East European design using medium pressure technology in place of BOC’s high-power consuming high pressure plants.
Prof R C Bhattacharya (Email: rcb@globsyn.edu.in)
Prof Avik Mukherjee (Email: avik@globsyn.edu.in) 28 • February 2015
Since liberalisation in 1991, the industry has restructured itself into three tiers – Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3. Tier 1 comprises of major world players like Linde, AG, Praxair-India, INOX-Air Products & Air Liquide. Almost all of them opted for on-site captive plant route to gain economy of scale and low production cost. They invested in large tonnage plants using low-pressure technology. Gases division of Linde AG, entered India very late by taking over erstwhile BOC-India although its engineering wing had been in existence for many decades. Praxair,
USA entered the country by taking over a few small size companies but later grew in size by putting up on-site tonnage plants for captive users. Air-Products formed a JV with INOX-India known as INOX-Air Products. Air Liquide, started with its Engineering Division as a JV with BHPV but later, entered gas production domain by buying up a small company in north India, having a tonnage contract. Recently, Air-Water, Japan has entered the country by forming a JV with a medium-sized indigenous company. These are tier one companies. Tier 2 includes companies like Goyal Gases, Bombay Oxygen, etc. There are more than 140 other companies in the SME sector, which fall under Tier 3. The total turnover of all these companies is estimated to be around ` 62,000 million per annum or about USD 1.1 billion. The Indian Market Scenario Industrial gases worldwide grew at around 14 per cent in the decade up to 2014 of which Asia-Pacific was the fastest growing market, mainly due to shift of manufacturing base of the world to this area. India is the 10 th largest economy in the world in nominal terms but it is the third largest economy in terms of PPP. The global industry size was USD 63 billion in 2008. With an expected CAGR of 5 per cent, the world industry size can be assumed to be USD 80 billion. India has more than 15 per cent of the world’s population. If it achieves its rightful place, it should command at least 15 per cent of the total industrial gas market, or an annual turnover of around USD 12 billion. Chemical Engineering World
and profitability depends on the growth and profitability of user industries. Hyper competition amongst small manufacturers and over-capacity also remains a problem coupled with the lack of financial resources of smaller players for technology up-gradation.
CEW Features Since liberalisation, GDP growth rate had been varying from 6 to 8 per cent per annum. It is estimated that the industrial gas market grew between 12-18 per cent per annum during that period. With the recent deceleration in growth, the industrial gases growth has come down to around 8 to 9 per cent. But, with the new government in place and with its attention on infrastructural development to push economic growth, the industrial gases growth is likely to go back to a double digit figure in near future. Industrial gas is required in every segment of manufacturing sector. With the development of integrated steel plants all over the country, there was a spurt in on-site tonnage plants and this had given a big push to industrial gases sales in terms of availability of low-cost surplus gas from captive plants. This trend is likely to continue. Medical sector had also been growing at around 18 per cent per annum. With the push towards medical service expected in rural sector, the medical gases demand may go up. If the new government gives a push towards infrastructure and clear pending projects like POSCO, Arcelor-Mittal, Jindal Steel, etc, these and their downstream industries would increase the demand for industrial gases further. The key driver for industrial gases growth will lie on the knowledge of the application development and application of gases in non-traditional areas like space research, food preservation and distribution, agriprocessing, etc. This paper looks at the challenges and opportunities associated with the industry and growth potential of industrial gases - both gaseous and liquid for industrial applications and future scope for non-traditional applications. Challenges Faced by the Industry There are a number of challenges being faced by the industry. Electricity is the main input to ASU gases industry. Yet the quality and cost of power remains a problem. The second issue is the length and breadth of the country. The distribution cost, 30 • February 2015
Challenges Faced by the Industry
Electricity
• Electricity is the main input to ASU gases industry • The quality and cost of power remains a problem
Length/breadth of Country
• The distribution cost, particularly for cylinder gases is high • It is not cost effective to serve long distances from a mother location
Safety
• Both high pressure cylinders and liquid tanks have safety issues and need skilled manpower for which there is a scarcity as there no established centres for providing skills
Opportunities Industrialgases Gasesisthrough particularly forofcylinder high. ItApplications is waterDevelopment and in coal gasification systems.
not cost-effective to serve long distances
It can also be used as a replacement of
Oxygen: Oxygen is required in steel melting, fabrication, copper smelting, medical applications, etc. paper oxygen and pulp to of fromuse a mother location. problem The of oxygen improvesThe thethird thermal efficiencychlorine of fuel. Asina result, is usedindustry as a method reduce pollution. is safety. Both high pressure cylinders better energy production from available fuel. Oxygenation in different furnaces including those for steel, copper,tanks cement production, etc will and improve efficiency in energy generation. Similarly, oxygen and liquid have safety issues can be used for hazardous waste clean-up, pollution treatment of water & in material coal gasification Nitrogen is an inert and need skilled manpower for which there is a Nitrogen: systems. It can also be used as a replacement ofis chlorine in paper and pulp industry to reduce used in heat-treatment to create a neutral scarcity as there no established centres for pollution.
providing skills. Yet another problem is atmosphere. It is also used for the removal of from contaminated minestohaving methane Nitrogen: is an product inert material and isairused in heat-treatment create a neutral that it is Nitrogen a consumable and not to avoid occurrence of fire. Huge quantities atmosphere. It is also used for the removal of air from contaminated mines having methane to avoid a stand-alone finished product. Being a nitrogen usedfurnaces in blastand furnaces occurrence of fire. Huge quantities of nitrogenofare used inareblast other and furnace derived demand, its growth and profitability applications to make use of its neutral properties. other It is also used applications as a source oftonitrogenous furnace make use offertiliser its depends on the growth and profitability of from Ammonia which is obtained from the synthesis of nitrogen with hydrogen. Ammonia is also the neutral properties. It is also used as a source user industries. starting point of chemicals like nitric acid, hydrazine and amines. Liquid nitrogen is used for of nitrogenous fertiliser from ammonia which cryogenic applications to take advantage of its low temperature properties in many applications like is obtained from the synthesis of nitrogen solvent tires, food Hyper extraction, competitionrecycling amongst small and pharmaceutical industry, hospitals, artificial with hydrogen. Ammonia is also the starting insemination, enhanced oil recovery etc. manufacturers and over-capacity also point of chemicals like nitric acid, hydrazine remainsArgon a problem coupled withgas'. the Itlack of not and Argon: is known as 'Noble does mix with oxygen and isnitrogen used in stainless amines. Liquid is usedand foralloy financial resources of smaller players for cryogenic applications to take advantage technology up-gradation. of its low temperature properties in many applications like solvent extraction, recycling Opportunities for Industrial Gases tires, food and pharmaceutical industry, through Applications Development hospitals, artificial insemination, enhanced Oxygen: Oxygen is required in steel oil recovery etc. melting, fabrication, copper smelting, medical applications, etc. The use of Argon: Argon is known as ‘Noble gas’. oxygen improves the thermal efficiency It does not mix with oxygen and is used of fuel. As a result, oxygen is used as a in stainless and alloy steel production, method of better energy production from MIG and TIG method of welding. Argon available fuel. Oxygenation in different is also used in light bulbs for creating an furnaces including those for steel, copper, inert atmosphere to increase the life of cement production, etc will improve tungsten filaments. efficiency in energy generation. Similarly, oxygen can be used for hazardous Acetylene: This is a gas made from waste clean-up, pollution treatment of calcium carbide, whose production needs Chemical Engineering World
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CEW Features a lot of electricity. Acetylene is mainly used for cutting mild steel and welding. Of course, carbide sludge from acetylene production being a pollutant, acetylene may be slowly replaced by LPG. Hydrogen: Hydrogen is presently made by the electrolysis of water and its production consumes a lot of energy. In spite of this handicap, it is used for the manufacture of edible oil fats like margarine from vegetable oils. Hydrogen is used to create a reducing atmosphere in heat-treatment furnaces. It is also needed for the manufacture of silicon chips. Liquid hydrogen is used as fuel in space shuttles. With the availability of hydrogen as a by-product from some chemical processes, its use has been growing. Many consider hydrogen as a future source of energy. Hydrogen is also used to remove sulphur from sour crude oil which is gaining ground because of emphasis on environmental protection. Carbon Dioxide: Carbon Dioxide is mainly used in food industry for carbonating beer, soft drinks, etc. Liquid carbon dioxide is used as a refrigerant in food industry. Carbon dioxide gas is used as a de-oxidant/insecticide for food preservation, foundry applications and firefighting. Solid and liquid carbon-dioxide is used in many cryogenic applications, as in blood storage. Helium: This is a very light gas and is nobler than Argon. It is used in deep sea diving, balloons and many other applications including high quality electric welding and leak detection. Liquid Helium is used in MRIs at hospitals for its supra-conductive characteristics. Electronic Gases: Some of these are elemental gases of extremely high purity with impurities in Parts Per Million (PPM)/ Per Billion (PPB) range. Some of the gases like Silane, Diborane, SF6, etc. are toxic and are not available in the country. This can be a good area for new product development. Nitrous Oxide: Obtained from the fractionation of Ammonium Nitrate, it is used as an anesthetic agent. 32 • February 2015
Speciality Gases and Gas Mixtures: Dopant gases like Arsine and Diborane are toxic gases and are used in semiconductor industry. Another gas, Silane, is used in solar photo-voltaic cells and semiconductor industry. These are hazardous gases. High purity gases with impurities in PPM and PPB range are also used in space research. Gas mixtures are used for calibration and research purpose. Some gases and mixtures find application in high-tech areas like submarine and battle tank manufacturing. Future Scenario We believe that the application of industrial gases will grow in all areas of manufacturing industry. Products like CNG, LNG and LCNG should join the portfolio since the nature of these products are similar. Shale gas is yet another area for growth of the industry. We think the country has challenges from 3Es, namely Energy, Environment and Eatables. These areas need a helping hand from the industrial gas industry to solve their problems. Energy: With the depletion of fossil fuel, there will be a need for energy conservation and efficient usage of existing fuel. Oxygen will play a dominant role here through oxygen enrichment. There may be a thrust towards production of steel using iron ore fines with direct reduction using oxygen and hydrogen to replace integrated steel production. Hydrogen and hybrid hydrogen like HCNG are likely to emerge as alternative clean fuels of the future. Environment: With societal clamour for clean environment, there will be stress on using oxygen in effluent treatment and hydrogen to remove sulphur from sour crude oil because of more and more stringent EPA norms. Eatables: With population growth and reduced productivity of used soil, there will be a shortage of food in India. Moreover, there is a tremendous wastage of food both because of loss during distribution and also due to cyclical availability of food products. About 25 to 30 per cent of food products are wasted which can be assisted by cold chain and use of gases like
Nitrogen and CO 2 for food preservation. Even export quality of frozen foods can be improved by cryogenic processes. Thus, use of liquid nitrogen, liquid carbon-dioxide, etc. will get a quantum jump. Three other areas where the industrial gas industry can play a meaningful part are: 1. Collaboration with the Defence sector to improve Manufacturing Excellence to make ‘Make In India’ programme of the Prime Minister a success. 2. Collaborative research through the Industrial Gases Association (AIIGMA) for developing technology relevant to Indian conditions in the areas of Production, Application and Distribution to reduce cost and increase the market size. 3. Collaboration of AIIGMA with NSDC for skill development so as to make skilled manpower available to improve quality, reduce cost and increase the employment potential. Conclusion Industrial gas is an important sector to contribute to a country’s progress. It appears to grow at double the rate of GDP. With the sophistication of economy, the usage of nitrogen and argon grow faster than that of oxygen. India is still in Oxygen era. With industrial sophistication, future growth may come from nitrogen and argon. With depletion of fossil fuel, application of hydrogen as an energy source might gain importance. Of course, application of oxygen for energy conservation and environmental protection and application of nitrogen for food preservation remains as immediate opportunities. The use of hydrogen for desulphurisation of sour crude oil might take the industry to greater heights. Simultaneously, LNG, CNG, LCNG and Shale Gas could be future product areas to grow. We believe that the industry will grow tremendously through traditional and non-traditional applications. Chemical Engineering World
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CEW Features Guest Column
Specialty Gases in India â&#x20AC;&#x201C; An Overview According to N Madhavan, specialty gases market in India will increase in the next decade. He however highlights some of the issue that need to be addressed by the manufacturers and the regulatory authorities. The following articles throw light on the market and talks about the growth drivers for the industry. The author believes that the innovation and technological developments in the manufacturing industry in general and in specialty gases is expected to add to the industry growth as a whole.
S
pecialty gases can be described as a group of rare gases and ultra-high purity gases and their mixtures. It includes all the gases which are used in specialised applications, different types of specialty gases such as high purity gases, noble gases, hydrocarbon gases, halogen gases, and other specialty gases and the gas mixtures prepared from these gases that have unique properties and thus benefit many industries including analytical, automotive, electronics, fertilisers, food processing, fruit ripening, health care, lighting, metallurgical, oil and natural gas exploration, extraction and refining, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, power generation, steel, stainless steel and noble metal fabrication etc, research institutions including atomic and nuclear research, defence research, aerospace research etc, ultimately helping them to lower costs, improve yields, and optimise performance. This specialty gases market did exist in India prior to early seventies but the demand was very low in specific industries and research institutions. The entire demand was met by imports till around 1975. Since then a few from this group of products were manufactured and marketed in the country in small volumes. The demand growth was moderate in the first decade but spurred by the indigenous availability, the growth rate in demand started increasing rapidly. Early nineties saw
34 â&#x20AC;˘ February 2015
the economic liberalisation resulted in huge investments into manufacturing in steel, automotive, power generation, petroleum and petrochemicals and other industries. Naturally this resulted in increasing demand for specialty gases and gas mixtures. Much of this growth is due to a strong demand in its key applications like manufacturing (lighting, laser, petrochemicals, etc.), electronics (semiconductor devices, flat panel display, etc.), healthcare, academics (analytical), calibration of instruments, environment monitoring and automotive industry. The approximate total demand for this group of products can be said to be in the region of ` 60 - 70 crores (USD 10 to 12 Million), today. Analytical and measuring techniques have improved from wet chemical analytical techniques to volumetric analytical methods using direct reading analysers and comparators like gas chromatographs and spectrophotometers to gravimetric measurements. Cylinder cleaning and preconditioning techniques have also improved considerably in this period of 30 to 35 years resulting in availability of
reference standard mixtures having certified components with concentrations in Part Per Million and Part Per Billion (PPM & PPB) level with greater stability periods. Many manufacturers have the capability to prepare the reference standard mixtures with traceability to NPL or NIST standards. These reference standards are a must for the growing field of automotive industry, environment analyses, control and protection. While the basic gases like argon, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen in ultra high purity grades are being manufactured in the country today by many organisations, the manufacturing capacity for many other gases like hydrocarbon gases, carbon monoxide, etc. in pure and compressed form are still very limited or nil. While there are many manufacturers for the indigenously available gases and gas mixtures, the methods, the specifications etc vary from one to the other. Hence the users and consumers find it difficult to compare the various available products to have an optimum choice. Another area, where manufacturers of specialty gases in India are behind global manufacturers are not being able
This specialty gases market did exist in India prior to early seventies but the demand was very low in specific industries and research institutions. The entire demand was met by imports till around 1975. Since then a few of this group of products were manufactured and marketed in the country in small volumes. Chemical Engineering World
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CEW Features to use light weight aluminium cylinders of larger capacities. Aluminium cylinders are the cylinder of choice in this product segment globally, for the reason that they can retain the very low level concentrations of components (in PPM and PPB level) for a much longer time than conventional carbon steel cylinders. Coupled with their light weight, aluminium cylinders are the optimum choice for all specialty gases, UHP gases and traceable reference standards. The normally used 47 to 50 litre water capacity aluminium cylinders are yet to be permitted in India by regulatory authorities. Currently most of industrial and specialty gases are filled India to a pressure of approximately 140 to 150 bars, whereas globally, the manufacturers have moved on to higher filling pressures like 200 to 300 bars. While such cylinders are now manufactured and available in the country, large scale development of cylinder valves and delivery systems compatible to such cylinders with higher filling pressures need to be addressed.
