Chemical Technology April 2016

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Contents

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REGULAR FEATURES 3 Comment by John Butler-Adam

DESIGN AND MATERIALS 16 VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland - Research and piloting centre, Bioruukki

VTT opened its research and new pilot plant Bioruukki in Espoo, Finland, a year ago. The first stage comprised gasification and pyrolysis research activities. At the moment the biomass centre is under construction and will be opened this year. The Green Chemistry Centre of Bioruukki will follow in 2017-2019 and the Solar Centre in 2018-2019.

32 SAIChE IChemE News

33 SAIChE IChemE Spotlight

34 Etc

Transparency You Can See Average circulation (Q4 Oct – Dec 2015) 3 704

19 Focus on design and materials

36 Sudoku No 113 and solution to No 112

PUMPS AND VALVES 22 Are small operations sustainable?

COVER STORY 4 BMG boosts its fluid technology services

The intention of this article is not to produce a complete case study of the pumping of gravel, but to interest the reader in the sources of information and give examples of the procedures to be used when specifying pumping systems. by Carl Schonborn PrEng

Chemical Technology is endorsed by The South African Institution of Chemical Engineers

BMG’s expansion programme in the fluid technology sector, undertaken to meet growing market demand, encompasses new products and the latest developments in design technologies, materials and coatings.

PETROCHEMICALS 6 Processing light tight oil

26 Focus on pumps and valves

The refining industry has changed over the past few years with an ample supply of opportunity crude oils available. Opportunity crudes have been around for many years, but not until recently has the abundance of these discounted crudes changed the behaviour of refiners to shift away from their usual feedstocks. by Tim Olsen, Emerson Process Management

and the Southern African Association of Energy Efficiency

12 Focus on petrochemicals

DISCLAIMER The views expressed in this journal are not neces- sarily those of the editor or the publisher. Generic images courtesy of www.shutterstock.com

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Chemical Technology • April 2016

http://www.chemicaltechnologymagazine.co.za/

COMMENT

South African higher education − What really matters for students

by John Butler-Adam, PhD

T here’s a great deal at stake, more than can immediately be imagined, for higher education in South Africa, and so also for young South Africans (poor or rich) who enter universities; and even more at stake when it comes to their contributions to their own and the country’s success and prosper- ity. We cannot afford to ignore the immensity of the consequences if we do not do every- thing possible to get higher education right. Firstly, there is the matter of how to sustain the financing of higher education institutions, without fee increases (and sometimes, no reg- istration fees) being levied and paid. Assuming that universities should, at the very least, be no worse off than they were in 2015 in view of the rising consumer price index, the value of the unpaid increases needs to be sourced. An attempt is presently being made to ensure that this happens. At the same time, all students will need support for the fees that do still have to be paid; for their learning materials; and, critically, for their living costs. For many students, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) will have to do better. It will need more funding, and it will need to be better administrated, both within the Fund and within universities. The second issue centres on the debates regarding free education for all. This shift in the ‘#feesmustfall’ campaign was sparked by Presi- dent Zuma’s announcement last October that fees for 2016 would be capped at 2015 levels, stating that the government was understanding of the difficulties faced by students from poor households – and urged all students to allow the process to unfold to find long-term solutions. He has set up a Commission of Enquiry to investi- gatewhether or how free higher educationmight be implemented for higher education students. In the face of South Africa’s budget deficit and the fear of a junk bond status (and so higher borrowing costs), this seems to be a poorly considered position – the more so if the greatest benefits accrue not to the students who most need free education but to the economi- cally better off. The ‘#Rhodesmustfall’ movement consti- tuted the public face of the third issue, the de-

colonisation and (or) the inclusion of indigenous knowledge in the curricula of all universities. Clearly, both the ‘decolonisation’ of knowledge and respect for, and the inclusion of, relevant indigenous knowledge in the curriculum, are issues of the greatest importance, although they are not unique to South Africa, nor are they necessarily new ones. This is not to suggest that there are no real issues at stake for curriculum revision, but the demands should not overlook what has been done, what can be learned from those practices, as well as the limits that exist if South African universities are to teach disci- plines that are, in fact, respected elements of international research. The three issues are highly significant. Recognising them, taking them seriously, and dealing with them in ways that are intellectually rigorous and honest, are all essential to the future of higher education – not in South Africa alone, but in many other parts of the global south and north. Access to higher education is critical and affordability is too, because access without affordability has no meaning; and do not forget sound and relevant curricula and teaching skills. Probably the most important matters of all are those to which the earlier issues are the prelimi- naries. Why take the trouble to access higher education, at no or low cost, with changed curricula and teaching (issues that might well be matters for contention), if what is learned is of low quality? If the worst of the hurdles are removed, but the race is not worth the running, it is all to no purpose.  So the most critical matter that counts next is the high quality of the content, of the science, and of the research offered by institutions and recognised as such, not just in Europe or the USA, but also in India, China or Brazil. This Comment is based on a leader by Dr Butler-Adam which appeared in the South African Journal of Science, Volume 112, Number 3/4, March/April 2016. The full article may be accessed at http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2016/a0151

