Meeting the Indian demand for petrochemicals
inside
C =
C =
C =
LCO to indLPet
INDALIN
Gases to GASCON
Gasoline
NCU
To aromatic complex
CN + LCGO
Gases from DCU, NCU indResid H
SRN
C /C to NCU
LCN + MCN
DG + LPG
Para nic r affinates as n aphtha
Naphtha
Kero + LGO + HGO
Ethylene
DG + LPG
LGO
INDMAX
GASCON (PRU, C /C splitters)
Propylene
Aromatics (BTX)
Crude oil
AVU
Butylenes
Aromatic Complex
FG + LPG
HDT VGO
Naphtha
Diesel to p ool
FG + LPG
LCO, HCN
SR VGO
LN to NCU
HDT
Naphtha to INDALIN
indLPet
FG + LPG to GASCON
Gasoline pool
Heart cut
CN + LCGO
INDMAX CLO
ULSD
VR
HCGO
LGO
indResid H
Diesel pool
HGO
FRAC.
DCU/ Ind-Coker AT
FG + LPG to GASCON
Pitch
Anode - grade coke
PFO from NCU
Indigenous technologies pave the way for crude oil-to-chemicals transition 3 Three steps to optimise fractionator performance with plate technology 4
George Fortman The Catalyst Group
From a global perspective, crude oil-to- chemicals (COTC) continues to be a pow- erful industry driver and a strong trend of high interest to all integrated refineries and chemicals producers. This is reinforced by many factors, most notably the forecasts which predict a slowing of transporta- tion fuels growth approaching 2040 (with hybrids and EVs), while the growth in chem- icals is expected to increase as the popu- lation and middle-class wealth continue to rise, leading to increasing demand for pack- aging and consumer goods. This said, nuances to the Indian mar- ket for fuels and petrochemicals need to be navigated to ensure maximum profita- bility and sustainability in the future. India will experience much higher growth rates in oil demand compared to the global mar- ket. India’s oil demand is forecasted to rise by 7% between 2019 and 2030 ver- sus a global growth rate of 6.6%, accord- ing to the IEA’s Stated Policies Scenario. 1 Furthermore, the mix of oil-based prod- ucts is likely to change due to a relative increase in the share of gasoline versus die- sel due to several factors. The main fac- tors include the Government of India’s (GOI) removal of the diesel subsidy in 2014, the implementation of the Bharat Stage 6 (BS 6) emissions standards in 2020, the imple- mentation of the CAFÉ II norms in April 2022, and the expected rollout of BS 6 Phase II in 2023. The result is more expen- sive diesel cars in tandem with more expen- sive diesel fuel opening the door for deeper market penetration by gasoline and gaso- line vehicles. What does all of this mean? India will have increased demand for fuels and pet- rochemicals, but the increase in gasoline demand will compete with the demand for petrochemical feedstocks. Technology pro- ducers are, of course, rising to the chal- lenge. For example, KBR, in partnership with Neste Engineering Solutions, has sug-
gested that while naphtha and reformate are being routed to petrochemical product, there is a need for high octane, low RVP components. This need can be met utilis- ing their NexEther and NExOctane tech- nologies by converting the butane-butylene fraction from the FCC unit to ethers and alkylates. MTBE or ETBE can be produced from etherification of isobutylene with methanol or ethanol. They also present a strategy to produce alkylate from C₄ olefins and isobutane using Exelus Inc’s ExSact solid acid catalyst. Both technologies offer a flexible option to drive towards 95 RON gasoline while utilising a largely untapped resource in refineries. According to GlobalData’s latest report, Global Petrochemicals New-Build and Expansion Projects Outlook 2021-2025, nearly 34% of all petrochemical project starts (totalling 281 projects) in Asia will take place in India. 2 The investments are due to the fact that India’s economic growth is causing demand for petrochemicals to outpace supply. 3 A study conducted by Engineers India Ltd (EIL), with information provided by government-owned IndianOil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), forecasted demand for petrochemicals in India may increase between 2020 and 2040 by 222% from 40 to 87 million metric tonnes per annum. Increases in petrochemical production can come from a multitude of intermediate streams. The Catalyst Group Resources’ (TCGR) most recently completed report, Oil-to-Chemicals II: New Approaches from Resid and VGOs , explored both ‘carbon-out’ and ‘hydrogen-in’ options for increased pet- rochemicals, looking at such technologies as visbreaking and Flexicoking for the former and residue hydrocracking and slurry resi- due hydrocracking for the latter. In TCGR’s next study, Oil-to-Chemicals III: Stepwise Capex Options for Fuels Refineries , we will explore ‘add-on’ and low Capex options to boost petrochemical production. The study
will include options for increased olefins, C₄s, and C₅+s from FCC revamps and cat- alyst options, strategies for enhanced BTX production through naphtha reforming and aromatics operations, as well as dehydro- genation strategies for on-purpose olefins. We will couple these technology advance- ments with synergies for decarbonisation, as well as examine the process economics and carbon footprint evaluations. The study will give guidance in selecting the most cost-effective route to meet the aggressive growth in demand expected for petrochem- icals with implications for Indian producers. Today, we have entered an era where socioeconomic and supply/demand trends are shifting, and traditional business mod- els of segregated refining versus chem- icals production no longer hold true. Navigating the complexities of the market and choosing the right technology to ena- ble flexibility while maintaining efficiency will be critical to the path to future success in Indian refining. References 1 Based on data from International Energy Agency (2021), as modified by The Catalyst Group. 2 India to witness significant petrochemi- cals project starts through 2025 to meet growing demand. www.petro-online.com/ news/fuel-for-thought/13/global-data/ india-to-witness-significant-petrochemi- cals-project-starts-through-2025-to-meet- growing-demand/56960 (accessed August 31, 2022). 3 India’s Petrochemical Demand May Triple by 2040 on Rising Plastics Consumption. www. polymerupdate.com/blog/plastic-news/2022- 04-05-India%E2%80%99s-petrochemical- demand-may-triple-by-2040-on-rising-plastics- consumption.aspx?id=1161015&year=2022 (accessed August 31, 2022).