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Most of the gases and gas mixtures are compressed gases bottled in high pressure cylinder and delivered to the users. As a necessary attachment, these users require safe and compatible delivery systems and mechanisms for using the product. Since, all the products are of high purity, integrity and quality, these delivery systems also need to be of very high integrity and non contaminating type. Many of the gases and gas mixtures are also explosive and toxic in nature. Hence, the delivery systems also need to be safe in usage. Thus, it becomes the responsibility of the major manufacturers of specialty gases to develop themselves or extend maximum help to the manufacturers of the delivery systems. It is now time for these manufacturers and the regulatory authorities to find a common forum to resolve these issues for the overall development of the industry. The Indian market is expected to grow significantly in the next decade boosted by growing healthcare sector, increasing awareness of the need for a regulatory mechanisms for environment and pollution monitoring, continuously growing power generation and automotive industry and increased demand for photovoltaic cells and plasma display panels. Innovation and technological developments in the manufacturing industry in general and in specialty gases is expected to add to the industry growth.
(The
author
is
a
Consultant.
He
can
be
contacted
at
nmchari@gmail.com) 36 • February 2015
Chemical Engineering World
Features CEW Case Study
Cooling Water Technology for Fresh Water This case study highlights how 3D TRASAR Cooling Water Technology helped troubleshoot system low conductivity and improved cycle of concentration which saved more than 144,000 m 3 of precious fresh water for a global Air Separation Company in India.
A
global air separation company has installed capacity of 2,550 TPD plant to supply the Oxygen, Nitrogen and Argon gas to a major local steel manufacturer.
The cooling tower has a system volume of 1,960 m 3 with a recirculating rate of 6,075 m 3 /hour, while the cooling water is used mainly to cool the compressed air coming from the MAC (Main Air Compressor) and BAC (Booster Air Compressor), respectively. The plant was commissioned in January 2012, and it was observed during the start-up that the residual product ppm level was not well maintained in the specific boundary limit. Nalco has conducted an onsite investigation to find the plausible causes for such an anomaly. The COC (Cycle of Concentration) of the system was designed to operate at 4 to 5 cycles while the system prevented the COC from increasing above a maximum value of 3 (Average 2.8 cycles).
decreasing conductivity value trend. The chemical reserve could not be maintained because of water losses. See Figure 2. Low Conductivity Alarm: Low conductivity alarms were sent through web connectivity (monitored by the Nalco 360 Service team) to the Nalco team and triggered further site investigation in identifying the source of water losses. The water losses occurred through overflow or through Side Stream Filter (SSF) backwashing with the following
identified root causes: • SSF backwash line was taken from the cooling tower • Backwash frequency was timer based and backwash interval was automated at a frequency of 24 hours • Overflow line was lower in cell number 2 of cooling tower compared to the rest of the overflow lines of the other three cells. 3D TRASAR technology was logging other low conductivity incident alarms, which were sent out to the Nalco
Figure 1: COC decreasing trend for the cooling water system
Solutions A 3D TRASAR system was installed for real time online data logging, monitoring, and control capabilities in order to understand system conditions and fluctuations 24/7 and adjust the water treatment regime accordingly. In addition, Nalco 360 Service for system performance monitoring also provides 24/7 monitoring, alarm notification, and timely rectification by trained a group of Nalco experts. Low Cycle Reflection on Nalco’s 3D TRASAR Data Analysis: The 3D TRASAR data analysis revealed a Chemical Engineering World
Figure 2: Conductivity decreasing trend for the cooling water system
February 2015 • 37
CEW Features Water Saving Calculation Parameters
UOM
Water Loss Before
Water Loss After
System Volume
M3
1,960
1,960
6,075
6,075
7
7
E v a p o r a t i o n M /Hour Loss
65.06325
65.06325
COC Value
Recirculating M 3/Hour Rate Delta Temp.
0
C 3
Figure 3: COC recovering trend after Nalco’s action plan
2.7
4
Water Loss Calculation
M 3/Hour
38.27
21.69
Total Water Loss
M 3/Hour
103.34
86.75
Water Savings due to COC improvement
M 3/Hour
16.58
Annual Operating hours
Hour/year
8640
Annual Water savings
M3
143,292
Unit Cost of Clarified water
US$/ M 3
0.0161
Annual savings
US$/Year
20,800
Table 1: Conductivity low alarms logged and sent from the 3D TRASAR unit
Table 2: Calculated savings
representative to ensure the system was brought back to normal conditions in the shortest possible time.
Conclusion Nalco 3D TRASAR Technology coupled with Nalco 360 Service, and on-site expertise helped the client identify root cause of water losses to achieve the desired system cycle operating condition and saved on precious fresh water.
A few events are given for reference in Table 1 above. Nalco has recommended the following modifications to address the water losses: • A staggering of the timer-based auto backwashing system was extended from 24 hours to 40 hours without any effect on asset reliability • The overflow line required to be modified as suggested by Nalco Results The COC has increased from average 2.8 cycles to 4 cycles, saving more than 140,000 m3 of precious fresh water per year, reducing annual total cost of operation by USD 20,800. Figure 3 shows the upwards trend of the COC value after 3D TRASAR technology identification of water losses and implementation of recommended improvement plan to rectify the system condition. 38 • February 2015
Author’s Details: Joydev Ghorai Territory Manager - WPS Heavy Tel: +91 20 3939 4000 Web: www.nalco.com Chemical Engineering World
Features CEW Technical Article
Enhancing Productivity of Plant in Manifold While advances in sensors, wireless, predictive technologies and automation have significantly changed the way refineries operate today, the complexity in refinery operations continues to increase with refiners adding units to provide flexibility in processing opportunity crudes, and relying on crude blending to give the right feedstock properties to best utilise the refinery design coupled with complying with new and existing government regulations. The article explains smart refinery solutions that could enhance improvements to energy efficiency, safety, health and environmental issues, value addition, cost control, mass and energy balance and overall energy conservation of a refinery.
W
hen managing a complex and dynamic operation like an oil refinery, having the predictability to minimise unplanned shutdowns and slowdowns is critical to safe, reliable and profitable operations. Having the visibility and insight to ‘be alerted and take timely corrective action’ is the characteristic of a world-class operation. It means being more informed and smarter about each decision made and action taken. In reality, ‘smart’ technologies have been around the refining industry for a couple of decades. In fact, process automation, control and monitoring technologies get smarter every year. But are they actually improving refinery business? Are they helping address the impending skilled workforce crisis all industries are facing? Are they helping provide flexibility to change production strategies to profit from opportunity crude oils? Are they giving confidence to operate the refinery at rated capacities while ensuring safe operating conditions? Access to subject matter experts whether onsite or remotely? Technology enables your staff the ability to operate reliably, safely, and profitably. What is referred to as the ‘Smart Refinery’. The complexity in refinery operations continues to increase with refiners adding units to provide flexibility in processing opportunity crudes, and relying on crude blending to give the right feedstock properties to best utilise the refinery design. Product specifications have simultaneously become more
Chemical Engineering World
geographically complicated and restrictive. Regional and local fuel specifications including the use of biofuels often lead to multiple product blending steps and transport restrictions. In addition, refiners require special processing for their unique needs in asphalts and lubricating oils. Complying with new and existing government regulations is demanding on resources. Now, more than ever, efficiency and consistent productivity are required to stay viable in a commodity based market with far-reaching boundaries for competitors. Advances in automation are enabling refiners to achieve these efficiencies and improve the overall performance of their plants - decreasing costs and increasing profits. The cost and size of computing elements, the continuing increase in communication bandwidths, advances in software and mathematical analyses and better modeling capabilities have provided new optimising tools for increasingly reliable refining operations. This is not just a vision of the future; it is today’s reality for top quartile performers. Many new developments such as improved process sensors and measurement devices are being applied. The era of the ‘smart refinery’ is today. How is the smart refinery different? In a very important way, it is not. The operating
objectives for the refinery still include Maintaining safe operations, Enhancing environmental stewardship, Sustaining high equipment availability and reliability, Maximising plant and product value through efficient and optimised operation and Ensuring refinery staff maintain required skills and stay updated with changing technology. Advances in automation technology including the implementation of pervasive sensing to bring process and asset condition data to both operations and maintenance enable new and better ways to integrate work processes and improve the timeliness and accuracy of decisions. Significant improvements in plant performance are possible when the right expertise is applied at the right time; when personnel have the information they need to make quality decisions quickly, and when they have access to specialised supplemental expertise when they need it. Most processing facilities are balancing the needs for safety, quality, profit, environmental compliance, and reliability against the challenge of applying the right knowledge across organisational and geographic boundaries while simultaneously reducing costs. Therefore, many companies are taking advantage of technologies such as virtualisation,
Advances in automation technology including the implementation of pervasive sensing to bring process and asset condition data to both operations and maintenance enable new and better ways to integrate work processes and improve the timeliness and accuracy of decisions. February 2015 • 39
CEW Features remote monitoring, enhanced KPIs and dashboards, co-location of personnel, control room consolidation, etc. For example, a US West Coast refiner implemented wireless vibration sensors on essential pumps to monitor asset health (to improve production availability) where a wired solution was not cost effective. Similarly, a US Gulf Coast refiner showed sustained 50 per cent reduction in reliability risk (increased availability) by incorporating a smart refinery technology enabling refining staff the ability to effectively use additional information. It should be stated that technology alone is not the solution – staff need to be trained on how to use the new information. The new smart refinery will complement the console operator, control engineer and maintenance technician, improving their efficiency and decision-making with timely, actionable information. With any new technology, ease of use and ease of integration with existing operations are key factors. For example, Emerson Process Management carefully considers the effects of smart refinery technologies, not only on present staff, but also on successfully transferring critical knowledge to younger operators as a significant number of older, experienced operators retire.
assets, particularly automation assets. Investments in smart refinery technology often provide some of the highest economic paybacks of any possible investments, and these expected returns can be determined in advance and demonstrated after implementation. Both new and existing plants can get quick return on investment and sustainable value by investing in smart refinery technology. New plants can easily take advantage of state-of-theart technology and processes right from initial startup, but existing plants can also benefit. Existing refiners can start small and gain experience by implementing upgrade programmes at a measured pace that can be self-funding with benefits from early installations paying for the later stages. Smart refinery operators now have the opportunity to leverage these investments to enhance the safety, reliability, productivity and profitability. Increasing regulatory requirements, refinery complexity and demands for higher quality continue to place higher economic demands on refineries while reducing operational margins. The new smart refinery can offset these barriers. Technology enables and enhances this smart refinery. For example, wireless technology extends sensor reach, enabling smart refinery operators to monitor areas of the plant that were previously
inaccessible due to location or significant wiring installation costs. Because of automation, the smart refinery has the ability to predict maintenance issues, alert and take timely action to prevent failures and greatly improve plant and process reliability. Not only does this translate into more efficient operation, higher product quality and reduced maintenance costs, it also means that the smart refinery has improved and increased uptime, which adds dollars to both the top and bottom lines. Smart refining offers more than just leveraging state-of-the-art technology. Evolving developments are leading to new methods and procedures for plant operation; increased monitoring capabilities that continually check the pulse of the refinery; advanced modeling and analytics that compare refinery production against expectations; earlier detection of abnormal conditions or imminent failure; and tools that can plan future operation with increased confidence. These technology developments enable significant changes in the way refineries operate. Most refineries were originally constructed with the minimal amount of instrumentation required to operate the plant. What we see in the future is more use of collaborative software tools, and standards-based
The continuing evolution in digital computing and communication capabilities – and the application of these technologies – has led to fundamental differences in the way refineries operate and will continue to change the way they operate in the future. However, staff needs to be trained to use the technology effectively to capture the benefits of new information. Improvements in information and processes in place to utilise the information can be worth millions of dollars a year, and competitive cost advantage. In today’s economic environment, management demands that new investments provide low risk and expected rate of return on both new and existing 40 • February 2015
Chemical Engineering World
Features CEW software and hardware to reduce ongoing support costs. The operating systems of the future will process, store and analyse much more data and information, including many more sensors in primary and secondary locations and a wider range of live video and spectral data. This data will be analysed and displayed as information to be acted on in a timely manner. The technologies that are being put into the marketplace today are only the stepping stones to that future. Another smart refinery trend is toward increasing levels of remote operation. Individual refineries can be geographically dispersed. Control rooms can be many miles from the physical units. Complete information on the state of the plant can be communicated to the remote control room. Fully reliable automated plant startup and shutdown systems enable safe remote operations. Today, major sites operate across hundreds of miles. In the future, smart refineries will continue this trend, placing greater demands on reliable automation and communication. Fortunately, the automation developments that support these remote operations have kept pace. While smart sensors, wireless, predictive technologies and automation continue to make the smart refinery even smarter, these enablers do not replace the power of the human decision-making process, nor the accompanying responsibilities. Technology must be used, not only to make the smart refinery more productive and more profitable, but to make it safer as well. Smart refinery operators have the opportunity to deploy these technologies to ensure the safety of their personnel, communities and the environment, while enhancing the productivity and prosperity of the enterprise. It takes a dedicated and deliberate level of commitment and vision on the part of refinery owners and operators to leverage this smart enabling technology to allow it to transform their facilities into safe and profitable smart refineries. Emerson has taken a leading role in providing smart refinery solutions, including improvements to energy efficiency, safety, health and environmental issues, value addition, cost control, mass and energy balance and overall energy conservation.
Authorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Details:
Tim Olsen Refining Consultant Emerson Process Management Email: tim.olsen@emerson.com Chemical Engineering World
February 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ 41
CEW Features Forward Focus
Advancement in Internal Field Joint Coating Systems
K B Singh Consultant – Coatings and CP Seal for Life India Pvt Ltd Part of Berry Plastics Engineered Division, USA
I
n the past, mitigating internal corrosion of carbon steel pipelines was essentially impossible. The internal lining of carbon steel pipes could be accomplished at pipe coating mills but as the pipeline was welded – onshore or offshore, the welding of the pipe joints typically caused significant damage to the internal coating as well as creating significant corrosion cells in the heat effected zone of the unprotected internal girth weld area. For obvious reasons, it was deemed uneconomical to coat the internal portions of the pipe despite knowing that corrosion would ultimately occur internally. In case of critical lines, the only choice the owners had were to lay pipelines with higher quality alloy steels such as duplex steel or to use clad lined carbon steel pipelines - both the options being extremely expensive. Innovations in internal coatings – fusion bond or liquid epoxies and application technologies coupled with innovations in internal girth weld technologies have enabled the owners to design and successfully lay internally coated
42 • February 2015
For water injection or multiphase oil and gas pipelines, internal corrosion is a dominant factor contributing to failures and leaks in pipelines. Pitting corrosion along the bottom of the pipeline is the primary corrosion mechanism leading to failures in uncoated carbon steel pipelines. The pitting corrosion occurs due to presence of different elements in the water ie, O 2 , CO 2 , H 2 S, bacteria, chlorides, scale, or suspended solids. This paper - Advancement in Internal Field Joint Coating Systems for Off-shore and On-shore Pipelines by K B Singh, Consultant – Coatings and CP, Seal for Life India Pvt Ltd, Part of Berry Plastics Engineered Division, USA, explains about the types of internal coatings and highlights crucial elements associated with it. The article also talks about the innovative technology Cylindrical Corrosion Barrier Sleeves for preventing corrosion at the internal field welds.
carbon steel pipelines both off-shore and on-shore. Internal epoxy lining are of two types: - Liquid Epoxy Coatings - Fusion Bond Epoxy Coatings Liquid Epoxy Coatings: For internal lining of pipelines carrying water or other corrosive fluids, Liquid Epoxy Coatings is used. Here two components are crucial solventless high build epoxies comprising of resin and hardener mixed in a volumetric proportion as recommended by the manufacturer and sprayed on to the internal surface of the pipeline. The Liquid Epoxy Coatings are generally made through the reaction of phenols with acetone or formaldehyde. Those reactants are then further reacted with epichlorohydrin. The resultant materials are diglycidyl ethers of what are called bisphenol A epoxies, bisphenol F epoxies, or phenolic novolac epoxies. These resins are then cross-linked via polymerisation reactions with various curing agents or
blends of curing agents (Hardeners). During application of the Liquid Epoxy Coating – Part A resin, which has a high viscosity and specific gravity, is heated to a temperature of 80~900C and is then mixed with the Part B hardener in a mixing manifold of the spray machine and sprayed at high pressure of 4000~5000 psi through special designed spray guns. The mixed epoxy in atomised form gets deposited on the internal surface of the pipe and goes through a curing cycle – gel, touch to dry and hard dry, fully cured. The curing time of the epoxy – touch to dry can vary from 20 minutes to 2 hours depending on the make or mixing ratio or environmental conditions. Full curing of the liquid epoxy could vary from 2 days to 7 days again depending on the conditions mentioned above. In one single spray, maximum thickness of the wet epoxy which can be sprayed, varies from 400~1000 micron (depending on the formulation of the epoxy). Fusion Bonded Epoxy Coatings: Commonly referred to as FBE Coating, these are epoxy-based powder coating
Chemical Engineering World
Features CEW FBE coatings are durable and provide twice the impact strength of liquid epoxies. The surface provides high abrasion resistance and resists high temperature and is resilient to meet the requirements of laying or field bending without cracking. systems that are widely used to protect internal surfaces of steel pipes used in oil and gas fields for various applications – raw water, high temperature or high pressure injection water, formation water, down hole tubing, piping connections, valves, etc. from corrosion. FBE coatings are thermoset polymer coatings. The name fusion-bond epoxy is due to resin cross-linking and the application method is different from Liquid Epoxy Coating. The resin and hardener components are combined in a dry powder form and remain un-reacted at normal storage conditions. At typical coating application temperatures, usually in the range of 180 to 250 0C (356 to 482 0F), the contents of the powder melt and transform to a liquid form. The liquid FBE film wets and flows onto the steel surface on which it is applied, and soon becomes a solid coating by chemical cross-linking, assisted by heat. This process is known as ‘fusion bonding’. The chemical cross-linking reaction taking place in this case is irreversible. Once the curing takes place, the coating cannot be returned to its original form by any means. Application of further heating will not ‘melt’ the coating and thus it is known as a ‘thermoset’ coating. FBE coatings are applied in an automated one-part process so that the mixing, and multiple-coat problems associated with liquid epoxy coatings are eliminated. The electrostatic application process for FBE provides a smooth, even coating thickness with no runs, sags, or thin spots common with applying liquid epoxy coatings. The application of FBE powder involves spraying electro-statically charged powder on a primed or un-primed heated steel surface followed by post cure. FBE depending on the pipe or fittings
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to be coated can also be applied either by fluidised bed or flocking (air spray) followed by post curing. FBE coatings are durable and provide twice the impact strength of liquid epoxies. The surface provides high abrasion resistance and resists high temperature and is resilient to meet the requirements of laying or field bending without cracking. FBE has a long-term performance history in water and sewage environments including salt water, slurries, methane and hydrogen sulfide exposure. The applied thickness of FBE coating is generally – 350 microns. However, in case of high TDS and probability of sand particles being present in the water, thickness recommended is between 500 to 600 microns. For the above thickness, FBE powder has flexibility > 1.50 and resists any cracking during transportation, laying, cold bending or hydro-testing. Selection of Internal Coatings Internal coatings are selected based on series of AUTO CLAVE testing which simulate the harsh aggressive corrosive conditions in pipeline carrying high temperature or high pressure injection water or formation water and crude oil with high water content. The autoclave test consists of placing coated panels in a small pressure vessel (autoclave) in which oil field conditions are simulated with respect to fluid, temperature and pressure. The coatings, applied to test panels at ambient temperature, are then exposed to the simulated process conditions for a period of time, after which the temperature and pressure are reduced back to ambient, noxious fluids are removed, and the coatings are inspected for performance – blistering and loss of adhesion.
Usage of Internal Coatings Pipeline manufactures with integrated coating facilities and standalone coating companies in India and Middle East are now equipped for internal coating of carbon steel pipelines for internal corrosion control either with Liquid or Fusion Bond Epoxies; selection being based on the type of fluid in the pipeline and other technical requirements. The internal coatings can be done for pipe diameter ranging from 4” to 120”. In Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, etc for oil and gas onshore or offshore – water injection pipelines, sea water intake raw water pipelines, multiphase gas and oil, inter-field flow lines coated with FBE are being used for the last 15 years. In India, for oil and gas off-shore pipelines, ONGC India Ltd, has already laid three – offshore water injection pipelines – internally coated with liquid epoxy in the last two years. Oil and gas exploration companies in India are also planning to use internally coated FBE pipelines for internal corrosion control. Internal Field Weld Joint Coating The most critical section of an internally coated pipeline is the internal field joint. Proper coating or isolation of this section is essential to prevent corrosion and maintain integrity of the pipeline. There are two technologies which have evolved over the years: Robotic Internal Field Joint Coating: The internal coating equipment consists of self-contained robots that travel inside the pipe, find the weld and then blast clean, vacuum and coat the area. Utilising various cameras, these field joint coating robots transmit a real-time video image back to the operator, which is then used for control and inspection. Welding operations must produce an internal weld profile that can be coated.
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CEW Features Poor welding procedure and quality can result in damage to the parent pipe coating and a weld profile that is un-coatable. The welding operations shall be carried out in accordance with GMAW-RMD or GMAW-STT or GTAW. Whichever welding technique is used, the profile of the root run shall be spatter free, contain no sharp edges, no high/low caused by pipe ovality and the penetration shall not exceed 1.5mm. Shielded STT root pass is also very acceptable. It is vital that the weld bead be free of spatter, IP/EP, sharp edges, rust or other potential defects/anomalies that prevent the internal field joint and cutback from being coated per the client specification (NACE visual standard RP0178 [A, B and C]). Any deviations from this requirement will lead to slowed production and unnecessary delays in the project completion date. It is also highly recommended that the welding procedures include the use of an internal line-up clamp with well-maintained copper backing shoes that preclude penetration greater than 1.5mm and any weld spatter. If line-up clamps are used, they are to be fitted with non-metallic wheels and non-metallic shoes, and the operator’s handle and steel pull cables are to be suitably padded to avoid coating damage. Fitting a drip tray on the line-up clamp is recommended where excess lubricants may leak out. Excessive lubrication of the line-up clamp and any attached equipment, such as air motors, is to be avoided because any liquids on the weld area will be cause for rejection. Robotic equipment needs a minimum of 1.5o bend per inch of pipe diameter and can operate on any slope <12o . Robotic coating is a proprietary and complex operation and needs trained crew to be deployed at the site. Improper internal welding can render the robotic coating ineffective. Cylindrical Corrosion Barrier Sleeves (CCB®): Another innovative technology which is now being increasingly used for preventing
corrosion at the internal field welds is to use a cylindrical corrosion barrier at these locations. The cylindrical corrosion barrier comprises of a pup pipe section inserted in the internally coated pipe prior to welding. The 2nd internally coated pipe is then inserted over this pup pipe section and the pipes are welded over this pup piece. The pup pipe piece termed as cylindrical corrosion barrier is so designed that the internal welded section of internally coated pipelines are isolated from the corrosive fluid thereby preventing corrosion. The cylindrical corrosion barrier comprises of a pipe pup piece (also called as internal coupling) manufactured from same grade as the main pipe. The center portion of the internal coupling has a machined recess wherein a heat resistant fabric is installed followed by metal backing ring manufactured from A-109 grade of steel. The internal and external surface of the internal coupling is coated with FBE coating to meet the technical requirements of the corrosive fluid. On the external side of the internal coupling there are two outer rings affixed into the grooves machined around the outer circumference of the ends. The O-rings are manufactured with compounds especially designed to resist the process flow being transported in the pipeline. The length of the internal coupling is designed based on internal coating cut back of 25+/-5mm. When the above internal coupling is inserted in the coated pipe and the 2nd pipe has been positioned, the girth welding is carried out. Due to the heat resistant fabric, the heat generated during welding does not damage the internal FBE Coating of the pup piece. Due to the welding, the pup piece becomes an integral part of the pipeline. The O rings isolates the internal girth weld area in coming in contact with the corrosive fluid providing 100% ID coated pipeline. Further, this technology unlike the robotic technology does not require high precision of the welding and independent of the contour of the internal weld. This technology can be used either with internal liquid epoxy or FBE coated pipelines.
CCB® sleeves are designed to various pipeline systems as: • • • • • •
Injection and re-injection Crude oil gathering Highly corrosive gas piping Potable & Waste Water Jet Fuel transfer Fire Water & Salt Water piping
Advantages of the CCB® system are: • •
• •
• • • • •
• • •
Light weight and easy to install Attachment system acts as an internal line-up clamp while automatically setting weld gap Weld time is similar to welding noncoated pipe Creates a full penetration weld that can be 100% x-rayed per API & ASME specifications Easily inspected and cleaned with pig devices. Installs as normal welding process Protects the I.D. coating from damaging weld spatter during installation Isolates the girth weld area, providing a 100% I.D. coated pipeline Becomes a part of the finished pipeline providing permanent corrosion protection Available in standard sizes for pipe dia 2” to 42” No special crew required for installation. Proven technology for off-shore and on-shore pipelines.
Conclusion: CCB is a proven patented technology for preventing corrosion of internal girth welds. With the successful application of this technology, more such internally coated pipelines to prevent internal corrosion and subsequent catastrophic failures are being planned.
CEW Market Insights
Industrial Gases Market to Reach USD1.93 Billion by 2018
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ince the evolution of modern technologies in manufacturing, healthcare and other sectors, industrial gases have found extensive applications. From use of oxygen in cutting and welding technologies, to its use in assisted breathing in healthcare industry, industrial gases find widespread application that vary according to industry specific requirements. Industrial gases range from oxygen and nitrogen, which can be easily manufactured, to highly rare Xenon, which is difficult to extract. Industrial gases constitute different gases such as Oxygen, Nitrogen, Argon, Carbon Dioxide, Helium, Neon, Xenon, Krypton and others, however, Oxygen, Nitrogen and Argon are the most crucial gases. These three gases are used in engineering and fabrication industry, chemicals industry, healthcare industry, automobile industry, and allied sectors. (See Figure 1) Manufacturing Process Oxygen, Nitrogen and Argon constitute a major part of the atmospheric air. For extraction of these gases from air, two types of processes can be used – Cryogenic and Non-cryogenic. Cryogenic process uses an Atmospheric Separation Unit (ASU)
for separation of atmospheric air into oxygen, nitrogen and argon. The atmospheric air is first cooled to cryogenic temperatures so that it liquefies and then selective distillation is performed in a distillation column (often referred to as ‘cold box’). The components are separated during distillation according to their boiling point. A key advantage of the process is its capacity to yield high purity gases, which are used across industries. The other method of producing these gases is a non-cryogenic process, which uses Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) or Vapor Swing Adsorption (VSA). The process utilises an adsorbent to separate atmospheric air into individual components. However, it must be noted that using PSA/VSA technique only yields gaseous oxygen and nitrogen. Furthermore, the purity level is lower than that of a cryogenic ASU. Typically, oxygen is produced at a purity level of 93 per cent, while nitrogen with purity level of 95 to 99.5 per cent can be achieved using this process. Hence, portable oxygen and nitrogen generators are used for industries which require low purity grade as well as low consumption of these gases, such as portable nitrogen tyre inflators. Applications Industries such as manufacturing, engineering and fabrication, chemicals, pharmaceutical, healthcare, oil and gas, aerospace, food and beverages among others use these industrial gases. Oxygen, nitrogen and argon are extensively used across these sectors, wherein the application of a gas varies with chemical properties among different industries. For example, healthcare industry typically uses 95 per cent purity oxygen, while high purity oxygen is required for gas cutting application in engineering and fabrication industry, in order to achieve clean and high speed cut.
Figure 1
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In chemical and petrochemical industry, oxygen is primarily used in oxidation process because it acts as the basic raw material in oxidation process. It is also used for manufacturing a wide range of chemicals such as ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, synthesis gas, ethylene dichloride, hydrogen peroxide, nitric acid, vinyl chloride and others. High amount of oxygen is required during coal gasification process, wherein oxygen is used for production of synthesis gas, which is used as a chemical feedstock. During catalytic cracking regenerators, it is used for enriching feed air in order to enhance combustion. In refineries and petrochemical plants, it is used in sulfur recovery units as well to regenerate catalyst in various processes. Chemical Engineering World
Market Insights CEW Nitrogen is also an extensively used gas in chemical and petrochemical sector, wherein a key application exists in purging of tanks, pipelines and equipment in order to maintain an inert and protective environment. Nitrogen, being an inert gas, provides blanketing and inert atmosphere during production of chemicals. In view of its inert properties, nitrogen finds application in food and beverage industry during packaging so as to prevent oxidation of food products during shelf life. Liquid nitrogen is used for reactor cooling in pharmaceutical industry. Nitrogen in liquid form provides necessary refrigeration required in the industry.
ASU caters to the demand throughout the manufacturing cycle of the consumer. Steel producing units often prefer captive industrial gas plants due to large and continuous requirement of oxygen during manufacturing process.
Argon also finds applications in multiple industries. In metals and manufacturing, the gas is used to provide inert atmosphere during TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding. Plasma arc welding also uses argon for providing inert atmosphere during welding. During manufacturing of steel, argon is used in the process known as argon-oxygen decarburisation. The gas is used in some heat treating processes as well.
The industrial gases distribution model follows three modes of supply from producer to consumers. The first mode represents bulk industrial gas users, which are catered directly by the producer. The producer ships the required gas from its facility to consumer’s site often using liquid trailers, which are unloaded at consumer’s storage tanks. Using this model, the consumer enjoys cost benefits by procuring in bulk volumes, for example, on an average, oxygen could cost as low as ` 13 per cubic meter to bulk consumers. (See Figure 2)
Distribution Model Industrial gases market is divided into two business models – Captive and Merchant market. Within the captive business model, an on-site ASU is installed by industrial gas manufacturers on the consumer’s premises. This
In merchant business model, the industrial gases manufacturer installs and operates an ASU, near a demand center as per locational studies conducted by individual manufacturer. The gases so manufactured are distributed in the merchant market following various distribution models.