Published monthly by: Crown Publications cc Crown House Cnr Theunis and Sovereign Streets Bedford Gardens 2007 PO Box 140 Bedfordview 2008 Tel: +27 (0) 11 622-4770 Fax: +27 (0) 11 615-6108 E-mail: chemtech@crown.co.za Website: www.crown.co.za Consulting editor: Carl Schonborn, PrEng Editor: Glynnis Koch BAHons, DipLibSci (Unisa),

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Circulation: Karen Smith Publisher: Karen Grant

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Chemical Technology • April 2016

BMG boosts its fluid technology services

BMG’s expansion programme in the fluid technology sector, undertaken to meet growing market demand, encompasses new products and the latest developments in design technologies, materials and coatings.

T he company’s expansion programme in this sector also involves increasing stockholdings through more than 140 BMG branches and a wide distribution network in South Africa and across borders into Swaziland, Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia and Tanzania. “BMG has boosted its fluid technology services with dependable technical support to ensure optimum safety, efficiency and extended service life of every system, even in corrosive environments. With broad technical capabilities, the team is able to solve problems, in applications where conventional components have failed after short periods of service,” explainedWayne Holton, fluid technology manager, BMG – Bearing Man Group. “BMG’s fluid technology services also cover project engi- neering and consulting, cylinder design and manufacture, training, repair and testing and onsite container services.” Butterfly valves are important The company’s extensive range of components for fluid technology systems and general industrial applications, includes valves, hydraulic hoses and fittings, accumulators, cylinders, heat exchangers, hydraulic motors and hydraulic plumbing, as well as pumps and reservoir accessories. “Compact butterfly valves, with good flow characteristics and low maintenance requirements, are important compo- nents in BMG’s extensive range of valves for industrial flow control,” Willie Lamprecht, national product manager valves, BMG, told ChemTech . “An advantage of using quarter turn butterfly valves rather than any other type of valve, is the simple, wafer-shaped design, with fewer parts, for easy

repair and minimal maintenance,” he continued. “Although butterfly valves and ball valves are both quarter turn, the benefit of butterfly valves is when they are actuated pneumatically, they open and close very quickly. The rotational disc in butterfly valves is lighter than a ball and these valves requires less structural support than a ball valve of the same diameter. “Unlike a ball valve, the disc of butterfly valves is always present in the passageway within the flow. This means a pressure drop is induced in the flow, regardless of the position of the valve. Ball valves should only be used for isolation, whereas butterfly valves can be safely used for isolation and control of flow.” BMG’s Desponia centric butterfly valves (DN 25 -1600) with an elastomer liner, are designed for safe and reliable regulation of liquids and gases in diverse industries. This range has a maximum working pressure of 16 bar and an operating temperature range of between -20 °C and +140 °C, according to the material. Bianca centric butterfly valves (DN 32 -900) with an on/off and control service, have a durable plastomer liner suitable for aggressive and corrosive fluids. These high per- formance valves have a 16 bar maximum working pressure and an operating temperature range of between -20 °C and +200 °C depending on working conditions. Other valves and BMG’s technical resources Special ATEX valves in this range are suitable for use in explosive atmospheres. Other valves available from BMG

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Chemical Technology • April 2016

PETROCHEMICALS COVER STORY

Wayne Holton (left) with Willie Lamprecht at BMG.

BMG’s technical resources centre offers services which positively influence a company’s operating efficiencies, by ensuring maximised mechanical reliability of plant and machinery. Starting with the initial design concept and running through the specification, manufacturing quality control, commissioning and aftercare of the equipment in use, technical resources partners each customer to ensure dependable solutions. Services include technical applications consulting, prod- uct and system design, on-site process analysis, lab and on-site oil analysis, product quality control and assurance, as well as condition monitoring services. For more information contact: Wayne Holton, Fluid Technology Manager, BMG – Bearing Man Group, on tel: +27 11 620 1500; email: wayneh@bmgworld.net or go to www.bmgworld.net

include seated, knife and wedge gate valves, as well as ball type check valves, thermoplastic, diaphragm, pinch and angle seat valves. This range is suitable for reliable per- formance in diverse industries, including mining, refining, power generation, iron and steel, materials handling, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, paper and pulp, chemical, sugar and automotive. Desponia centric butterfly valves with an elastomer liner are designed for safe and reliable regulation of liquids and gases in diverse industries.

