4 minute read
Process Gas Project and Particulate Emissions Project
Award of Excellence
Hatch
The Process Gas Project (PGP) and the Particulate Emissions Project (PEP) represent a $288-million investment by Glencore to reduce sulfur dioxide (SO2) and particulate emissions and improve productivity for the smelter at its integrated nickel operation (INO) in Sudbury, Ont.
Hatch was engaged to respond to government-mandated SO2 and emissions-reduction requirements, providing full engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) services.
Major upgrades These projects involved modifying virtually every major smelter process while maintaining 24-hour-per-day operations. The upgrades included: • Expanded nickel concentrate receiving and handling facilities, bringing operations were indoors with ventilated dust control systems to eliminate particulate emissions. • An upgraded concentrate thawing facility. • Improved feed slurry preparation facilities, including blending tanks and mixer, to allow a uniform feed profile, reducing spikes in sulfur and emissions. • Upgraded capacity for fluid bed roaster off-gas systems, increasing sulfur removal from the calcine. • Debottlenecking the acid plant to allow processing of increased sulfur dioxide in the roaster off-gas. • Implementation of an innovative controlled furnace atmosphere (CFA) to control oxygen levels in the electric furnace freeboard by injecting low-oxygen acid plant tail gas to reduce SO2 formation. • A hybrid converter vessel and associated feed infrastructure, increasing efficiency for the converter aisle and reducing emissions from ladle transfer operations. • A system to continuously inject combustion air into the furnace uptakes to improve safety during occasional high carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations. • A secondary ventilation system in the converter aisle, including fume capture hoods with moving doors to collect emissions from converter charging and pouring.
An industry first The CFA system was an industry first. No other engineering consultant had attempted to tie tail gas from an acid plant into an electric furnace before. The concept was first proven by injecting nitrogen gas into the operating furnace as a full-scale test.
The design required improved freeboard pressure control, fast isolation dampers to shut off tail gas flow in an emergency, 12 injection points around the furnace to ensure uniform coverage (designed using CFD modelling), dampers at injection points to allow flow distribution to be modified during operation, stainless steel sloped ductwork to prevent corrosion and drain tail gas sludge, precise duct construction to contain positive-pressure tail gas near personnel areas and accurate and verifiable instrumentation to ensure proper monitoring. The system significantly improved furnace temperature control. Addressing challenges Planning ensured critical tie-ins could be made during short shutdown windows.
Equipment layout was complicated by the brownfield environment and required a high degree of field presence, including a full-time team on-site daily to facilitate quick resolution of issues.
The following factors contributed to the projects’ success: • Safety practices were rigorously enforced from the beginning. • Design development and execution were carefully staged over 11 years, in three implementation phases. • Continuous improvement, lessons learned and value improvement practices were implemented through all phases, reducing costs (the projects were brought in 16% under budget). • Shop inspections of equipment packages were completed before delivery to ensure quality. • Regular computer-aided design (CAD) model reviews with stakeholders were completed to ensure technical alignment.
Environmental improvements The PGP reduced SO 2, cadmium, nickel and cobalt measured in the community by 50% to 65%, total SO2 emissions from 40,000 to 26,000 t per annum and SO2 emission intensity from 0.45 to 0.3 t per t Ni + Cu. To address energy efficiency, the team invested in variable frequency drives (VFDs) for process ventilation systems.
The project included efforts to minimize noise. Where one of the largest fans Hatch has ever incorporated on a project needed to be installed close to the property line with the community, for example, the project incorporated control measures, including a specially designed building to mitigate impacts below nighttime limits.
The Sudbury INO is a major employer in the region. Complying with environmental regulations was essential to keeping the facility viable for the community. The improved emission abatement has resulted in fewer periods during which the facility needs to curtail production due to weather conditions that would otherwise contribute to elevated contaminant concentrations. In this way, the project has also improved the economic performance of the facility.
Process Gas Project and Particulate Emissions Project, Sudbury, Ont. Award-winning firm (engineering, procurement and construction management): Hatch, Sudbury, Ont. (Keith Joiner, P.Eng.; Ben Paillé, P.Eng.; Gary Norvall, FIEAust CP Eng, MBA; Josh Lilley, P.Eng.; Aaron Clackett, P.Eng.; Gio Cortolezzis; Mike Lesk, CET; Megan Giroux; Jean Halle; Laura Depatie) Owner: Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations (a Glencore company). Other key players: Space-Ray (gas-fired products), Advanced Integrated Resources (baghouses), Jeamar (primary and secondary hood door drives), Chemetics (cross-flow stripper), Lopes (ductwork), TESC (ductwork), Anmar (ductwork).
We are specialists in design and supply of dust emissions control, collection and treatment.
Specific expertise in dust collectors, baghouses, extraction hoods, ducting, after filters and pneumatic conveying systems for Mining, Iron & Steel, Foundries and Smelters, EAF’s, Building Insulation and Gypsum wallboard plants, Aggregate and Asphalt producers.
Systems up to 700,000 cfm capacities and can be offered as design/build or full turnkey mechanical/electrical and commissioning installations.
CONGRATULATIONS
to Hatch Winning the Award of Excellence! Advanced Integrated Resources (AIR) – is the proud baghouse supplier to the Process Gas Project and Particulate Emissions Project.
CONTACT INFO
Joe Young, President, 905-466-1940 • joe@air-inc.net