DWC technology for improved separation and reduced CO₂ emissions Precious metals: managing the markets in a changing world
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Visuali s ation
Dashboard (waylay)
Custom UI for applications
API monitoring and maintenance
API layer
On boarding
Publishing
Tra c management
Analytics
Ingress
Storage
Processing
Management monitoring
Sushi sensor
Lora
Lora gateway
Cache
Control network
Visual logic builder/runtime
Device management
MQTT
Data Aggregator
Storage
Security**
IOT hub*
Resource meta data
</>
API management
Container engine K8s
Time series data
Rest API
Azure-connector
Actuators
API platform monitoring
Data transformations
ETL
Broker
Relational data
SQL
Application services
Routing
Digitalisation on cloud 8 Recovery of ammonia from sour gases and conversion to valuable products 9 Digital transformation of component repair boosts compressor uptime 10
Efficient and cost-effective amine purification process Catalyst technologies for enhancing profitability in the energy transition SprayMax FCC feed injection nozzles Advancing industries through materials technology
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13
14
16 Development and commercialisation of superabsorbent polymer technology 16 Smarter and safer sulphur for refinery & petrochemical plants with SULSAFE 17
Heat integration 12%
Low level heat recovery 6%
Optimi s ing the operating parameters 2% Fired heaters e ciency improvement 5%
Intervention of new technologies 17%
Steam and power
network 14%
Rationali s ation and upgrading of facilities 44%
Comprehensive energy efficiency improvement and benchmarking studies
18
Contact: gfortman@catalystgrp.com
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refining india 2022
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2
refining india 2022
Indigenous technologies pave the way for crude oil-to-chemicals transition
Sarvesh Kumar, Madhusudan Sau and SSV Ramakumar IndianOil Corporation Limited
handle kero, SRGO, and straight-run naph- tha, with high conversions and without any feed pre-treatment. The technology pro- duces propylene in the range of 15-20 wt% on a fresh feed basis with a P/E ratio of ~2, depending on the type of feed. Gasoline with a BTX content of up to 40 wt% is pro- duced, which is a suitable feedstock for the aromatic complex. • indResid H is an indigenous slurry hydro- cracking technology for residue upgrad- ing using a proprietary oil-soluble catalyst system. The process upgrades bottom- of-the-barrel (vacuum residue) to mid- dle and lighter distillates using a slurry reactor system under high temperature and hydrogen partial pressure. The over- all conversion of the process is between 94 and 96 wt%, and the middle distil- late yield is around 55-65 wt%. For COTC purposes, the process parameters can be adjusted to improve naphtha yield, and middle distillate can be routed to a middle distillate hydrocracker to improve petro- chemical intensity. • Delayed Coker technology is indige- nously developed and licensed by IndianOil jointly with EIL. The technology has been licensed to two coker units in the IOCL refinery, one of which is currently under operation and producing anode-grade coke. Also, a non-IOCL refinery has selected the technology to revamp their coker unit for processing one of the heaviest feedstocks (CCR ~30 wt%) among the delayed coker units (DCU) in India. • Ind-Coker AT technology has been devel- oped to improve the distillate yield by reducing the lower value coke by 4-5 wt% over conventional DCUs. This patented technology is a key solution to addressing the issue of petcoke disposal.
The crude oil-to-chemicals (COTC) transi- tion is being brought in due to growth in petrochemicals, estimated at 1.4 times GDP, which could contribute to a 35-40% increase in total oil demand worldwide. Traditional refining generates 20% resid, with the major part as fuels, while 5-6% is converted to chemicals. A multi-prong approach targeting the chemical conver- sion of each fraction of crude oil is required to achieve the highest yields of light olefins and aromatic chemicals from crude oil. The refining and petrochemical industry can benefit immensely by adopting indigenous refining technologies developed by the IndianOil R&D Centre to achieve maximum COTC conversions. IndianOil has developed a series of state- of-the-art technologies, such as INDMAX, INDALIN, indLPet, indResid H , Delayed Coker, and Ind-Coker AT , a combination of which can achieve higher crude to chemi- cal conversions. The technology features are described below: • INDMAX is a flagship technology from IndianOil and globally licensed jointly by IOCL and Lummus. This catalytic cracker technology enables the conversion of resi- due and gasoils to light olefins with selec- tive catalyst and hardware technology. The technology can produce ethylene and pro- pylene in the range of 3-5 wt% and 15-20 wt%, depending on the feedstock. The technology has been licensed to nine refin- eries in India and abroad. Three units are operating at different IOCL refineries. • INDALIN is a catalytic cracking technol- ogy suitable for upgrading mainly cracked naphtha to light olefins and BTX with shape- selective catalyst and hardware employing a circulating fluidised bed reactor-regener- ator configuration. This technology can also
Figure 1 4.17 MMTPA grassroots INDMAX unit at IOCL Paradip refinery