The second model involves a distributor between the buyer and producer. The distributor sells industrial gases to consumers using gas cylinders (often 7 or 10 cubic meter cylinders). These distributors (often called re-fillers) procure liquid gases in bulk volumes from manufacturers and fill cylinders using a filling station. The third model involves another distributor often located within the demand centers such as industrial areas or manufacturing clusters. These local distributors procure cylinders from re-fillers and distribute to end users. The price paid by the consumer in this model is high as compared to other distribution models. For example, average price of oxygen could be as high as INR23 per cubic meter.
Figure 2
Linde AG, Praxair, Inc, Inox Air Products Ltd, and Air Liquide are the leading players in India industrial gases market. As far as manufacturing capacity of industrial gases is concerned, Linde AG, Praxair, Inc and Inox Air Products are the leading players, in terms of manufacturing capacity in the country. India – A Huge Market for Industrial Gases “India industrial gases market is expected to grow at about 14 per cent CAGR through 2013-2018, reaching USD 1.93 billion by the end of 2018. Growth in industrial gases market in India is expected to be driven by increasing manufacturing base in the country.” said Karan Chechi, Research Director, TechSci Research, a research based global management consulting firm. (See Figure 3)
Figure 3
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Following the government of India’s ‘Make in India’ campaign, a vibrant business ecosystem is anticipated to be created in the country to boost manufacturing sector. According to a recent study conducted by CII (Confederation of Indian Industry), the contribution to GDP by MSME (Micro, Medium & Small) sector is February 2015 • 45
CEW Market Insights
Figure 4
anticipated to increase from the current 8 to 15 per cent in 2020. Steel making accounts for one of the prominent markets for oxygen in the country. According to IBEF, India is expected to become one of the largest manufacturers of steel by the end of 2015. In 2013-14, crude steel production in the country stood at 81.69 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT), and is expected to reach 117 MMT in 2020, according to the forecast by TechSci Research. With increasing crude steel production, demand for oxygen is anticipated to increase as well. With GOI’s ‘Make in India’ campaign, Indian economy is anticipated to experience uplift in manufacturing sector. With regard to industrial growth rate projections for the next five years, general manufacturing, which includes core manufacturing, engineering & fabrication is expected to represent highest compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16 per cent through 2015-20. Food industry is anticipated to follow with a CAGR of about 11 per cent, whereas chemical industry, not too far behind, is also anticipated to witness a CAGR of about 10 per cent during the same period. Healthcare industry is growing rapidly in India. According to Indian Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), healthcare industry is anticipated to reach USD 280 billion by 2020 from USD 79 billion in 2012 exhibiting a CAGR of 17 per cent in the intervening period. Hospitals, one of the key consumers of oxygen, constitute about 71 per cent of healthcare sector. Consequently, developments in this sector are expected to surge demand for oxygen over the next few years. (See Figure 4) According to forecast published by International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2014, India’s Real GDP is expected to reach USD 6.593 trillion by 2030. According to Moody’s, a US based financial services firm, India is expected to witness a growth rate of 7 per cent in 2016. With favorable government policies, such as allowing FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) in a number of industries, manufacturing sector in the country is anticipated to increase its contribution to GDP. Trends & Developments Across the Globe As per the latest trend, nitrogen has found a new application in Oil and Gas sector, wherein nitrogen is being used in hydraulic 46 • February 2015
Figure 5
fracturing. With hydraulic fracturing, shale rock (which has low permeability and porosity as compared to sandstone) is perforated using perforation guns, in order to allow hydrocarbon to flow through the wellhead. Nitrogen based fracturing includes four types of processes – energised, foam, straight gas (mists) and cryogenic liquid. Energised nitrogen fracturing uses fracturing fluid with nitrogen concentration of below 53 per cent by volume. Foam based nitrogen fracturing utilizes nitrogen concentration ranging from 53 to 95 per cent, whereas above 95 per cent concentration is considered a mist. Cryogenic nitrogen fracturing is also used but to a limited extent, as special equipment is used for liquid nitrogen, which adds to the cost. With easing crude oil prices, nitrogen utilisation is anticipated to increase over the next few years. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) demand in Asian countries has been rising over the past few years due to increasing natural gas demand in the region, which is anticipated to continue to increase during the next few years. Manufacturing industrial gases from LNG has been a key trend in the region, specifically in countries such as Japan, Korea and Taiwan. According to industry trends, using LNG’s cold energy for manufacturing industrial gases in cryogenic ASU significantly reduces cost of manufacturing. The cost is reduced as power consumption in an LNG integrated ASU is about 50 per cent less as compared to that of a standalone ASU. The first integrated LNG ASU in China was brought on stream in 2010. (See Figure 5) Conclusion With an improving economic outlook, demand for industrial gases in India is expected to increase over the next few years. Healthcare and manufacturing are likely to be the key sectors contributing to this demand. Increasing participation of foreign companies in Indian manufacturing sector is anticipated to bring technological advancements in the country. Emerging applications are also expected to evolve further with such developments, which is likely to contribute towards the demand of industrial gases in India. Courtesy: TechSci Research Chemical Engineering World
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Marketing Initiative
Shavo Group on Anvil for Robust Growth The Shavo Group has a diversified portfolio with a presence in various sectors. From being India's largest producer of compressed air processing equipment to being pioneers in the field of aerosol lubrication and bringing to India some of the most globally recognised products and solutions in energy absorption, gas management, static elimination, valves and fittings and air moving products, the company has indeed come a long way. Further, since its inception almost 54 years ago, the Shavo Group has always been associated with some of the choicest engineering manufacturers in the world. In this exclusive interview, the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Managing Director, Rushil Shah, elaborates about the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s product portfolio and plans for the future.
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hat led to the setting up of the Shavo Group? Our germination dates back to I960 when our founder and current Chairman, H K Shah, decided to depart from the family textile trading business of three generations. As India started to industrialise, he identified a growing need for fluid power solutions covering pneumatics and hydraulics. In I960, he signed a marketing and manufacturing joint venture with Norgren of USA for the manufacture of air filters, regulators and lubricators. Shavo Norgren, which subsequently started its manufacturing facility in Mumbai in 1968, went on to become India's largest producer of pneumatic FRLs. What are the different products that the company manufactures? Our early years were dedicated to manufacturing compressed air filters, regulators and lubricators but the past 20 years have seen us focus heavily on high-technology products in the areas of industrial lubrication and spraying, fluid control technology, energy absorption and static neutralisation. Post-liberalisation, we have seen steady growth as imports opened up and duties reduced. In the past decade, our annual growth has consistently exceeded 15 per cent annually.
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Which are the industrial sectors that these products find an application in? Interestingly, our product and solution portfolio is diversified leading us into a wide variety of industrial sectors such as steel, defense, aerospace, automotive, plastics, laboratories, R&D, infrastructure and many more. Our engineering equipment group deals with the more mechanical-based sectors and our fluid control group is focused on the process markets. While a diverse raw portfolio brings its own challenges as against complementing products, we believe this has served our group well over the years.
The company also represents foreign manufacturers. How does this add to the image and value of Shavo Group? Post 1996, our primary focus has been to represent foreign manufacturers, especially in high-technology niche products, cementing our position as a solution provider with deep technical know-how and a world-leading product portfolio. While we work in niche markets we have established ourselves as a company offering a very high level of technical support warranted from the products we offer, combined with our decades of application knowledge, thereby offering our customers excellent value.
How has the changing industrial scenario of the country helped the company? With the growth of foreign direct investment many international technology solutions and practices penetrated India, moving many sectors from lower technology to higher technology solutions. This change is something we had anticipated early on and built our capabilities around, thus allowing us to provide these solutions to a variety of customers, be it specialised aerosol lubrication, gas delivery systems for toxic gases, static neutralisation and generation, etc. Also, the industry's inclination towards automation with a focus on quality and safety in general has been a driving factor.
Could you elaborate about some of these associations? One of such innovation is with Tescom, now an Emerson-owned company and a recognised leader in the manufacture of high-pressure regulators from vacuum to 30,000 psig. Tescom products are designed to work with all types of fluid media, both corrosive and non-corrosive. It manufactures over 70 standard models with several thousand modifications to meet almost any application. Then there is Meech, which has specialised in industrial electrostatics for over 40 years, developing a wide range of products such as ionising bars, web cleaners, hand-held measuring instruments, etc, for effective static neutralisation and dust removal. February 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ 49
Marketing Initiative Further, Ham-Let specialises in the design, development, production and marketing of high-quality instrumentation valves and fittings in a wide variety of materials for high pressure, temperature and vacuum applications. Ham-Let products are employed around the world in a wide range of industries, including petrochemical, semi-conductor, energy, food, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, defense, pulp and paper, and mining. Then there are other companies like Enidine, which is widely recognised as a world leader in energy absorption and vibration isolation products, providing solutions to a wide range of industrial markets; HoribaStec, which offers a full line-up of gas liquid and vapour delivery products: Applied Energy System Inc, USA, which is a leader in the field of ultrahigh purity gas delivery systems; Classic, which specialises in gas and liquid filter systems; and GAST, which is world leader in the field of small pumps and compressors for the medical, analytical and environment markets, along with being a global leader in industrial air motors for pumps drives and mixing applications. What about Centraline Lubro-Tech Engineers? Four decades of pioneering work using aerosol lubrication technology in India led to expansion of this business line and a separate entity, Centraline Lubro-Tech Engineers (P) Ltd, was formed in 1984 to focus and specialise in the field of industrial lubrication. Progressively, further arrangements were made to obtain advanced lubrication equipment and application knowhow from Lubriquip Inc, USA now a GRACO company, who is a world leader in die field of industrial lubrication for more than 100 years, with brands like TRABON and MANZEL.
Is there a plan to represent more companies in India? Our philosophy has never been to have an extended product line card for the sake of it. In terms of companies we represent, we have instead chosen to have very long and deep relationships, to move beyond just traditional distribution, and have our partners consider us as their Indian arms. Most of the companies we work with have been with us for decades, allowing us to exploit their complete breadth of solutions. Thus, along with a variety of sales accolades, we have often been nominated as the most technically comprehensive partner globally. What about exports? With respect to exports we plan to tap opportunities in the growing markets of both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka over the next financial year, first with our lubrication solutions aimed at the steel sector and then other sectors, followed by some of our other products. Are there any new or emerging sectors that the company is planning to tap into? We are excited about some recent developments indicating that India will finally get a couple of semi-conductor FABs. This level of FDI will be unprecedented and require a complete eco-system to support it, much like the automotive sector. Needless to say, semiconductor FABs will open up a number of fluid control opportunities across this sector. Further, the defense sector also offers, many new opportunities with both ongoing upgradation in the Navy and Air Force and many other programs, which require our vibration and fluid control technologies. Recent developments in the plastic sector related to in-mould labelling also offer new opportunities to apply static generation equipment as against the traditional conduction foam technologies. What kind of R&D does the company engage in? Since our portfolio has the world's leading companies, we have constant access to leading edge technology in almost all our areas of activity. The Shavo Group in itself contributes with its in-depth skills and experience and constant updating in terms of application knowledge. We have found use of our principals' products in many application sectors as a first, which have then been repeated globally. We contribute regularly on committees with our principles in development of new products in light of our years of experience, especially as companies develop products which are India-centric. As for example, with our locally manufactured lubrication solutions we were the first to introduce aerosol lubrication to India and we continue to develop new systems as machinery speed and technology change. Contact: Shavo Group Shavo House, S No. 21A/I0B, Plot 394 South Main Road, Koregaon Park, Pune, Maharashtra, 411 001 Tel: +91 20 26059641 E-mail: rushil@shavogroup.com
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Marketing Initiative
Our Goal is to Reach `1000 Crores of Sales: Fitzek Within a short span of time, R. STAHL added a huge number of products to its portfolio serving its customers worldwide. Mergers and acquisitions helped the company in expanding its businesses to different destinations. According to Joerg Fitzek, Managing Director, R. STAHL P Limited, the company will further be benefitted with investment in chemical and petrochemical in India and its nearby countries.
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lease apprise us of R. STAHL’s performance over the past few years? How has the company been able to offer such a wide range of explosion proof equipment to its customers? It all began in the year 1988, when R. STAHL entered into India as a joint venture. Going forward, in the year 2000, the parent company based in Germany, acquired complete stake in the concern and the company became a 100 per cent owned subsidiary of R. STAHL Germany. The company restructured the management team and redrafted strategy in the year 2010. Then onwards, it focused on its core strengths – the people and also the product basket that can be delivered completely out of India. Selected employees of the company were intensively trained in the norms of explosion protection - IEC standards and certified as STAMP HOLDERS, besides training of technicians for high end machine operation, by the parent company in Germany. This enhanced the company’s credibility in India to offer to its customers a range of worldclass Ex products. R. STAHL, in the year 2013, invested in its own plant near Chennai, in Tamil Nadu. Since then R. STAHL in India has an enhanced capacity with all the required statutory approvals, ISO 9001:2008, ATEX and IEC Ex approval for the manufacturing Chemical Engineering World
facility. The Indian facility is identified as the manufacturing hub for the ASIAPACIFIC region. With a well-equipped R&D Laboratory and qualified and skilled personnel, state-of-theart manufacturing equipment, well trained QA personnel, and an upbeat Production team. There is a promising future for R. STAHL in India. Putting long term responsibility before short term profitability and continuous efforts towards research and development, aimed at offering valueadded solutions to the customers, contributed partly to offer a wide range of explosion proof equipment to its customers. Besides, R. STAHL is a more than 135 years old company, founded in Germany. As time passed, R. STAHL not only added new products to its inhouse production but also acquired quite a few companies, based in Europe, wherever they found synergy in the bought-over companies’ products and customer base. Thus, in a relatively short span of time, R. STAHL can boast of offering today, a huge range of products to its customers across the globe. The performance of R. STAHL, needless to say, is an actual demonstration of a phenomenal, steady growth associated with partnering Ex system solutions
with clients. All this has been achieved because of the integrity of the company, its moral values and principles and its unconditional commitment towards giving customers one of the best solutions that is possible with the available resources. The role of research must be very crucial to develop all the products the company manufacturers? Will you please elaborate on this fact? The company has in India a full capability R&D department and has been identified as a competence centre for the Ex d Aluminium cast products and sheet metal lighting products. This department works on not only the Indian certified product development but also on the products for the global market. The decision to position a key R&D function in India was well founded mainly because of the good calibre of engineers within the country who are young, qualified, knowledgeable and open-minded, and this helps in enabling the successful launch of new products in the Indian and global markets. Also the R&D function simulates testing as per the IEC standards, in house, in the well-equipped laboratory, thus bring out proto type models which will definitely qualify at the testing laboratory of the certifying bodies. This once again results in shortening lead times in the product development cycle. February 2015 • 51
Marketing Initiative The R&D function in India is also working in collaboration with the International R&D function of the R. STAHL group. The Voice of the Customer (VoC) is realised, subject to qualification of the intense study carried out by a team of product specialists, which is then translated into a product development document and this is the trigger for a new project. The effect of such efforts is that customers are offered best in class international standard products with the Indian economic advantages. Please throw some light on the manufacturing capabilities of the company as well? Our production facilities imbibe the best in class lean principles right from receipt and storage of material to storage and shipment of finished products. High precision and high quality equipment are strategically positioned to ensure flexible manufacturing facilities which offer better delivery times and - most importantly - all processes critical to the explosion protection standards are kept within the control of the company. Some of the equipment are the Silicone Foaming Unit which is probably the only one in India, 5 Axis CNC Machining Centre, a complete Sheet Metal Fabrication set up including Laser Machines, Turret Punches, Bending Machines, Welding Machines. Every work bench, assembly table and conveyer belt is painstakingly designed to offer ergonomic working conditions, while handling time and efforts are kept as min as possible, and enables the workmen to produce only good products. Care is taken to ensure safe, healthy and hygienic working conditions for the employees. One of the examples is an imported Fume Extraction System in the fabrication shop. 52 • February 2015
The company proudly states that since the commencement of operations in the new factory the company has not lost any man-day due to accidents. Quality being the main take away of the company – every product is subjected to process audits concurrent to production and also end of line dock audits by quality professionals who are ‘stamp holders’ accredited as per International IEC Ex standards. What is the current market share of your products? Which are the industries your products are supplied the most to? Arithmetically, the company holds 15 per cent of the Indian market. However, with the new IEC Ex standards and the increasing awareness of the top Indian customers towards these standards, the company is seeing a very high growth potential. The high quality and durability of the products combined with the safety and assurance of adherence to the IEC Ex standards are making our products very attractive to the customers. Thus the company can comfortably say that it has its products installed in the facilities of all the major customers of India. The company generates 55 per cent of its revenue through exporting its products to customers all over the World. Namely, the high tech products produced by the company are exported to the Asia Pacific Region, the Americas, Europe and also Africa. These countries being high technology countries themselves have given their stamp of approval to the products produced in STAHL India. This business stream gives the country important Foreign Currency inflows.
