Due to its inherent operational features, WSA offers more flexibility in terms of crude types. Added to this, Topsoe’s ClearView digital service platform enhances its performance. It collects real-time process data, runs advanced simulations, and provides actionable recommendations to maintain optimal efficiency and compliance. This ensures that refiners meet daily targets for sulphur removal and steam production with minimal downtime or deviation. The result is a comprehensive, low-risk sulphur management solution with a minimal environmental footprint, low life-cycle costs, and high commercial potential. IndianOil, India’s flagship refining company, recently commissioned a WSA plant at its Haldia refinery. The project treats sulphurous off-gases to produce sulphuric acid, aligning with India’s strategic emphasis on circular economy initiatives. This installation delivered the largest recorded carbon emissions savings across all IndianOil Group projects to date. By converting what would otherwise be waste emissions into a saleable product, the refinery supports domestic industry while minimising its environmental impact. The acid is reintroduced into industrial markets, contributing to fertiliser production, linear alkylbenzene sulphonic acid (LABSA) production, and metal extraction applications. The project not only enhances environmental Refinery case studies IndianOil’s Haldia refinery compliance but also demonstrates WSA’s ability to support national sustainability goals without requiring significant infrastructure modifications. Greenfield oil refinery At a greenfield oil refinery, the WSA process was benchmarked against a modified Claus process with an amine-based tail gas treatment unit (TGTU) configuration. Both systems were designed to achieve 99.9% sulphur recovery, processing 90 mol% H₂S amine acid gas and SWS off-gas. The refinery configuration produced 270 TPD of sulphur and 800 TPD of sulphuric acid. The comparison evaluated direct CO₂
emissions from flue gases and indirect emissions associated with utility consumption. While the WSA process had slightly higher electrical consumption (primarily due to greater gas volumes and the use of an air- cooled acid condenser), it demonstrated clear benefits in other critical areas. The Claus system relied on natural gas combustion in the incinerator to eliminate residual sulphur compounds, leading to elevated CO₂ emissions. WSA, by contrast, achieved complete combustion of sulphur compounds internally and required no external significantly. The Claus process required low- pressure steam input for TGTU regenerators, while the WSA system generated high- pressure, superheated steam that could be used within refinery operations, lowering the reliance on boiler-generated steam. Although WSA’s cooling water demand was higher due to the acid condensation step, it eliminated wastewater discharge and avoided chemical consumption, improving the unit’s environmental profile. These operational benefits translated into greater energy efficiency and lower total GHG emissions. This case study illustrates how WSA can enable greenfield refinery projects to achieve both sulphur compliance and carbon reduction goals from day one, while maximising energy recovery and long-term economic returns. fuel, effectively reducing emissions. Steam management also differed technology was deployed to process waste gases from the refinery’s amine and SWS units. The result is a virtually zero-emissions process that produces a commercial-grade product with high local value. The sulphuric acid is used in Peru’s copper mining sector and fertiliser industry, reducing the country’s dependency on imported chemicals. Additionally, the exothermic reactions within the WSA process produce high-pressure steam, which is now integrated into Talara’s refinery operations. This reduces the need for natural gas combustion, contributing to significant carbon emission reductions. PetroPeru’s Talara refinery At the Talara refinery in Peru, WSA
Refining India
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