• indLPet is a mild hydrocracking technol- ogy which operates in the pressure range between 40 and 60 barg for highly aro- matic FCC LCO conversion with a propri- etary ring-opening catalyst system to BTX and BTX precursor (C₉-alkyl benzenes). The technology produces LPG (4-6 wt%) light naphtha (20-25 wt%), which can be routed to a naphtha cracker unit, heart-cut naph- tha (55-65 wt%), rich in BTX, and BTX pre-
cursor, which can be directly routed to the aromatic complex, and ultra-low sulphur diesel (ULSD) (8-15 wt%). The sulphur and nitrogen in indLPet heart-cut are below <0.5 ppmw. The RON of total naphtha (light + heart-cut) is around 94-95 units and can be routed to the gasoline pool as an alter- native. The technology is available in once- through and recycle configurations. A synergistic combination of the above IOCL technologies can achieve maximum conversion of crude oil to value-added chemicals in the range of 55 to 65 wt%. One typical configuration developed by IOCL is shown in Figure 2 , wherein crude oil is fed to the atmospheric vacuum unit (AVU) to obtain naphtha, gasoils, VGO, and vac- uum residue. The straight-run naphtha with cracked naphtha from other units is fed to the INDALIN and steam cracker unit in the desired proportion for conversion to light olefins and aromatics. After hydrotreat- ment, VGO and indResid H gasoil are routed to INDMAX for further conversion to lighter products, including light olefins. INDMAX HCN and LCO are routed to indLPet to obtain light naphtha and aromatic-rich heavy naphtha for the aromatic complex and low-sulphur diesel as fuel. Vacuum res- idue is processed in the indResid H unit to obtain gases, light naphtha, gasoils, and pitch. Pitch and CLO are routed to the DCU/ Ind-Coker AT unit for conversion to cracked naphtha and gasoil feed for INDALIN and premium quality anode-grade coke.
C =
C =
C =
LCO to indLPet
INDALIN
Gases to GASCON
Gasoline
NCU
To aromatic complex
CN + LCGO
Gases from DCU, NCU indResid H
SRN
C /C to NCU
LCN + MCN
DG + LPG
Para nic r affinates as n aphtha
Naphtha
Kero + LGO + HGO
Ethylene
DG + LPG
LGO
INDMAX
GASCON (PRU, C /C splitters)
Propylene
Aromatics (BTX)
Crude oil
AVU
Butylenes
Aromatic Complex
FG + LPG
HDT VGO
Naphtha
Diesel to p ool
FG + LPG
LCO, HCN
SR VGO
LN to NCU
HDT
Naphtha to INDALIN
indLPet
FG + LPG to GASCON
Gasoline pool
Heart cut
CN + LCGO
INDMAX CLO
ULSD
VR
HCGO
LGO
indResid H
Diesel pool
HGO
FRAC.
DCU/ Ind-Coker AT
FG + LPG to GASCON
Pitch
Anode - grade coke
PFO from NCU
Figure 2 A typical COTC configuration developed by IOCL
Contact: saum@indianoil.in
3
refining india 2022
Three steps to optimise fractionator performance with plate technology
Jay Jeong Alfa laval
Introduction The refining industry has dealt with vari- ous challenges throughout its history, but the current pressure from a range of fac- tors, such as energy optimisation, emis- sions reduction, debottlenecking/capacity increase, product yield and quality improve- ment, off-gas reduction, minimised cool- ing water requirement, and reliability and uptime improvement, is unprecedented. All players involved in the industry – from refiners, licensors, and technology provid- ers to EPC contractors and system build- ers – are working to save energy while optimising the process. Since the crude distillation process is the largest energy consumer, much effort has been made to optimise preheat trains in both atmospheric and vacuum distilla- tion units (ADU and VDU), where Alfa Laval has been supporting customers with more than 1000 welded plate heat exchang- ers. Hydrotreaters also take a significant share of energy consumption, and more and more refiners are looking at optimis- ing combined feed exchangers (CFEs), tar- geting energy optimisation and molecule management through securing stability in the furnace and reactor until the end of run (EOR). Alfa Laval plate technology has been successfully used in several recent naphtha hydrotreater projects. Although energy optimisation in the ADU/VDU preheat train and CFE in the hydrotreater have been getting attention, less effort has been given to optimising simpler columns such as fractionator and stabiliser/stripper columns (see Figure 1 ). Such an activity would bring various ben- efits, including energy savings, installation cost savings, improved molecule manage- ment, off-gas reduction, and minimised cooling water requirements. In the sections below, three steps for fractionator optimisation will be described, with the benefits from each step. Optimise the feed bottoms exchanger The first position that comes to mind
Energy consumption in refinery
P min
P min
Process
Consumption (MW)
% 33 15
Atm. distillation Vacuum Dist. Visbreaking Delayed coking Hydrocracking Hydrotreating FCC
217.3 100.6 0.9 23.5 73.1 18.3 15.5 2.5 7.3 2.8 150.5 50.6 662.9
25˚C
25˚C
min
O gas
O gas
0 4 11
dP min 30˚C
dP min
Fractionator
Fractionator
max
3
Light end
Light end
Re ex drum
Re ex drum
23
Reforming Alkylation
8 2 0
Ethers
lsomerisation
1
R/D
R/D
Lube oil
0
P min
P min
Total
100
Based on capacity 150,000 bpd / reference EIA, USA
Feed
Feed
Table 1
when considering fractionator optimisa- tion would probably be the feed bottoms exchanger. The basic principle is to recover the maximum level of energy from the bot- toms and preheat the feed to the frac- tionator, as the bottoms are to be cooled down while the feed needs to be heated.