What are your plans for future? How do you strategise to make the most of the ‘predicted investment’ in Indian chemical and petrochemical industry in next five years? The micro and macro-economic scenario are very favourable now. Our goal is to reach ` 1000 crores of sales from our Indian company. With the increased investment in the country as well as in the neighbouring Asian developing countries, in the chemical and petro chemical industry, the company is bound to have multiple opportunities. It aims to tap them by conducting technical seminars and product presentations at the customer end, emphasising on the latest IEC Ex standards and certification and the importance of following the stipulated norms of explosion protection, which the company is offering. Besides, more thrust would be laid on the enlistments at end users and consultants, for R. STAHL India. The company will continue doing what it does best - manufacturing and supplying one of the best in class explosion protected products. The R&D of the Indian company introduced into the Indian and global market, three new products in the year 2014. Several new products are in their advanced stage of development and scheduled to be released in the year 2015. The company is strategically best poised to tap these growing opportunities as it is uniquely equipped with a product range which is not paralleled by any of the other suppliers of Explosion Protected equipment. The strategic thrusts of the company are designed in the direction of offering new products to old customers, and offering old and new products to new customers, thus generating growth by expanding a customer base and also the product range. Chemical Engineering World
Marketing Initiative
LESER India is a Progressing Safety Valve Company for a Progressing Country: Klaus In this interview Joachim Klaus, Global CEO, LESER, states that the company produces globally proven safety valves with German technology and LESER quality in a configuration especially for Indian requirements. According to Klaus, this has ensured that LESER’s customers receive the best solution for their application – in all industrial applications.
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ow do you rate company’s performance over the last few years? LESER doubled sales in the last few years. Asia is a main growth driver. With more than 800 employees, LESER is the largest manufacturer of safety valves in Europe and a leader in its market worldwide. As the only major safety valve brand, LESER is 100 per cent focused on safety valves. In India, we run a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Paithan. The sales and marketing organisation headquartered in Mumbai offers powerful and competent service. India is a core market for us. Here, we have set the course for growth and are looking optimistically into the future and expect a steady growth. How has the joint venture between Fainger Engineering, India, and LESER GmbH & Co. KG, Germany, paid off? How strongly is the subsidiary positioned in India now? The joint venture was a lucky chance for LESER. We established it together with Fainger Engineering in 1987 and since 2010 it has been a 100 per cent subsidiary of LESER employing more than 130 people nowadays. Consequently, we have been present in India for more than 25 years and could acquire a strong market position. We have already installed more than 1,80,000 safety valves in India – and considerably more shall follow. Fainger LESER now became LESER India as an acknowledgement for the progress made Chemical Engineering World
and as a promise to our customers to keep serving their growing requirements. Even after two decades, the employee strength of the company does not seem to be very high in India. May we have your comments on this? What is the current market share of the company in the country? Concerning our employees, we count on consistency and quality. Thus, we have colleagues who have been on board since establishment of the company. We train new employees and count on continuous qualification of our people. LESER India belongs to the global LESER quality cluster and uses exactly the same processes like all other worldwide LESER entities. To keep this level, we need our outstandingly trained employees. By means of the high quality we could acquire a market share of meanwhile approximately 20 per cent. What are your thoughts on new Indian prime minister’s dream campaign – ‘Make in India’? LESER India is LESER’s biggest subsidiary and the only production facility outside Germany. During the last couple of years LESER invested more than Euro 4 Million / ` 27.6 Crore in production and technology in India. With Type 526 IC, we have just presented a new valve for the Indian market and for its production we built new production halls at our works in Paithan. With six weeks delivery time, we deliver our valves fast and reliably and
with this, we are significantly beating the times of our competitors. In this respect we do not dream 'Make in India' – we live it. How has it been working in India so far? The safety valve market in India has special requirements in terms of options, materials and approvals. It is also a very competitive environment. Our strategy is to offer all products in a configuration for Indian requirements and also at a very competitive delivery time level thanks to local production. Quality and technology are from Germany, and adapted to Indian requirements. With the newly launched Type 526 IC, LESER India has a competitive offer for the growing oil, gas and petrochemical market. Asia is developing very fast? How do you strategise to excel in your manufacturing capabilities in the region to meet the increasing demand in near future? LESER India is one of our starting points for our growth in Asia. The entity is integrated in a tight network of subsidiaries and partners and stocks as well as workshops in the region. Thereby we ensure that our customers are locally and comprehensively served in all aspects around the safety valves like sizing, selection, order and maintenance information. The next growth step in India is already in preparation. Having finished the production facilities for the new valve, the preparations for the next product launch are already in progress. February 2015 • 53
Marketing Initiative
BHEL Valves & Oil-field Equipment
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harat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is the largest engineering and manufacturing enterprise of its kind in India engaged in the design, engineering, manufacture, construction, testing, commissioning and servicing of a wide range of products, systems and services for the core sectors of the economy. BHEL manufactures over 180 products that cater to the needs of the power, transmission, industry, transportation, renewable energy, oil and gas and defence sectors. Today, BHEL has 17 manufacturing units, 2 repair units, 4 regional offices, 8 service centres, 8 overseas offices, 15 regional centres, 7 joint ventures and infrastructure to execute more than 150 project sites across India and abroad and the capacity to produce 20,000 MW of power plant equipment per annum.
BHEL's Industrial Valves Plant (IVP) at Goindwal manufactures Gate Valves, Globe Valves, Swing-Check Valves of various materials from carbon steel to stainless steel with special features like motorised or geared operation, limit switch and indicator arrangement, lock or chain-wheel, etc.
BHEL has turnkey 'concept-tocommissioning' capability for executing power projects, with proven, operational project installations of over 1,38,000 MW for utility, captive power and industrial applications and products, services and projects have been exported to over 76 countries worldwide.
Meeting Highest Standards BHEL valves conform to international codes such as ASME, API, ANSI, DIN and IBR. BHEL High Pressure Cast Steel Valves and Quick Closing Non-return Valves are manufactured with technology from TOA Valve Company (Japan) Forged Steel Valves, Safety Valves, Safety Relief Valves, Electrical Relief Valves and Y-type Valves with technology from Dresser Industries Inc, (USA); Oil-field equipment with technology from Kvaerner National (USA); HP-LP Bypass Systems with technology from Sulzer Thermtec (Switzerland) and Soot Blowers with technology from Copes-Vulcan (USA).
BHEL's Tiruchirappalli Complex comprising Unit-I and II of the High Pressure Boiler Plant and the Seamless Steel Tube Plant located at Tiruchirappalli, the Power Plant Piping Unit at Thirumayam, the Piping Centre at Chennai and the Industrial Valves Plant at Goindwal (Punjab) also manufacture a wide range of valves and oil-field equipment for various applications. Valves and Oil-field Equipment BHEL Tiruchirappalli manufactures valves to the highest international standards for a wide range of critical applications in the power, industry and oil and gas sectors. 54 â&#x20AC;˘ February 2015
Widest Range BHEL's product range includes Gate, Globe and Non-return Valves, Angle-drain and Blow-down Valves, Safety Valves and Safety Relief Valves, Electrical Relief Valves, Quick-Closing Non-Return Valves, Cold Re-heat Line Non-Return Valves, Forged Steel Valves, HP-LP Bypass Systems, Soot Blowers, Wall Deslaggers, Water Level Gauges and Oil-field Equipment such as Well-heads, X-mas Trees, Block Valves, Mud-line Suspension Systems and Choking Manifold.
Sophisticated Manufacturing and Testing Facilities BHEL's valves production shops are equipped with state-of-the-art CNC machines capable of performing intricate operations. Testing facilities include radiographic testing for castings and forgings, a full-fledged steam testing
station for Safety Valves and Safety Relief valves, hydraulic test benches and an air-test station for conventional valves, besides hydraulic testing facilities for High Pressure Valves and testing facilities for Oil-field Equipment up to 22,500 psi. Focus on Quality BHEL is known for its international quality standards, has certified Quality Management Systems (ISO 9001:2008 CE), Environmental Management Systems (ISO 14001:2004), Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSAS 18001:2007), Information Security Management Systems (ISO 27001) and is well on its way towards Total Quality Management. Continuous design improvements through in-house R&D, world class quality management systems and state-of-theart precision manufacturing technology ensure that BHEL valves set the standards for quality and reliability. Quality Assurance services are provided by a team of qualified scientists equipped with advanced diagnostic and measuring equipment including spectroscopes, high magnification microscopes, X-ray diffraction strain gauges besides fatigue and creep testing machines. Non-destructive testing facilities use X-rays up to 400 KV and isotopes up to 800 Curies. Precision gauges, tools and instruments are calibrated at BHEL's in-house nationally accredited Calibration Centre.
Contact: K Nagarajan Additional General Manager Valves/ Engineering & Marketing Tel: +91 431 2577123; +91 9442631206 Email: nagarajank@bheltry.co.in Chemical Engineering World
Marketing Initiative
9th Edition of AZeotropy to be held on March 14-15, 2015
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ometh March and we can witness a bunch of exuberant students preparing enthusiastically to pull off yet another immensely rewarding edition of the India’s largest chemical engineering symposium -AZeotropy, the annual department convention of chemical engineering department IIT Bombay. On the lines of its objective, AZeotropy signifies the goal of achieving a terrific, indestructible relation between the chemical industry and the curriculum for chemical engineering. It aims to manifest the very spirit of chemical engineering in young students from all corners of India and involves a blend of chemical engineering based competitions, lectures, exhibitions, workshops and many fun-with-learning events.
Started in 2007 as a small event with few lectures, it has already snowballed to become one of the largest symposiums of chemical engineering in India, attracting a footfall of close to 6000 students and a host of different events and competitions. Since its inception, AZeotropy has aimed at boosting the spirit of engineering, experimenting with ideas and learning from them through an interesting mix of competitions, talks, panel discussions and brainstorming workshops. Over the years the fest has witnessed momentous lectures from the likes of Dr B C Jain (Managing Director, Ankur Scientific), Dr M M Sharma (Ex Director of Institute of Chemical Technology) and many more besides being fortunate enough to entice the aura of other eminent personalities inclusive of Mr. Achyut Godbole (Managing Director of Syntel India), Mr Harsha Bhogle (Indian cricket commentator and journalist), Mr Nagesh Kukunoor (Indian film director and screenwriter) and many more. AZeotropy 2015 The upcoming 9 th edition of AZeotropy will materialise on 14 th and 15 th March, 2015. Centered around the theme of 'Chemical Engineering in Health Care' it aims at flaring Chemical Engineering World
up the importance of chemical engineering in different aspects of life; mostly focusing on a combination of biological and medical science with chemical engineering and process engineering to make generate innovative ideas in healthcare technologies. These 2 days jam packed with special competitions, lectures and events focused on value addition have in store humungous potential for fun and learning. The fest also offers a whole lot of events to keep the competitive spirit high. The highlight of such competitions being the applied engineering contests like Chem-E-Car and Chem-E-Timer. The former involves making a car run just on chemical fuel and completing an obstacle course while the later requires making of a reaction vessel, triggering an exothermic reaction and transferring the maximum energy. Also there’s a theme based open ended competition titled SWASTHYA which aims to inculcate the ability to understand and model any system in the human. The fest also appreciates the classical chemical engineering aptitude with its national level quiz series under the banner Chem-O-Philia in addition to the online analogue Q-viz-it which offers the perks of industrial visit. An opportunity to display the research work is undoubtedly an integral part of any symposium. AZeotropy provides just the platform to any aspiring great mind in the chemical engineering domain through its exhibition named Affiche. Further there are also other learning oriented competitions like Simulati which teaches CFD through the software package COMSOL, and lets you apply it in some specified problems. The symposium has much to offer besides these astonishing competitions. There are most awaited lectures by Mr Ajit Singh (Chairman, ACG Worldwide) and Dr Vijay Raghavan (Padmashri) which are just a glimpse of the diverse events AZeotropy has in store. One of them being Chem-Hour - a discussion on different
aspects of chemical engineering by renowned IITB Alumni. Sticking to its ultimate objective to endeavour higher standards of chemical engineering, AZeotropy also extends handson-experience on software like Aspen Plus, Fluent, Cadworkx and HAZOP through numerous workshops. The collaboration between industry and the academic world has always been a matter of importance, to support the same a theme based panel discussion termed 'Pharmaceutical Paradox' on the topic 'whether patent for life saving drugs be encouraged or not' is expected to lure the attention of the mass. The enlightening yet jolly aura is assured by informal events like Virtual Chemical Market, Chem-E-Dart, Chem-E-Scavy and bench model exhibitions on various technological advances. Over the last 8 years, AZeotropy has grown exponentially and maintained a strong dedicated audience. Thanks to a plethora of lectures by distinguished speakers, events and competitions AZeotropy has indeed reached the pedestal where it influences and encourages many chemical engineering students all across the country. Although the actual success of the festival cannot be determined beforehand, AZeotropy 2015, with its colossal sponsors like Reliance Industries, INDOFIL, BASF, Cristol, Chemical Process Equipments Limited, Simulanis etc, its unique pragmatic theme and its dedicated workforce promises to entice a large student population and present to us the Largest College Chemical Symposium of India.
