PTQ Q1 2026 Issue

Unlocking ANCAP RFCC performance with key hardware modifications

Modifications completed during a turnaround pursued improvement in the unit’s performance (Scope A) and a reduction of particulate matter emissions (Scope B)

Francy Barrios Axens Marcel Sabag ANCAP

L a Teja Refinery is the only facility of its kind in Uruguay and is operated by ANCAP, the national oil company (NOC) of the country. ANCAP is responsi - ble for supplying the entire market with petroleum prod - ucts. The refinery configuration includes a fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) R2R unit model originally licensed by IFP (the parent company of Axens) in 1989, with an initial capacity of 9,000 BPD. In 2003, the unit was revamped based on a new Process Data Book (PDB) performed by Axens in 1999, which increased capacity to 12,000 BPD. A subsequent revamp was implemented in 2023 to install

new and upgraded reactor internals in order to improve unit yields based on a new PDB performed by Axens in 2019. The FCC R2R model consists of two stages of regener - ation and a riser reactor and has the capability to process a mixture of vacuum gas oil (VGO) and vacuum residue, as shown in Figure 1 . Objectives and scope Reactor internals installed during the 2003 revamp were approaching the end of their life cycle and had to be replaced. The 2023 revamp aimed to achieve two objectives: improve

yields and performance by installing advanced reactor internals, and mitigate envi - ronmental impact by ensuring the flue gas characteristics at the stack outlet comply with the local and current gaseous emissions limit. This scope included moving forward with the proposed modifications to the residual fluid catalytic cracking (RFCC) regeneration and flue gas sections to meet these environmental specifi - cations and comply with the presented emission reduction pathway. Technological solutions From the licensor’s point of view, the main proprietary equipment recommended to ANCAP and implemented in the RFCC unit to achieve the previously described objec - tives included updating the feed injection technology and implementation of a riser sep - aration system and stripper packing in the reaction section. With more than 100 units and a combined FCC capacity

Products to MF

Total combustion

Regenerator 2

Disengager - Stripper

LD2

Stripper packing

CO-boiler

Flue gas

Riser

FIT G-Series Feed injectors

VGO+VR mixture

Air

Regenerator 1

Partial combustion

Figure 1 ANCAP R2R schematic with proposed technological solutions (including 2023 revamp modifications)

PTQ Q1 2026