Bottom product
Bottom product
Figure 3a First direct benefit of lower pressure drop in the condenser
Figure 3b Second direct benefit of lower pressure drop in the condenser
However, with fully welded plate technol- ogy with a corrugated pattern and the pos- sibility of full mechanical cleaning, such as the Alfa Laval Compabloc heat exchanger, the limitation discussed above is no longer an issue. The high level of turbulence pro- moted by the corrugated pattern brings very high heat transfer efficiency, making it possible to achieve a much tighter tem- perature approach than with conventional technology. Also, since the Compabloc heat exchanger can have full countercur- rent flow, it is possible to have a significant temperature cross within a single unit, sav- ing the plot space needed. High turbulence secures very high wall shear stress, which makes it possible to have a much lower fouling tendency. Optimise the overhead condenser Among all the challenges in dealing with the fractionator overhead condenser, cor- rosion control and managing pressure drop are the two most distinctive challenges. It can be said that corrosion control is easier than managing pressure drop because it is possible to upgrade the construction mate-
rial to a higher grade, corrosion-resistant alloy, although the additional cost is usu- ally a hurdle to overcome. Generally, there are several heat exchangers installed in parallel as overhead condensers to main- tain the pressure drop as low as possible. A common approach is to use multiple bun- dles of air coolers in parallel or several shell and tube exchangers in parallel. However, there is always a limitation in keeping the pressure drop below a certain level because of the footprint of the structure or the weight of the condenser itself. If used as a condenser, the Compabloc heat exchanger can overcome the barriers encountered by default with conventional technologies. Thanks to multiple channels with short travel lengths on the vapour side, it is possible to achieve a much lower pressure drop compared to conventional technologies. On top of that, free conden- sate flow paths in the plate pattern design prevent pressure drop increases related to stacked condensate, which means a lower pressure drop is maintained for longer. The first direct benefit of a lower pres- sure drop in the overhead condenser is the possibility of having a lower column oper- ating pressure because the actual column operating pressure is determined by the design operating pressure and the addi- tional pressure needed in the overhead condenser (see Figure 3a ). Lowering the pressure drop in the overhead condenser creates a column operating pressure that improves the separation between frac- tions in the column. Consequently, a series of indirect benefits become apparent, including energy saving in the reboiler or direct steam injection due to a lower boil- ing temperature and better separation in the fractionator due to improved separa- tion dynamics. The second direct benefit of a lower pressure drop in the overhead condenser is increased recovery of valuable mole- cules at the outlet of the condenser (see Figure 3b ). The lower pressure drop in
Did you know Alfa Laval plate technology has been successfully used in several recent naphtha hydrotreater projects?
Maximising energy recovery from the bot- toms to the feed lowers the burden to the bottoms cooler and lowers the burden to the column reboiler (see Figure 2 ) or the amount of steam injected. The question left is, what is the limiting factor in recov- ering the maximum level of energy from the bottoms to the feed within the range the feed remains stable? The answer is fully dependent on the heat exchanger technology you are using. Considering conventional technology, such as shell and tube exchangers, it is not possible to reach the maximum poten- tial level because the technology itself will be the limiting factor. With shell and tube heat exchangers, you cannot achieve a tight enough temperature approach and a good level of temperature cross, even with several units in series. So the number of units in series quickly becomes unre- alistically high if you want to achieve the temperature cross needed for maximum energy recovery. Besides, poor wall shear stress, even on the tube side, makes shell and tube exchangers very vulnerable to fouling, so it is necessary to have standby units in parallel.
25˚C
25˚C
O gas
O gas
Fractionator
Fractionator
Light end
Re ex drum
Light end
Re ex drum
T max
R/D
R/D
Feed
Q min
Reboiler
Feed
Feed bottoms exchanger
Q max
Bottom product
Bottom product
Bottoms cooler
Figure 2 Optimising the feed bottoms exchanger
Figure 1 Fractionator
4
refining india 2022
the overhead condenser brings the out- let pressure closer to the inlet pressure, which means the outlet pressure is main- tained high. Consequently, the vapour fraction at the outlet is reduced while the liquid fraction is increased, which means more valuable molecules are recovered. So, in the end, the light end product flow (or reflux flow) is maximised while the off- gas flow is minimised. Alfa Laval provides overhead condenser optimisation solutions with Compabloc heat exchangers in various processes ranging from ADU overhead condensers to much simpler stripper overhead con- densers. Upgrading to higher grade mate- rial in Compabloc does not necessarily result in a huge cost increase thanks to the much lighter weight of heat transfer plates because Compabloc usually needs much less heat transfer area and the plate itself is thinner than a tube. Recover and reuse low-grade energy Several streams cooled with cooling water or ambient air waste low-grade
down coolers, and even condensers use a considerable amount of cooling water and add a burden to the cooling water supply system. However, this can be completely changed if heat exchangers with signif- icant temperature cross can be used. This can generate hot water or preheat boiler feed water instead of returning warm water to the water-cooling sys- tem. Recovering waste heat in this way could change those heat exchangers from cost generators to profit generators (see Figure 4 ). For decades, many refiners have selected Alfa Laval solutions for waste heat recovery from low-grade energy sources around the fractionator column. For example, air coolers or shell and tube condensers have been changed to com- pact condensers with temperature cross to recover energy from vapour to hot water. Similarly, simple shell and tube coolers with cooling water have been changed to coolers with temperature cross and a tight temperature approach to recover energy from the bottom prod-
uct or rundown stream and generate hot water. Recovered energy is reused in various applications, such as boiler feed water preheating, freshwater generation, waste- water evaporation, and district heating, which brings significant Opex saving at very small Capex. Conclusion While energy saving, emission control, and molecule management are gaining focus, optimising the performance of the fractionator beyond the limit of conven- tional technology is fully in line with such a trend. This will save energy by optimis- ing the feed bottoms exchanger and the overhead condenser and recovering val- uable molecules through the overhead condenser. Energy can be recovered by optimising coolers that use cool- ing water, which will also reduce cooling water usage. Of course, alternatively, the energy saved can be used for increasing capacity in the plant instead of reducing energy costs.