Contact: Shreya Shwetima Public Relations Manager, AZeotropy 2015 Chemical Engineering, IIT Bombay Mob: +91 9769470042 February 2015 • 55
CEW Products Single-stage/Multi-stage Valves The ACT*83 Series three-stage angle pattern throttling/drain valves are designed for pressure drops of up to 200 bar, ideal for applications like boiler drum blowdowns and turbine drainlines. A single seal and slotted spindle helps reduce the pressure in 3 stages. The free flow area is away from the seal, which prevents the wire drawing of the valve seal. The nitrided spindle, control plug and seal resist erosion and wear thus eliminating vibrations. The valve yoke with roller thrust bearing and graphite rings ensure ease of operation and eliminate leakage while the single piece control plug makes for stability in operations. For pressure drops lower than 60 bar, the angle pattern single stage valve ACT*5 Series is used. Ideal in applications like blowdown and drain. For details contact: Forbes Marshall Mumbai-Pune Road, Kasarwadi Pune, Maharshtra 411 034 Tel: 020-27145595 I Fax: 91-020-27147413 E-mail: corpcomm@forbesmarshall.com or Circle Readers’ Service Card 1
IR/UV Flame Detector ESP Safety’s Model IPES-IR/UV flame detector provides sensitivity for a wide range of fire types including fires from oil, petrochemical products and metal. With its combination of multiple sensors and wavelength range settings, the IPES-IR/UV detects and alarms for only those characteristic wavelength emission from the UV-to-IR spectrum that indicate actual flame or fire, making it an excellent choice for elimination of false positive indicators caused by non-flame sources of radiation such as artificial lighting, lighting, arc welding and metal grinding. For details contact: ESP Safety Pvt Ltd A-21 Angel Building Godrej Hill Nr Khadak Pada, Kalyan (W) Maharashtra 421 301 E-mail: anjesh.mathur@esp-safety.in or Circle Readers’ Service Card 2
Pulsation Dampener Flowrox Expulse is a flexible inline pulsation dampener, which settles restless pipes, pressure peaks and uneven flows. The design is based on a double hose structure with an expansive inner hose, reinforced outer hose and compressed air in between the two. Due to its structure, Flowrox Expulse is able to absorb up to 90 percentages of pulsations and even more in the right process conditions. The dampener also enables energy savings in pumping by reducing vibrations and by temporarily storing pressure to the flexible inner hose. Flowrox Expulse does not include breaking diaphragms or bladders and is naturally resistant to wear, corrosion and most chemicals, giving it a long product lifecycle. Being self-cleaning, Flowrox Expulse does not collect sediment or particles as it cleans itself on every pulse. Due to its flexibility, Flowrox Expulse compensates for possible misalignments of the pipeline and provides flexible connection to the pump, which will come in handy especially during the pump maintenance. The dampener also reduces the hammering of the pipeline and pump and thus enables increased pump bearing and gearbox lifetime. Flowrox Expulse is easy to install on any pulsating pump type from any manufacturer in the market. For details contact: Flowrox Inc 808 Barkwood Court Suite N Linthicum MD 21090, U.S.A. Tel: 410-636-2250 I Fax: 410-636-9062 E-mail: molly.bragg@flowrox.com / orders-us@flowrox.com sales-us@flowrox.com or Circle Readers’ Service Card 3
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Products CEW Precision Flow Piston Pump System These popular pump systems include a drive, pump head and controller. Pump heads have no valves and offer drift-free operation. There is only one moving part, giving superb repeatability over a lifetime of low-cost maintenance. Pump heads have a typical service life in excess of 50-million cycles, making them ideal for continuous duty dispensing. The controller can be used on a tabletop or mounted to a wall and allows flow control of 5 to 100% of rated flow with 0.1% repeatability. Set the flow rate either via the controller’s keypad or an analog remote control signal (4 to 20 mA, 0 to 5 V DC or 0 to 10 V DC). Typical applications include medical, paint, pigments, resins, instrumentation, cleaning agents, fuel cell, battery manufacturing, electronics manufacturing, various pilot plant configurations and many more. For details contact: Cole-Parmer India Pvt Ltd A-403-404, Delphi, Hiranandani Business Park Powai, Mumbai 400 076 Tel: 022-61394444 Fax: 91-022-61394422 E-mail: info@coleparmer.in or Circle Readers’ Service Card 4
Horizontal Peeler Type Centrifuge Shiv Shakti Process Equipment offers horizontal peeler type centrifuge. Its full opening housing gives complete access to the entire processing area, which allows for ease of maintenance, inspection, cleaning and validation. Clean room installation is possible with separation of the processing area from the mechanical components, which is achieved with a through the wall design. It has an inclined chute to facilitate cake discharge, which is easily accessed for cleaning and validation. Feeding of the slurry across the entire length of the basket ensures uniform cake thickness. There are various cake detection devices and numerous residual heel removal systems.There are several possibilities for control systems from completely manual to fully automatic with a local operator interface and the possibility of plant networking. For details contact: Shiv Shakti Process Equipment Pvt Ltd Shiv Shakti, 407 Shivam Chambers Next to Sahara, S V Road Goregaon (W), Mumbai 400 104 Tel: 022-26788480, 26798554 I Fax: 91-022-26798284 E-mail: sales@shivshaktieqiupments.com / sspepl@gmail.com or Circle Readers’ Service Card 5
Chemical Engineering World
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CEW Products Hydraulic Scissor Lifts – Lifting Tables Gandhi Automations Pvt Ltd offers hydraulic scissor lifts – lifting tables. Lifting tables comply with the European Safety of Machinery Standards EN 292 and Safety Requirements for Lift Tables EN 1570. It consists of aluminium safety bar, stopping descent of the platform on contact with obstructions; safety clearance between scissors to prevent trapping during operation; safety check valve to stop the lift table lowering in the unlikely event of a house break; low voltage control box with up-down buttons and emergency stop; protection against overloading; etc.
Air Jet Sieve The e200 LS is ideal for analysing any kind of dry material. Samples of between 0.3 and 100 grams in weight can be analysed easily and quickly. The batch weight is dependent on the sieve mesh width and material density. The extra-ordinarily good dispersion of the material being analysed by the nozzle jet permits analysis down to 10 um with the micro-precision sieves. Whether standardised analysis methods or individualised management and configuration of data, options and many other parameters - the three software packages for the ALPINE air jet sieve e200 LS are tailored to cover all analysis demands perfectly. Even if you decide on the basic software package, their special software upgrades allow you to extend the range of functions of your package at any time.
For details contact: Gandhi Automations Pvt Ltd Chawda Comml Centre Link Road Malad (W) Mumbai 400 064 Tel: 022-66720200, 66720300 Fax: 91-022-66720201 E-mail: sales@geapl.co.in
For details contact Hosokawa Micron India Pvt Ltd 2112, 13 th Main Road, Anna Nagar Chennai 600 040 Tel: 044-26211257, 26211286 E-mail: mail@hmindia.hosokawa.com or Circle Readers’ Service Card 6
or Circle Readers’ Service Card 7
Free Chlorine Sensors for Water Treatment and Disinfection Sensorex’s FCL Series free chlorine sensors use amperometric measurement technology to provide highly accurate monitoring of free chlorine in process applications. FCL sensors are ideal for use in drinking water disinfection and distribution applications, and are compliant with EPA method 334.0 for measuring drinking water. They are also well suited for providing accurate free chlorine monitoring in cooling tower water. With three models available covering the 0-2 ppm, 0-5 ppm and 0-10 ppm ranges, the FCL Series meet a broad range of performance requirements. Its membrane design features a mesh reinforcement clamp for increased stability and added durability. The integral 4-20 mA isolated signal output is enhanced to eliminate ground loop errors, reduce noise, and block high voltage transient surges.For real-time free chlorine monitoring, FCL Series sensors interface directly with PLC, SCADA and other process control systems via the standard 4-20 mA output. A large electrolyte reservoir with an easy-to-replace membrane cap and electrolyte solution reduce maintenance intervals and maximize sensor life. A specialized acrylic flow cell (FC72) is available to provide a controlled flow environment for measurement stability. For details contact: Sensorex 11751 Markon Drive Garden Grove, CA 92841, U.S.A. Tel: +1.714.895.4344 I Fax: +1.714.894.4839 E-mail: sales@sensorex.com or Circle Readers’ Service Card 8
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Products CEW Multi-port Diverter Valves The family of multi-port valves includes the diverter valve range. These valves include 2-way diverters on through to clusters that have up to eight outlets. Modern machining technology is employed in the design and manufacture of Saunders range of bio-block diverter valves. The result is a single valve without internal fabrication welds for maximum strength with reduced holdup volumes and without stagnant areas. On one side of the weir there is a common chamber and on the other side of the weir the flow is divided and split into multiple control points. Diverter valve designs are ideal solutions whenever a process line needs to be divided into two or more process streams or when multiple lines are combined into one. For details contact: Crane Process Flow Technologies (India) Ltd Solitaire, 5th & 6th Floor S No: 131/1+2, ITI Road, Aundh Pune, Maharashtra 411 007 Tel: 020-30567800 | Fax: 91-020-30567812 or Circle Readersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Service Card 9
UVT-LED Monitor to Water Instrumentation Transmittance measurement with the UVT-LED ensures proper UV dosing and efficient operation. The use of mercury-free UV-C LED bulbs results in a compact design, easily used as either a hand-held portable meter or an in-process instrument. The LED light source is ready for instant operation with zero warm up time. Capable of battery and solar-powered operation, the UVT-LED offers long lamp life with little maintenance and low operating costs. Simple to operate, with a clear backlit LED display, the UVT-LED takes automatic measurements every 60 seconds. Integrated wiping prevents fouling and build-up in all water conditions, with a self-calibration check to ensure continual accuracy. The hand-held model comes with battery power and convenient carrying case for use in the field and lab. The continuous model for in-process use runs on 24 V DC power, and can be used in an open channel configuration or directly in a pressurized pipe. The ultra-small instrument is ideal for retrofit installations. UV transmittance values are used to track changes in water quality, as well as detecting the presence of organic compounds and other issues. From municipal water treatment facilities to food and beverage applications, consistently accurate measurements can save energy and ultimately provide superior water quality. For details contact: Halma India B-1 Boomerang, Chandivali Andheri (E), Mumbai 400 072 Tel: 022-67080400 E-mail: sunil.balan@halma.com or Circle Readersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Service Card 10
Chemical Engineering World
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CEW Products Combustible and Toxic Gas Detector
Butterfly Valves
ESP Safety’s Model SSS gas detector is designed for automatic and continuous gas level detection and measurement of hydrocarbons, hydrogen sulphide, sulphurdioxide, ammonia, chlorine and other toxic gases, as well as hydrogen, oxygen, vapours of oils, gasoline, jet fuels and other combustible gases and harmful substances. SSS gas detector consists of transmitter SSS (threshold device) and plug-in universal gas transducers PGU with electrochemical, infrared and photoionised sensors. Transmitter SSS body is made from SS-316 mark and has ingress protection IP66 and intrinsically safe barrier.
Cipriani Harrison’s butterfly valves are made from forged SS-304L and SS-316L. They are highly polished and come standard with FDA silicone seat and a two position squeeze handle. The dense, polished valve disc is of slim design, which allows for a high Cv and the PTFE stem bushing ensures an extra smooth disc rotation. Available in ½” through 8” with sanitary clamp, Butt-weld and I-line end connections as standard. A variety of handle options as well as horizontal and vertical pneumatic actuators provides flexibility in design and application.
For details contact: ESP Safety Pvt Ltd A-21 Angel Building Godrej Hill Nr Khadak Pada Kalyan (W) Maharashtra 421 301 E-mail: anjesh.mathur@esp-safety.in or Circle Readers’ Service Card 11
For details contact: Cipriani Harrison Valves Pvt Ltd 1901, GIDC, Phase IV, Vitthal Udyognagar Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat 388 121 Tel: 02692-235082, 235182, 235282, 233243 Fax: 91-02692-2363a85 E-mail: info@harrisonengineers.com or Circle Readers’ Service Card 12
Full-Stroke Integral Piston Diaphragm Model Wilden offers its 76-mm (3”) size full-stroke integral piston diaphragm (FSIPD) ideal for use in Wilden’s Saniflo FDA pumps, as well as its Original, Advanced and Advanced FIT Series of airoperated double-diaphragm (AODD) pumps. Wilden 76 mm (3”) diaphragms are well suited for hygienic applications because they are constructed of food-grade Wil-Flex (Santoprene), and unlike conventional diaphragms, the integral piston is completely encapsulated within the TPE material, meaning there is no outer piston that can trap fluid and particles. The result is a durable, highly cleanable diaphragm assembly that features a large integral piston and a full-stroke shaft that enables it to maintain the same stroke length as conventional Wilden diaphragms. The diaphragm’s full-stroke design increases product displacement per stroke, which translates into improved suction lift, greater flow rates and higher efficiencies than experienced when using pumps that operate with reduced stroke diaphragms. The 76 mm (3”) model is the latest addition to Wilden’s FSIPD family, which also includes 25 mm (1”), 38 mm (1.5”) and 51 mm (2”) sizes. All four FSIPD sizes are ideal for general industrial applications where downtime and maintenance are more costly than replacement parts. For the 76 mm (3”) FSIPD, repair kit options are available that include two inner pistons, one shaft and two wedge-installation aids for convenience. For details contact: Dover India Pvt Ltd – PSG 40 Poonamallee By-pass, Senneerkuppam, Chennai 600 056 Tel: 044-26271020, 25271023 E-mail: sales.psgindia@psgdover.com or Circle Readers’ Service Card 13
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Chemical Engineering World
Products CEW Filter Press Pump Unique Dosing Systems offer dosing pumps for filter press application. These are used for sludge transfer with pressure to feed filter press to build cakes with low percentage of liquid. Using these pumps, customer can save treated water/cleaned liquid, which is not saved with the use of centrifugal pump due to high pressure application. Using their pump customer will get much drier filter press cake. Unique dosing systems make filter press pump save manpower, electricity, space and keep surface clean of plant area. The liquid head is designed to handle various chemicals/sludge. For details contact: Unique Dosing Systems F-1/3 MIDC, Ambad Nashik, Maharashtra 422 010 Tel: 0253-6695621 | Telefax: 91-0253-6695341 E-mail: info@uniquedosing.com / sales@uniquedosing.com or Circle Readers’ Service Card 14
Multi-column Distillation Plant Multi-column distillation plant is based on FINN-AQUA design, It consists of specially designed columns, which make optimum use of the principles of interstage heat exchange (multi-effect distillation method) to produce pure pyrogen-free sterile distilled water for injectables as per IP/BP specification. The vapour with high velocity and under-pressure passes over a specially designed spiral baffle system, which develops tremendous centrifugal force and thus eliminates any chances of pyrogens carryover in the vapours. By multi-effect distillation method significant energy is saved when compared to the conventional method. All contact parts are made out of AISI 316 quality SS and mirror polished. All pipes and tubes are essentially seamless. For details contact: Indu Ionpure (India) Pvt Ltd 1 / 2 Pimulker Compound Gokuldham Market Opp: Sudha Hospital and Swapnalok Bldg Malad (E) Mumbai 400 097 Tel: 022-28425891, 65703905 | Fax: 91-022-28403018 E-mail: pure_indu@hotmail.com / sales@induionpure.com or Circle Readers’ Service Card 15
Chemical Engineering World
February 2015 • 61
CEW Products Marimex ViscoScope
Octagonal Blender Marimex Industries GmbH & Co KG, Bottrop Germany offers their Marimex ViscoScope for real-time measurement of dynamic viscosity.
The company can offer custom-made sensors to suit all kinds of application and vessel/reactor design. This sensor can be mounted free of dead space into vessels reactors, pipes and flow chambers, and can measure viscosity ranging from 0.1 cP to 2,500,000 cP for applications ranging up to 450 oC and pressure up to 450 bar. The sensor can be used for chemical, petrochemical, food and pharmaceutical applications. For details contact: Concord Instruments Pvt Ltd No: 23/11, F-4 Maanasarovar Perumal Koil Street Arumbakkam Chennai 600 106 Tel: 044-23637464, 23638084 E-mail: concordchn@eth.net / concordchn@gmail.com or Circle Readers’ Service Card 16
Shefa Industries offers high quality octagonal blender, which is a versatile blending machine, highly durable and provide better usage. This range of products is tested on different quality standards and is used for mixing and fabrication process of dry granules homogeneously. These blenders are offered in different specifications, sizes, shapes and provide effective results for granules because of slow speed and octagonal shape of the container. These are used in pharma, food, chemical and cosmetic products, etc. For details contact: Shefa Industries Gala No: 1, U K Quari Compound Gandhi Nagar Vikhroli (W) Mumbai 400 083 Tel: 022-25942473 E-mail: shefaindustries@yahoo.co.in or Circle Readers’ Service Card 17
Tank Bottom Valves The Saunders tank bottom valve incorporates the performance and features of a diaphragm valve into a machined from solid tank outlet design. These valves are free from fabrication welds and dead legs, enhancing structural integrity and reducing the potential for process contamination. The absence of dead legs also improves drainability, and facilitates effective mixing. Sample valves, purge valves and ports are easily incorporated into the tank bottom design to achieve the desired performance. The resulting valve types are a hybrid or compound solution that entails the use of more than one valve concept for example combining a tank bottom valve with an access valve, a multi-port valve with access valves to perform as steam and condensate port or a point-of-use valve together with a sample valve. This process combined with their manufacturing expertise results in custom valve configurations that combine utility and performance. For details contact: Crane Process Flow Technologies (India) Ltd Solitaire 5 th & 6 th Floor S No: 131/1+2 ITI Road, Aundh, Pune Maharashtra 411 007 Tel: 020-30567800 | Fax: 91-020-30567812 or Circle Readers’ Service Card 18
62 • February 2015
Chemical Engineering World
Products CEW Hot Water Systems HRS hot water systems provide highly efficient solution to instantaneous hot water generation using energy-efficient heat exhangers – Funke Brazed or Gasketed plate heat exchanger or ECOFLUX corrugated tube heat exchanger. HRS hot water systems can also be installed with storage (buffer) vessel for semi-instantaneous applications and in conjunction with solar based hot water systems. A hot water system not only heats the water to a desired temperature using low pressure steam but also maintains the required temperature of water with better temperature control using automation and control. For details contact; HRS Process Systems Ltd 201/202 Karan Selene 851 Bhandarkar Institute Road Pune, Maharashtra 411 004 Tel: 020-25663581, 25663582, 66047894 Fax: 91-020-25663583 E-mail: info@hrsasia.co.in or Circle Readers’ Service Card 19
Multi-stage Centrifugal Air Blowers Va c u n a i r E n g g C o P v t L t d o f fe r s mu l t i - s t a g e c e n t r i f u g a l a i r bl owe r s i n c a p a c i t y u p t o 5 0 , 0 0 0 m 3 / h r a n d p r e s s u r e u p t o 3,000 mm WG. This is a dynamic new concept in centrifugal machinery to give highly efficient perfor mance of higher message and selected fo r h i g h - p r e s s u r e a p p l i c a t i o n t o a c h i eve b e t t e r e f f i c i e n c y. Impellers are fabricated from aluminium/MS riveted high strength construction fitted with hub. Inter nally it passes through guide vane/exter nally connected stage construction. It saves energy with fans utilizing variable inlet vanes. It finds application in combustion, atomizing, agitating, blowing, cooling, drying, conveying, exhausting, etc. For details contact: Vacunair Engg Co Pvt Ltd Nr Gujarat Bottling Rakhial, Ahmedabad Gujarat 380 023 Tel: 079-22910771, 22910772 Fax: 91-079-22910770 E-mail: info@vacunair.com or Circle Readers’ Service Card 20
Chemical Engineering World
February 2015 • 63
Petroleum Istanbul
ChemTECH Chennai 2015 Dates: 10-12 December 2015
Dates: 2-5 April 2015
Venue: TNTPO, Exhibition Ground, Chennai
Venue: Tuyap Fair Convention & Congress Centre, Istanbul, Turkey
Details: World meet of chemicals, petrochemicals, pharma
Details: Trade fair for Petroleum Upstream and Downstream
and process industry in India encompassing exhibition and
Equipment, Technology and Services
conferences.
Organiser: Hannover Messe International Istanbul Limited
Contact: +91 22 40373636
Contact: +90 216 466 74 96
Email: sales@jasubhai.com
Email: petroleum@efo.com.tr
Website: www.chemtech-online.com
Website: www.petroleumistanbul.com.tr
Watertech India 2015
China International Exhibition for Coating & Paintss
Dates: 2-4 September 2015
Dates: 13-16 March 2015
Venue: Pragati Maidan, New Delhi
Venue: Beijing, China
Details: International Trade Fair for Water & Wastewater
Details: One of the leading trade fair for Coating & Paints
Treatment & Management
industry in China
Organiser: Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India Pvt Ltd
Organiser: Sinostar Internationl Ltd
Contact: +91 22 6757 5940
Contact: +852 2865 0062
Email: nidhi.agrawal@india.messefrankfurt.com
Email: info@sinostar-intl.com.hk
Website: www.watertechindia.com
Website: www.sinostar-intl.com.hk
AZeotropy 2015
Chem Bio Finland 2015
Dates: 14-15 March 2015
Dates: 18-19 Mar 2015
Venue: IIT, Bombay
Venue: Helsinki, Finland
Details: Annual Chemical Engineering Symposium organised
Details: Exhibition for the chemical, laboratory and
by Chemical Engineering Association of IIT Bombay
biotechnology products and services
Organiser: IIT, Bombay
Organiser: The Finnish Fair Corporation
Contact:+91 9769470042
Contact: +358 40 450 3251
Email: Shreya@azeotropy.com
Email: sales@messukeskus.com
Website: www.azeotropy.com
Website: www.messukeskus.com
Chemspec India 2015
Middle East Coatings Show 2015
Dates: 16-17 April 2015
Dates: 9-11 March 2015
Venue: Bombay Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC), Mumbai
Venue: Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre, UAE
Details: Event for the Indian fine, custom and speciality
Details: An event for raw materials suppliers and equipment
chemicals community
manufacturers
Organiser: Quartz Business Media Ltd
Organiser: DMG Events â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ME & Asia
Contact: +91 99 204 74017
Contact: +971 4 4380355
Email: rohit@chemicalweekly.com
Email: info@dwtc.com; chrishamilton@dmgeventsme.com
Website: www.chemspecevents.com
Website: www.coatings-group.com
64 â&#x20AC;˘ February 2015
Chemical Engineering World
Project Update CEW New Contracts/Expansions/Revamps The following list is a brief insight into the latest new projects by various companies in India. • CHEMICALS Superhouse is planning an expansion of its chemical mixmanufacturing project from 200 kg/day to 500 kg/day in UPSIDC Industrial Area, district: Unnao, Uttar Pradesh. The product will be used in leather tanneries. The project is in planning stage will involve installation of containers.
Sayona Colors, belonging to the Sayona Group, is planning an expansion of its dyes and colours manufacturing project in Navrangpura, district: Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The project will involve capacity expansion of products like synthetic organic dyes, food colours and cosmetic colours. The project is waiting for international collaboration.
Manaksia Coated Metals & Industries is implementing an expansion of its mosquito repellent coil manufacturing unit in village: Bollaram, district: Medak, Telangana. The total cost of the project is ` 10-million. The capacity after expansion will be 60-million coils/month. Civil work has been completed. Machinery is procured locally; installation is under progress. The project is scheduled for completion soon.
Punjab Chemicals & Crop Protection is planning a thiamethoxam manufacturing project in villages: Kolimajra and Samalheri, district: Mohali, Punjab. The project will come up at the company’s existing plant premises. The project is in planning stage.
Stellar Chemical Laboratories is planning an expansion of its organic chemical manufacturing project from 7.1-TPM to 84.1-TPM in village: Derol, district: Panchmahals, Gujarat. Machinery is yet to be ordered. Work on the project is expected to commence after receipt of environmental clearance and the completion date is yet to be finalized. Shimoga Life Sciences is planning a 300 to 400-TPA synthetic organic chemicals and herbal products manufacturing project at a cost of ` 50-million in village: Attivaram, district: Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. Work on the project will start after receipt of environmental clearance. DCM Shriram is planning an expansion of its chloroalkali manufacturing project from initial 450-TPD to 915-TPD in Jhagadia, district: Bharuch, Gujarat. The project will come up along with an expansion of its power project at a total cost of ` 5,340-million. The Board of Directors of the company at its Special meeting held in October 2014 have approved the project. India GCI Resitop, a subsidiary of Gun Ei Chemical Industry Company, is planning a resin-coated sand and phenolic resin manufacturing project in Oragadam, district: Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. Land acquisition is in progress. The project is planned for completion in 3 years from zero date. Bhuruka Gases, belonging to the Bhuruka Group, is planning a compressed oxygen project in district: Pune, Maharashtra. The project is in initial stage. Land is yet to be acquired. Vasudha Pharma Chem is planning a chemical manufacturing project in village: Atchutapuram, district: Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The project will spread over 26-acre of acquired land. Work on the project commenced in August 2014 and is planned for completion in 2016. Chemical Engineering World
SK Solvochem Private Limited is planning a 1,500-TPA synthetic organic chemicals manufacturing project (dye and dye intermediates, bulk drug and intermediates excluding drug formulations, synthetic rubbers, basic organic chemicals, other synthetic organic chemicals and chemical intermediates) at a cost of ` 20-million in village: Nimbua, district: Mohali, Punjab. The Public hearing was held in January 2014. The project is waiting for environmental clearance. • MINING Barmer Lignite Mining Company, a JV between Rajasthan State Mines & Minerals and Raj West Power, a subsidiary of JSW Energy is planning an expansion of the Kapurdi Open Cast Lignite Mining project from 3.75-MTPA to 7-MTPA in Kapurdi, district: Barmer, Rajasthan. The project cost is estimated to be ` 18,000-million inclusive of a new lignite mining project at Jalipa mines. The project is waiting for environmental clearance. • NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY Shri Shivsagar Sugar & Agro Products is planning a 18-MW bagasse-based co-generation power project in village: Udpudi, district: Belgaum, Karnataka. The project will come up in the existing 150-acre sugar plant premises. The project is planned for completion in 12 months from zero date. Siddheshwari Paper Udyog is implementing a 6-MW rice husk-based captive power project in Kashipur, district: Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand. The project is coming up with an expansion of its kraft paper-manufacturing unit. Civil work is nearing completion and machinery has been ordered. 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 village: Chagallu, 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. February 2015 • 65
CEW Project Update • THERMAL POWER Seven Star Steels is planning an expansion of its coal-based thermal captive power project from initial 8-MW to 12-MW at a cost of ` 600-million in village: Kalendamal, district: Jharsuguda, Odisha. The project will come up along with an expansion of its sponge iron plant from 60,000-TPA to 180,000-TPA and ingot plant from 39,200-TPA to 80,000-TPA. Machinery will be partially procured locally and partially imported; orders are yet to be placed. The project is waiting for industrial clearance. Work on the project will commence in H1 2015. Raichur Power Corporation, a JV between Karnataka Power Corporation and Bharat Heavy Electricals, is planning a 800MW coal-based super-critical power project in village: Edlapur, district: Raichur, Karnataka. The estimated cost of the project is ` 88,062.3-million. This is an expansion of the Raichur TPP by addition of 800-MW and would generate 5957-MU of energy annually. According to MoEF sources, 382-million tonnes of coal to KPCL has been allocated in Deocha-Pachami Coal Block in West Bengal which has a total reserve of 2,012-million tonnes. The blended coal 2.92-MTPA (indigenous coal of 2.044-MTPA (70%) and imported coal is 0.876-MTPA (30%) will be used for the proposed TPP. Edlapur TPS is proposed to be commissioned in 51 months from zero date. Imported coal would be utilized. Coal would be transported by rail for the entire route from mines to power plant site. Clearances for the project are received from Airports Authority of India and Archaeological Survey of India, Health & Family Welfare Department and Fisheries Department, GoK. The project is waiting for environmental clearance. Work will commence after receipt of clearances from MoEF. Birla Corporation is planning a 50-MW captive power project in district: Nagaur, Rajasthan. The project will come up as a part of its integrated cement project. Land acquisition is in progress. Further details of the project are yet to be finalized. ARS Metals is planning a 8-MW captive power project in Naidupet, district: Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. The project will come up as a part of its 4-phase greenfield integrated steel project in the same location, which is also in planning stage. The power generated will be used for the upcoming greenfield integrated steel plant. The project is waiting for environmental clearance. 58-acre of land has been allotted by APIIC for the project. The entire project is planned for completion in 30 months from zero date. Adani Power Rajasthan is planning an expansion of Kawai coal-based thermal power plant in district: Baran, Rajasthan. The capacity will be augmented from 1,320-MW by addition of 2x800-MW. The project is waiting for environmental clearance. Anantha Power Projects is planning a 3x2.6 MW hydro-electric power project at village: Mohanpur, district: Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh. The company is in final stages of placing orders 66 • February 2015
for machinery. Clearances have been received. Work on the project commenced in September 2014 and is planned for completion in September 2015. Astrix Laboratories is planning a 5-MW coal-based captive power project in village: Gaddapotharam, district: Medak, Telangana. The project will come up along with a modernizationcum-expansion of its API manufacturing project. The estimated cost of the total project is ` 600-million. The project is waiting for environmental clearance and planned for completion in 2 years from zero date. Neyveli Lignite Corporation is planning a 4,000-MW the Sirkali thermal power project in Sirkali, district: Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu. The project will spread over 1,221.82-hectare of land. Phase-I will consist of 1,980-MW and the estimated cost is ` 144.82-billion. Phase-II will consist of 2,020-MW. Action has been initiated for preparation of Feasibility Report (FR) for coal jetty and marine EIA study. The company is to expedite the issue of administrative sanction for acquiring land. Letter of Award (LOA) for consultancy service for the preparation of FR has been issued to Tractebel and preparation of FR is in progress. RKM Powergen is planning a 4x660-MW coal-based thermal power project in district: Datia, Madhya Pradesh. The project is waiting for environmental clearance and coal allocation. Tripura State Electricity Corporation is planning to upgrade its Rokhia gas-based thermal power project in Rokhia, district: West Tripura, Tripura. The estimated cost of the project is ` 3,200-million inclusive of upgradation of the Baramura gasbased power project and renovation of the Dambur hydroelectric power project. The scope of the project will involve conversion of thermal power project into combined cycle. The project would generate 35-MW more power if it goes for combined cycle system. North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the company to convert thermal power project into combined cycle. The expenditure will be shared by the NEEPCO and the company. As part of the ‘understanding’, NEEPCO will take 50% of the increased power while the State Government will have to pump in ` 900-million to implement the joint venture project. Pashamylaram Common Infrastructure is planning a 1-MW coal-based co-generation power project in village: Pashamylaram, district: Medak, Telangana on a 15-acre land. The estimated cost of the project is ` 860-million inclusive of a common effluent treatment plant, which is also in the planning stage. The project is waiting for environmental clearance. Rungta Mines is planning a 120-MW coal-based captive power project in district: Dhenkanal, Odisha. The project will come up along with an integrated steel project in the same location, which is in planning stage. Land acquisition is in progress. Chemical Engineering World
Project Update CEW Talavadi Cements, a subsidiary of Birla Corporation, is planning a 35-MW captive power project in village: Bari, district: Satna, Madhya Pradesh. JM Environet are the Environmental Consultants. The project is waiting for environmental clearance. The power generated will be used for the cement project to come up in the same location, which is in planning stage. VP Cements is planning a 1x40-MW in Phase-I and another 1x40-MW in Phase-II coal-based captive power plant in village: Gundlakunta, district: YSR, Andhra Pradesh. Land acquisition is under progress. Both the phases are waiting for environmental clearance. The project will come up as part of its ` 16-billion 2-phase integrated cement project. Work on Phase-I is expected to commence this year. Work on Phase-II is expected to commence in 2017.Hira Kanodia Cement, belonging to the Kanodia Group, is planning a 15-MW coal-based captive power project in Unit-I, Durgawati, district: Kaimur (Bhabua), Bihar. The project is waiting for environmental clearance. Land has been acquired. The project will come up along with an ordinary portland cement manufacturing project. The total cost of both the projects is ` 900-million. Hira Electro Smelters, formerly known as RVR Smelters, belonging to the Hira Group, is planning a 20-MW waste heat recovery based captive power project in Bobbili, district: Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh. The project is in conceptual stage. Work on the project is expected to commence in 2017. The project will come up along with a 50,000-TPA coke oven products manufacturing project. Jai Bhole Cement Combine, a group company of Zawar Sales, is planning a 72-MW (coal as fuel) and 10-MW (WHR as fuel) captive power project in Velabai, district: Yavatmal, Maharashtra. Equipment supplier is yet to be appointed. The project is waiting for final approval of environmental clearance. Work on the project commenced in March 2014 and is planned for completion in H1 2017. The project will come up as part of its ` 151-billion integrated cement project spread over 2,500acre of acquired land. Aditya Birla Nuvo is planning an expansion of its coal and 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 at Veraval, district: Gir Somnath, Gujarat. The project is waiting for environmental clearance and is planned for completion in 2 years from zero date. • POWER GENERATION KPR Sugar Mill, a subsidiary of KPR Mill, is planning an expansion of its bagasse-based co-generation power project in village: Almel, district: Bijapur, Karnataka. The project will come up in the existing sugar plant premises. Out of 34-MW, 6-MW will Chemical Engineering World
be for captive consumption and remaining will be sold out. The project will come up along with a modernization-cum-expansion of its sugar manufacturing project and a new 90-KLD molassesbased distillery in the same location. Environmental clearance has been received for the project. Consent for Establishment (CFE) has been applied for. Work on the project is expected to commence soon. Pashamylaram Common Infrastructure is planning a 1-MW coal-based co-generation power project in village: Pashamylaram, district: Medak, Telangana on 15-acre of land. The estimated cost of the project is ` 860-million inclusive of a common effluent treatment plant, which is also in planning stage. The project is waiting for environmental clearance. Atria Power Corporation, belonging to the Atria Group, is planning a 375-MW mega solar thermal power project in Karnataka. Land identification is in progress. Locations are in Tumkur, Bijapur, etc. Land has been identified in Basavana Bagevadi, district: Bijapur. The project will come up in 13 districts. In each location, maximum 25-MW and minimum 5-MW will be allocated according to the land availability. The project is scheduled for completion in 2016. • FERTILISER Shree Pushkar Chemicals & Fertilisers is planning to modernize its 0.2-million litres/day effluent treatment plant in taluka: Khed, district: Ratnagiri, Maharashtra. Modernization work will involve change of old machinery and installation of new machinery to make zero discharge unit. The plant is located at the existing acids, dyes and intermediates manufacturing Unit-I. The project is waiting for Government clearance. Land has been acquired. Work on the project is expected to commence soon. • PETROLEUM Indian Oil Corporation is planning an ethylene derivative plant at Paradip refinery complex, district: Jagatsinghpur, Odisha. The estimated cost of the project is ` 40-billion. The plant will provide products that will facilitate manufacturing of polyester chips, fibers, PET bottles, PET chips, polyester yarn, etc. The Corporation is evaluating the feasibility for setting up the plant. • CEMENT Ultratech Cement is planning an expansion of its integrated cement project in village: Hirmi, district: Baloda Bazar, Chhattisgarh. The expansion will involve capacity augmentation of the clinker plant from 2.2-MTPA to 6.75-MTPA, cement from 6,000-TPD to 8,000-TPD and the coal-based captive power plant from 50-MW to 100-MW and a new 15-MW waste heat recoverybased captive power plant. The project will come up in the existing land. The total estimated project area is 167.1-hectare and the estimated cost of the project is ` 20,000-million. The project is waiting for environmental clearance. Further details of the project are yet to be finalized. February 2015 • 67
CEW Ad Index Sr. No.