P min
WHR
25˚C
min
O gas
dP min 30˚C
Fractionator
max
Light end
Re ex drum
T max
WHR
R/D max
P min
Feed
Q min
WHR
Q max
Bottom product
Figure 4 Recover and reuse low-grade energy from streams in the fractionator
energy because when using conventional shell and tube technology it was easier than the more expensive option of recov- ering the energy. Product coolers, run-
DWC technology for improved separation and reduced CO 2 emissions
Srinivasulu Kaalva, Chanchal Samanta, Chiranjeevi Thota, Bharat L Newalkar and Ravikumar Voolapalli Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd
The two most important challenges today’s refinery and petrochemical indus- tries are facing from a sustainability point of view are reducing carbon footprints from operation while maintaining a prof- itability margin by improving the yield of value-added products. Improved separation efficiency plays a key role in increasing product yields with minimum energy consumption, thereby reducing CO₂ emissions. The divided wall column (DWC) concept, which combines the operation of two conventional columns in one shell, is an advanced separation tech- nique that helps improve energy efficiency in the range of 10-30% while reducing cap- ital expenditure and space requirements. DWC technology is a very promising sep- aration system. In the last two decades, it has found applications in different indus- tries, especially specialty chemicals, petro- chemicals, and refineries. Global specialty chemicals producers are actively imple- menting this technology in their separation applications. To capture the opportunities in these areas, BPCL has developed its own DWC technology and implemented it successfully in Kochi Refinery, one of the flagship refineries of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL). The key features of the technology are: • BHARAT DWC (B-DWC) is a novel and patented technology developed by BPCL for naphtha separation based on the DWC concept • Based on B-DWC technology, a DWC column was configured for naphtha sepa- ration into four different streams
control strategies in China, India is poised to become one of the major specialty chemicals manufacturers in the world. To meet the future demand for chemicals in India, it is important to use energy-effi- cient technologies to reduce the cost of production, as well as refinery carbon foot- prints. In view of this, DWC technology can find a place in the following separation applications: • Solvent recovery • Extractive distillation
Liquid split
A
Re ux
Vertical wall creates a feed and draw-o section
A,B,C
Boiling point A<C<B
C
Main column
• API purification • Gas separation • Refinery separation applications
Vapour split
B
There is tremendous scope for convert- ing or designing new DWC columns for dif- ferent types of applications in India. Based on preliminary analysis, approximately 100 separation columns in Indian refiner- ies can be converted to DWC. In addition, due to the competitive price advantage in India compared to other developed nations presently licensing this technology, India can become a global technology provider and earn foreign exchange, as well as provide employment for Indian nationals across the globe. BPCL has signed an agreement with Engineers India Limited (EIL) to license this technology using the trade name ‘BharatEng-DWC Technology’. BPCL-EIL is advancing to jointly provide end-to-end technology, including process design, inter- nals supply, installation, and commissioning for both greenfield and retrofitting units.
Figure 1 Schematic of DWC concept (left) and photo of the naphtha splitter at Kochi Refinery with DWC technology (right)
commissioned on 11th March 2019, and high-quality separation was achieved Although the DWC concept is well known, very few global players are licens- ing the technology due to the design complexity and associated operational challenges. Typically, two conventional col- umns are required, or more energy (~30%) is needed to achieve separation similar to that obtained in B-DWC. BPCL was the first Indian company to successfully dem- onstrate DWC technology based on indig- enous know-how. B-DWC technology is a versatile and energy-efficient separation technology, and it can be applied to any separation sys- tem that separates three or four products. Due to changes in geopolitics and pollution
BPCL was the first Indian company to successfully demonstrate DWC technology
• B-DWC technology was implemented at Kochi Refinery by modifying an existing conventional three-cut column into a four- cut B-DWC • The modified column was successfully
Contact: dlcrdcsupport@bharatpetroleum.in
5
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refining india 2022
Precious metals: managing the markets in a changing world
Bradford Cook Sabin Metal Corporation
The metals we call ‘precious’ were originally given that title based on their beauty and rarity. They were shiny, and people have always liked shiny. These metals became highly sought after, and being difficult to find they became very valuable. They are still considered very valuable for their appearance, but their expanding techno- logical uses and increasing scarcity mean these elements will continue to be treas- ured for even greater reasons. To get an idea of the rarity, consider that all the platinum ever mined in human his- tory would fit inside a four-bedroom house. That may sound impossible, but remember that one cubic metre of platinum weighs over 21 metric tons (MT). A 20-litre bucket of pure platinum would weigh approxi- mately 430 kg. This article will discuss platinum group metals supply, demand, and recycling; examine what is happening within the world of platinum group metals (PGM) and the related effects on the market; and review how precious metal users and suppliers can best coordinate for mutual success. PGM demand over the last century has, of course, been growing steadily. Platinum demand is estimated between 200 and 250 MT per year, and annual palladium demand now exceeds 300 MT. Approximately 90% of all palladium and rhodium above ground on planet Earth is riding around in the catalytic convertors of automobiles. Therefore, since the 1970s, the main ‘driver’ (sorry for the pun) for PGM has been the automobile market. In a nutshell, roughly 30% of platinum and 80% of palladium demand today is for catalytic convertors; approximately 30% of platinum and 15% of palladium goes to industry (that means petroleum and pet- rochemical refining, chemical production, fibreglass); and the rest falls under jewel- lery and investment. In terms of supply, South Africa pro- duces over 70% of platinum and almost 40% of palladium annually. Russia accounts for about 15% of platinum pro- duction and roughly 50% of palladium pro- duction annually. The London Platinum and Palladium Market (LPPM) announced on 8 April of this year that they had suspended
answers to some of humanity’s most press- ing needs: • Conservation: automotive catalysts and industrial filtration units that reduce emissions • Energy: fuel cells, gasoline, jet fuels • World health : treatments, medical devices, and pharmaceutical products that contain PGM or are made using PGM; man- made gems in precision lasers for surgery Clearly, however, we need to get better at recycling. We can say with confidence that the reuse of a PGM ounce will mitigate energy use and lower emissions versus min- ing a PGM ounce. Best estimates at this time are that a recycled ounce of platinum has 5% of the carbon footprint of a mined ounce. A beautiful aspect of precious metal sustainability is that they can be refined and reused indefinitely. Our goal should therefore be to gather them as thoroughly as possible after each of their incarnations, and continue to maximise the number of refine/reuse cycles. In order to further perfect the refine/reuse cycle, precious metal owners must clearly understand the old adage that ‘cheaper is not better’. The important thing in the pro- curement equation is not the processing fee or freight costs; it is proper weighing and sampling and accurate analysis to cor- rectly (and honestly) determine the pre- cious metals content. This sort of quality in design and execution cannot and does not come cheap, so one must divide the equi- librium between quality of service and cost. Insufficient or unethical services trans- late to incorrect sampling, illegal disposal of wastes, and other improper behaviour. Utilising professional witnessing is always recommended, in addition to verifying com- pliance with anti-money laundering legisla- tion of any PGM vendor. As you and your company continue to use and recycle precious metals, make sure your PGM end up with a responsible recy- cler; root out and eliminate the unethical and wasteful through due diligence and investigation; forge global partnerships with industry stewards like yourselves; allow for fair margins, so that research and development can be properly supported; and discard perceived limitations and chal- lenge the status quo. Long-term wisdom and meaningful innovation are best for fam- ilies, but it is also what is best for business, and as a result it is what is best for the soci- ety of Mankind. References 1 Johnson Matthey website, Market Research (May 2021).
the two Russian refiners on their ‘Good Delivery’ list. These suspension announce- ments caused a tightening of the physical availability of PGM and some disruption for automotive and industrial users. The recycling picture is mixed; while the industry deserves a pat on the back for the improvement in ounces recycled (recycling met only 19% of the demand in 2010 but reached 28% in 2020), this is almost entirely due to autocatalyst being recap- tured in emerging markets. In short, we are seeing various market forces pulling in all directions at once: the COVID pandemic, the chip shortage, the logistics mess around the globe, labour shortages, Brexit, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. When we overlay the supply, recy- cling, and demand (see Figure 1 ), we see that the total platinum supply will remain in surplus of demand by about 200,000 ounces troy or so for the next several years.
Palladium, on the other hand, is in deficit by over 1 million ounces troy. It should be noted that these estimates do not take into account the last few months of world events. Expectations within the precious metals industry are that PGM prices will experience sustained volatility, lease rates Did you know that PGM continues to provide cutting edge solutions to some of humanity’s most pressing problems? will remain elevated for the short term, and the aforementioned restrictions will con- tinue with regard to the availability of phys- ical metal. The sheer amount of PGM that the world demands every year makes mining crucial, and the industry is focused on improving existing methods and controls. There is not much that can be done about political hot spots or the deteriorating ore quality, but we can protect workers as the mines get deeper, examine and shrink the carbon footprint, and reduce the cost of refining. Thankfully there are a bunch of extremely smart people working on just that. Now and for the foreseeable future, PGM will remain at the cutting edge of providing
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2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
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2 GFMS website, April 2022. 3 LPPM website, April 2022. 4 NADA website, April 2022. 5 ScotiaBank website, January 2022. 6 Statista website, March 2022.