Client’s Name
Atomic Vacuum Company (Exports)
Page No Inside Cover I
Azeotropy
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BHS-Sonthofen (India) Pvt Ltd
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Chemtech Events
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Emjay Engineers
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Gopani Product Systems Hi-tech Applicator ImageGrafix Engineering Services Pvt Ltd Integral Process Controls India Pvt Ltd Jasubhai Engineering Pvt Ltd Kirloskar Brothers Ltd
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Rasaii Flow Lines Pvt Ltd
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Super Industrial Lining Pvt Ltd
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68 • February 2015
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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 Chemical Engineering World
Book Shelf CEW Hazardous Waste Management Authors : Michael D LaGrega, Phillip L Buckingham, Jeffrey C Evans Price : USD 130.39 Pages : 1232 (Hardcover) Publisher : Waveland Pr Inc About the Book :Hazardous waste management is a complex, interdisciplinary field that continues to grow and change as global conditions change. Mastering this evolving and multifaceted field of study requires knowledge of the sources and generation of hazardous wastes, the scientific and engineering principles necessary to eliminate the threats they pose to people and the environment, the laws regulating their disposal, and the best or most cost-effective methods for dealing with them. Written for students with some background in engineering, this comprehensive, highly acclaimed text does not only provide detailed instructions on how to solve hazardous waste problems but also guides students to think about ways to approach these problems.
Welding: Principles and Applications Author : Larry Jeffus Price : USD 124.44 Pages : 976 (Hardcover) Publisher : Cengage Learning About the Book : Now nearing its 30 th year of publication, Welding: Principles & Applications (WP&A), 7 th Edition is the authoritative introduction to the subject of welding. It’s designed for students in a wide range of academic and workforce training programs who want to pursue careers as skilled welders and welding supervisors. The text also supports the needs of learners who need to achieve a basic level of proficiency in welding in their chosen skilled trade. While covering the procedural and safety information all students need, Welding: Principles & Applications also explains underlying theories. The combination of hands-on information with clear explanations of theory is a hallmark of this book. The depth of coverage allows it to be used as the core text in a multi-course welding curriculum, generally starting with shielded metal arc welding, and then covering other basic processes and more advanced techniques.
Industrial Gases Processing Editors & Translators Price Pages Publisher
:Heinz-Wolfgang Häring, Christine Ahner : USD 151.18 : 310 (Hardcover) : Wiley-VCH
About the Book : Almost every modern manufacturing process relies on industrial gases, and sales of such gases are expected to rise by around 45 per cent over the next five years. Here, experienced and authoritative experts from one of the two world’s largest producer of industrial gases impart their knowledge on atmospheric, noble and synthesized gases, carbon dioxide, LNG, acetylene and other fuel gases, as well as special and medical gases. Modern applications, eg, the use of hydrogen in fuel cells, are included as well. This practical text is rounded off by a section on logistics. Chemical Engineering World
Air Pollution Control: A Design Approach Authors : C David Cooper, F C Alley Price : USD 80.41 Pages : 839 (Hardcover) Publisher : Waveland Pr Inc About the Book : A 25-year tradition of excellence is extended in the Fourth Edition of this highly regarded text. In clear, authoritative language, the authors discuss the philosophy and procedures for the design of air pollution control systems. Their objective is twofold: to present detailed information on air pollution and its control, and to provide formal design training for engineering students. New to this edition is a comprehensive chapter on carbon dioxide control, perhaps the most critical emerging issue in the field. Emphasis is on methods to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and the technologies for carbon capture and sequestration. An expanded discussion of control technologies for coal-fired power plants includes details on the capture of NOx and mercury emissions. All chapters have been revised to reflect the most recent information on U.S. air quality trends and standards. Moreover, where available, equations for equipment cost estimation have been updated to the present time. Abundant illustrations clarify the concepts presented, while numerous examples and end-ofchapter problems reinforce the design principles and provide opportunities for students to enhance their problemsolving skills. February 2015 • 69
CEW Interview
Interview CEW
Import Substitution: The Way to Go The 120 KTPA Greenfield capacity of Indian Synthetic Rubber Ltd (ISRL) to produce E-SBR will significantly substitute the key raw material imports by the tyre manufacturers. ISRL has recently been conferred with the CHEMTECH CEW Leadership & Excellence Award 2015 - Chemicals & Petrochemicals for setting up this path-breaking venture of national importance. In an exclusive interaction, Sanjaya Bhatnagar, CEO, ISRL, speaks to Mittravinda Ranjan about the challenges of the business and future plans of the company.
70 • February 2015
February 2015 • 70
Interview CEW
I
SRL is the first to commission the E-SBR manufacturing facility in India to substitute imports to a significant extent. Tell us about how the joint venture partners are leveraging on their strengths? Indian market is witnessing a strong surge in demand of E-SBR, primarily driven by the tyre manufacturing industry, which has gained robust momentum from the growing automobile sector. So far, Indian tyre manufacturers were compelled to source the entire supplies of E-SBR through imports. There was a huge gap and so was the opportunity for someone to enter in this space. Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), TSRC, Taiwan and Marubeni formed the joint venture company, Indian Synthetic Rubber Ltd (ISRL), which created a winwin situation for all the three companies, which has allowed themselves to leverage on their strengths to enter the Indian market.
ISRL has set up 120 KTPA Greenfield capacity to produce E-SBR in Panipat. The capital cost of the project is estimated at ` 9,500 million and we have secured the most competitive financing available globally from reputed overseas banks. The flagship project is spread over an area of 57 acres. It also has an advanced effluent treatment system, including a Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant with zero-liquid effluent discharge. IOCL has its own expertise in project execution and we leveraged that to complete our project in record time of 21 months and the plant has been commissioned to run at 100 per cent capacity. The facility is close to IOCL’s naphtha cracker and utilises butadiene production from the cracker as the key feedstock for producing E-SBR.
IOCL supplies the Butadiene feedstock from its Naphtha Cracker Plant at Panipat. The strategic location of ISRL’s plant also enables it to source utilities, such as power, steam, raw water, etc from IOCL’s plant. ISRL is backed by the R&D expertise of TSRC, which has many patents and innovations specific to synthetic rubber and thermoplastic elastomers. There are many experienced experts and an accomplished technical service team to serve the tyre customers and ascertain the quality of E-SBR. The company enjoys an exclusive license from TSRC (Taiwan), to manufacture widely known TAIPOL brand of SBR 1500, 1502, 1712 and 1723 grades. Marubeni is one of the largest trading corporations in Japan with access to Japanese banks and has helped us to secure finance from Japanese banks. Being in the business of trading, they are also facilitating sourcing of styrene, another key feedstock, for the manufacturing of E-SBR. How do you see the markets playing up for ISRL in future? Present consumption of E-SBR in Indian market stands at around 250 KTPA with approximately 80 per cent being consumed by the tyre manufacturers. We have seen a robust growth in SBR demand in the past and anticipate a strong positive growth over the next five years at 9-10 per cent CAGR, which is likely to touch 400 KTPA by 2019-20. In addition to capacity enhancement already announced by the existing tyre manufacturers, several global tyre manufacturers are also setting up their new facilities in India as a part of their global expansion strategies to cater to the foreseeable demand. Yokohama,
a Japanese major, has already commissioned their plant near Panipat. Michellin, another international giant, is setting up the production facility in Chennai to cater to the Indian automotive market. Recently, Cheng Shin Rubber (Maxxis), another major tyre producer, has also announced to set up a plant in Gujarat. We have seen, Indian tyre manufacturers are taking a pragmatic approach and augmenting their existing capacities to cater to the foreseeable demand from the automotive sector. Another area that is gaining momentum across tyre manufacturers in India is a shift to radialisation to produce tyres that are best in class in the world, especially for the commercial vehicle segment. Once this segment picks up, this too will add up for substantial demand for SBR. Tyre replacement is another huge market in India, which is growing significantly each year with the increasing number of vehicles on the road. Also, there is a good demand emerging from retreading of tyres, which is largely dominated by unorganised sector. While the demand for large volumes will come from the tyre sector driven by the strong positive growth momentum of automotive segment, demand for smaller volumes will continue to come from the increasing requirement from other industries such as automotive components, conveyor belts, footwear, etc. How is the response you are getting from Indian market for supplying E-SBR locally? What are the challenges in dealing with the imports? Being a domestic producer, ISRL has several inherent advantages, such
IOCL has its own expertise in project execution and we leveraged that to complete our project in record time of 21 months and the plant has been commissioned to run at 100 per cent capacity. Chemical Engineering World
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CEW Interview As of now, the S-SBR surplus capacity is coming up everywhere in the South East Asia – but people are struggling to keep the plants up and running at a lower operation rate due to lesser demand. as lower lead time, providing an opportunity for customers for optimising their inventory and immunity, in terms of foreign exchange fluctuations, and prompt technical support and customer service as compared with the imported products. As we grow, we have plans to ramp up the capacity and aim at taking level of production to 200 KTPA for E-SBR.
supplies to major tyre manufacturers and will see a gradual increase in the product movement in the next few months. What is your take on the fall in SBR prices globally? I see this as a very positive development for the SBR producers as we expect to see lot of latent demand of SBR likely to emerge in the near future. Typically up to 10 per cent of natural rubber can be substituted with SBR and given the constrains to increase the availability of natural rubber, there is scope of creating further 100 KTPA of SBR demand in domestic market itself, which is close to the ISRL’s current capacity.
There are already two players in the market, however, the Indian market is growing at a fast pace and in my view it can easily accommodate the Indian players as well the imports. But at the same time, we hope that the Indian Government will take some steps to address the anomalies and will provide a level playing field to Indian and international players.
As long as SBR prices stay low, there is going to be a healthy demand of SBR in the country.
What about the end user? Indian customers, especially tyre manufacturers, are highly quality conscious. We have already started
What are your thoughts on the Green Tyre concept that is gaining momentum worldwide and the major players are gearing up for the future
by ramping up the capacities of S-SBR to cater to the future markets? As a concept, Green Tyre is a strong environment friendly step by the tyre industry in the EU market and other developed nations which requires S-SBR as the feedstock to produce the high performance tyres that provide low rolling resistance and thus provide an opportunity to reduce carbon footprint with lower fuel consumption. If you compare volumes of global consumption of S- SBR, it is less than 5 per cent as compared to E-SBR volume. As of now, the S-SBR surplus capacity is coming up everywhere in the South East Asia – but people are struggling to keep the plants up and running at a lower operation rate due to lesser demand. Getting full advantage of S-SBR in India would require the complete revamp of infrastructure that can support the green tyre. It will take lot of time and even after that, given the challenges of S-SBR production; it will still take a long time for any substantial conversion. And in India, I do not see this happening in the next decade at least!! So far, we do not have any facility in India to produce S-SBR, but given the current thrust that the government is providing to the infrastructure spend; I believe we should have a good case of S-SBR two years from now.
ISRL has recently been conferred with the CHEMTECH CEW Leadership & Excellence Award 2015 - Chemicals & Petrochemicals for setting up this path-breaking venture of national importance.
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Current demand of S-SBR is 5 KT in India. We are evaluating the market for this product and can have a case for this product if demand increases to around 15 KTPA. We can probably think of having 40 KTPA plant in two year time for which, we are already in talks with our technology partner, TSRC to set up production of Solution SBR. Chemical Engineering World
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