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Figure 1 Movement of stocks (million ounces troy)
Contact: bcook@sabinmetal.com
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refining india 2022
Digitalisation on cloud Most refineries are adopting cloud-ena- bled digitalisation to reap the benefits of technology in terms of scale-up, security, and availability of the applications and ser- vices to compress the decision-making cycle and empowerment of employees. Traditionally all these applications are used in silos, and the data sources are dif- ferent; hence the interpretations are lim- ited to specific tasks without a holistic approach. Jagadesh Donepudi, Ashok Pathak and Mike Aylott KBC (A Yokogawa Company), Mumbai Dashboard (waylay) Control network Sushi sensor Lora MQTT Lora gateway On boarding Visuali s ation API layer Ingress
Custom UI for applications
API monitoring and maintenance
Publishing
Tra c management
Analytics
Storage
Processing
Management monitoring
Cache
Visual logic builder/runtime
Device management
Data Aggregator
Storage
With the advent of the Internet of Things, obtaining data from remote loca- tions became easy by deploying sensors and wireless technologies. For refineries today, the data is centralised in the distrib- uted control system (DCS) control rooms, and the same data is being used for con- trols, automation, and analytics. Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) sensors allow refiners to add to the conventional data with new information, enabling improved pictures of equipment health. With the application of linear models, like linear programming (LP), the supply chain cycle demand forecast, planning and scheduling have made it possible to pro- cure the right crudes, process them in a given refinery configuration, and meet the demand scenarios. Many times at the end of the month after backcasting, we observe gaps between plan and actual. The yields and qualities do not match with the actuals. The differ- ences may be due to feed qualities, meas- urements, catalyst performance, and so on. Process simulation tools, such as Petro-SIM, help analyse these deviations, accounting for the non-linearities, mass balances, and measurements. One of the solutions KBC is architecting is digital twins of the entire plant, including the major equipment, connected with real- time data and running the applications on a cloud-based platform such Yokogawa Cloud, hosted on a commercial/private cloud platform like Azure or AWS. The engineering applications such as process simulation, in our case Petro- SIM and Visual MESA Energy Real Time Optimisation, reside in the containers where the data is received. The plant and calculations are carried out in the cloud, and the results are published as a key per- formance indicator (KPI) on the visualisa- tion layer through a browser. Digitalisation on Cloud KBC’s digitalisation architecture is both flexible and agnostic of the cloud platform selected. In collaboration with Yokogawa, we are redeveloping our applications to work on Yokogawa’s standard cloud plat- form (see Figure 1 ), as well as enabling the component parts to plug into other cloud platforms such as Microsoft Azure or AWS using industry-standard containerisation and integration techniques: • Standard Docker images for engines such as Petro-SIM • REST application programming inter- face (APIs), enabling largely automatic integration with platform components such as asset models, time series data-
Security**
IOT hub*
Resource meta data
</>
API management
Container engine K8s
Time series data
Rest API
Azure-connector
Actuators
API platform monitoring
Data transformations
ETL
Broker
Relational data
SQL
Application services
Routing
Figure 1 Cloud architecture with Yokogawa platform
vals, while others will have to respond to triggers based on new data availability and other events. The big picture of digital twins inte- grated with planning, scheduling, and recover time objective (RTO) on Lookahead mode enables obtaining the right set points to the APCs. Lookback mode pro- Did you know KBC’s digitalisation architecture is both flexible and agnostic of the cloud platform selected?
bases, and relational datastores and ena- bling flexible data import and export • Web-based user interfaces (UI) This approach allows considerable flex- ibility in architecting solutions. Taking Petro-SIM process digital twins as an example, they can be implemented: • On-premise, tying into site historian sys- tems like IP-21 and LIMS • Natively on a digital platform such as Azure tenant as Docker images that work with Petro-SIM models built on the desk- top today and with fully web-based Petro- SIM in the future • Natively on the Yokogawa platform deployed on Azure tenant and integrated with your systems of record • Natively on the Yokogawa platform as software as a service (SaaS) application Digital Twins Architectures Refinery planning, scheduling, and con- trol operations involve multiple models that need maintenance and, too often, existing processes are highly manual. Implementing digital twins enables run- ning these applications automatically on digital platforms, as shown in Figure 2 . Some digital twin calculations can run on fixed timers, such as hourly or daily inter-
models through recalibration of the mod- els as required.
Digital Twin Workflows The above digital twin applications are developed using KBC’s proprietary Petro-SIM flowsheet embedded with SIM reactor models. These digital twins are linked to data historians allowing them to gather and process data from the refinery data historian, enabling unit monitoring, visualisation, what-if scenarios, and other automation of the model upkeep. Digital twins perform data reconcili- ation and calculate KPIs on a process unit, such as feed quality summaries, unit yields, process conditions, and reactor severities (such as conversion) for anal- ysis by process engineers, and also the economic value of the streams with all the prices in place. A digital twin will perform the follow- ing key tasks using a standard automated methodology: • Retrieve and screen process and lab data • Reconcile unit material balances • Calculate key, unmeasured process variables • Calculate a set of KPIs • Provide the ability to trend actual ver- sus simulation versus plan • Summarise deviation of trends in the status report of KBC Explorer • Generate a set of reports – material balance (raw and reconciled), data quality indicators, and unit KPIs • Integration of digital twins with artifi- cial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) to provide auto-calibration of the models and updating of the LP vectors Use Cases The Petro-SIM Explorer has been used for graphical trending of actual versus simulation versus LP sub-model values for given process variables, such as unit operation variables, yields, and prod- uct properties. The SIM model predic- tions are tracked and compared against
vides reconciled data by comparing actual results with calculated parameters using data reconciliation and correction to get the right data to simulation models and updates of LP vectors in the planning
Production schedule
Crude schedule
Energy schedule
Energy demands
Digital twin – CDU Lookahead
Daily scheduling
Daily energy scheduling
Production plan
Baseline data
ERTO targets
RTO targets
Daily production accounting
Process RTO
Energy RTO
Plant data
Process data
Historian data
Utilities system APC/DCS
Plant data
CDU APC/DCS
OMS data, LIMS data
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Digital twin – CDU
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Crude unit
Utilities
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Lookback 24
Plant performance KPIs
Figure 2 Digital twin architecture
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refining india 2022
the actual unit operations (see Figure 3 ). Cases are stored in an associated data- base to allow historical trending and moni- toring of selected variables. Value Realisation Solutions like profit improvement and energy optimisation are taking advantage of all the technological advances already covered to turn what was originally a sin- gle engagement into a continuous process. Let us illustrate this through one aspect of our traditional refinery performance improvement programme: benchmarking, identification of gaps, and the opportunity roadmap for implementation. The value of identified opportunities is traditionally assessed using a base case operating sce- nario and pricing. Using a cloud platform, we can automate running the individual opportunity calculations against current conditions and pricing, letting you have a dynamic projection of value and making it easier to validate and select opportuni- ties for implementation. We can also make it easy to modify the list of opportunities on the roadmap, bringing in new ideas or operating modes for ongoing analysis. This makes much of the consulting analysis evergreen. Figure 4 shows some examples of the benefits obtained by different KBC clients from digital twin implementation.
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C + Gasoline/std ideal liquid volume ow - Measured C + Gasoline/std ideal liquid volume ow - Simulator C + Gasoline/std ideal liquid volume ow - LP
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Figure 3 Example of actual vs LP vs simulator trends
Summary Cloud-based architectures provide flexible storage, workflow, and compute methods, which allow for more flexible/ changeable integration and automation Assembly of information in data lakes allows for insight from big data analysis benefiting from one source of the truth Maturity of AI engines allows us to use AI for a wide range of use cases, such as early identification of potential faults, to improve data quality during data nor- malisation, and to use ML to supplement first-principle models that drive much of planning and scheduling.
Plan vs actual
Mass balance (VM-PA)
KPI dashboards for Perf Eval
Visualisation
1-5 c/bbl
Actual vs benchmarks
Reconciled data
Model assurance
Reliable models
Model representing Plant Operation forms foundation
Better plant LP Better backcasting Opp identi cation Better crude selection Better crude selection
Planning and scheduling
Closure between scheduler and LP
3-5 c/bbl
D-RTO
Quicker real time optimisation post scheduler
1-3 c/bbl
Constraint Mgmt
Giveaway reduction Catalyst management Cold eyes review Real time optimisation
Optimisation
5-30 c/bbl
DTs for owsheet
BT tracking
Furnace e ciency
Compressor e ciency
Energy demand
1-4 c/bbl
Emissions monitoring
Cold eyes review
Corrosion monitoring Fouling monitoring Integrity operating windows
Rotating machinery
Asset performance and integrity
3-10 c/bbl
Corrosion minimisation
Automation
Time to focus on other value added activities
Time
Contact: jagadesh.donepudi@kbc.global
Figure 4 Examples of expected benefits of digital twins
Recovery of ammonia from sour gases and conversion to valuable products
Saptarshi Paul, Balaji Lakavath, V Kamesh JayantitI Engineers India Ltd
Sour gases generated from a two-stage sour water stripping unit (SWSU) comprise mainly two types of waste stream: an H₂S- rich stream and an NH₃-rich stream (H₂S lean). Conventionally, the H₂S-rich stream is processed in the Claus section of a sul- phur recovery unit (SRU) to recover elemen- tal sulphur. However, treating the NH₃-rich stream for the destruction of NH₃ has two routes, one of which is co-processing with the H₂S-rich stream in the main burner of the SRU, which often causes severe opera- tional issues such as corrosion and choking. The second is processing through a reduc- tion furnace/incinerator (i.e. Claus sec- tion bypass), which is associated with high Capex and occasional high NOx generation (environmental issues). Recent trends indicate that ammo- nia demand in India is increasing every year, whereas historical data recorded the destruction of ~41,891 MTPA of NH₃ through the aforementioned routes in Indian refineries. Further, the increasing trend of bio-refining also needs an aqueous ammonia solution (20-30 wt%) for pH con- trol of the hydrolysis reactor. Apart from the production of urea, various other appli- cations of anhydrous ammonia include the manufacture of nitric acid, liquor ammonia, and the manufacture of explosives. To overcome the challenges of treating
an NH₃-rich waste stream and convert the same into a revenue-generating stream (waste to valuable product), EIL has devel- oped an ammonia recovery process (Indian Patent no. 350771) to recover ammonia from NH₃-rich sour gases and convert it into valuable products such as anhydrous NH₃ or aqueous NH₃.
Utilities: DM water, cooling water, power, caustic solution
Ammonia recovery unit
NH rich sour gas
Product aqueous ammonia or anhydrous ammonia
2-stage SWSU
Stripped sour water
H S rich gas to SRU
2nd stage stripper
Re nery sour water
Sour water
Spent caustic to ETP
the increasing trend of bio- refining needs an aqueous ammonia
1st stage stripper
Steam
Figure 1 Schematic representation of ammonia recovery from refinery sour gas. A techno-commercial proposal for the ammonia recovery process has been submitted to an Indian refinery and is progressing towards implementation
A brief schematic of the process is pre- sented in Figure 1 . The NH₃-rich sour gas and stripped sour water from the two- stage SWSU are the feed streams for the ammonia recovery process. H₂S content in the feed gas is minimised in two steps: water wash and caustic wash. The gas is suitably pressurised and cooled based on downstream requirements, and it can then solution for pH control of the hydrolysis reactor
be routed as product or further processed for the preparation of aqueous ammonia based on client requirements. The overall recovery of ammonia is >99%, while H₂S concentration in the product is <5 ppmw. The sour water generated from the process is routed to the SWSU and can be accom- modated within the design margin of the SWSU or with minor hardware changes, if necessary. Salient features and advantages of the ammonia recovery process are: • Process eliminates operational issues related to ammonia-processing in the SRU and converts it into valuable product
• Process does not need any special chem- icals/catalysts, and utilities required are already available in the refinery • Acid gas processing capacity in the SRU can be increased • Savings in the SRU can be achieved in terms of reduction in fuel gas consumption in the incinerator and power consumption for air blowers • Impact on upstream two-stage SWSU can be accommodated within design mar- gins or through minor hardware changes, if necessary.
Contact: vk.jayanti@eil.co.in
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