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Chemical Technology • April 2016

Processing light tight oil by Tim Olsen, Emerson Process Management

The refining industry has changed over the past few years with an ample supply of opportunity crude oils available.

O pportunity crudes have been around for many years, but not until recently has the abundance of these discounted crudes changed the behav- iour of refiners to shift away from their usual feedstocks. Tight oil, sometimes referred to as light tight oil or LTO, is also an opportunity crude oil from shales or other low permeability formations. Although most of the news about tight oil production is in the United States, tight oil is not unique to this region and is found throughout the world; see Figure 1 with the map of basins with assessed shale oil and shale gas formations, as of September 2015 (US Energy Information Administration, EIA). Production from tight oil formations requires the same hydraulic fracturing and often uses the same horizontal well technology used in the production of shale gas. The main challenges with processing opportunity crudes include: crude blending to match refiner’s configuration and processing capabilities, crude switch disturbances, fouling and accelerated fouling from incompatible crude blends, corrosion, and energy balancing across the crude unit pre-heat exchangers. In addition to the above mentioned issues, light tight oils also have challenges typically related to H 2 S (treated with amine-based H 2 S scavengers), paraffin waxes, significant quantities of filterable solids, variability in API gravity from the same source, and catalyst performance related to cold flow properties.

Heat exchanger fouling is one of the biggest challenges in refinery operations. Many refiners still use a spreadsheet with monthly calculations typically based on incomplete data to evaluate heat exchanger condition, with manual checks on individual bundles just prior to a turnaround to determine if cleaning is required. The traditional approach to monitor heat exchanger fouling through spreadsheets with manual entry of temperatures and pressures was usu- ally sufficient before the increase in crude blending from opportunity crudes such as tight oil. However, some crude oil blends are not compatible, leading to unanticipated accelerated fouling. Because tight oils tend to be lighter, they need to be blended with other crude oils to get the right balance for best utilisation of existing downstream units. Having a more consistent feed to the crude unit also allows for the oppor- tunity to optimise operation. If light tight oil feeds are not blended, the lighter oil can bottleneck the crude overhead and downstream naphtha processing units, and limit pro- duction for bottom of the barrel processing. Some refiners are blending more than two crudes to get the right balance of feed qualities which creates unknown issues with crude incompatibilities. When crudes are incompatible, acceler- ated fouling occurs in the crude unit pre-heat exchanger train due to asphaltene precipitation. Accelerated fouling can lead to additional energy costs with the crude unit fired

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Chemical Technology • April 2016

PETROCHEMICALS

oils from sources such as Venezuela and Canada. This up- grade investment in refineries was done prior to technology advancements and the shale boom that has taken place in the United States over the past several years. Unfortunately, tight oil is not heavy or sour, so this creates a mismatch in crude oil properties required for refineries upgraded to handle heavier and sour crudes. Another noticeable change is the crude unit cold section pre-heat exchangers prior to the desalter. When operating with one crude oil or a stable crude oil blend, fouling occurs primarily in the hot section downstream of the desalter and not the cold section. Because of this, the cold section exchangers typically have minimal process measurements like temperatures and pressures in and out of each bundle for monitoring heat exchanger fouling. But tight oils have paraffin waxes and significant quantities of filterable solids (as much as 200 pounds (±90 kg) per thousand barrels) that are fouling the cold section heat exchangers. Refin- ers are now beginning to monitor these heat exchangers more closely and work with both automation and chemical companies to mitigate abnormal and accelerated fouling. Today, refiners are also installing WirelessHART (IEC 62591) temperature and pressure measurements around all crude unit pre-heat exchanger bundles and implement- ing predictive analytic software applications to monitor and analyse heat exchanger performance and minimise energy

heater, limited throughput when the fired heater becomes duty limited, or earlier shutdown for heat exchanger clean- ing. All these negatively impact the profitability of the refin- ery. Traditional manual heat exchanger fouling monitoring with limited data and Excel spreadsheets does not always catch which crude blends are incompatible, thus the same condition for accelerated fouling can be repeated in the future. It should also be noted that the percentage of crude oils blended will have an impact on crude incompatibilities. For example, an 80-20 blend with 20 % tight oil may not be enough to see accelerated fouling, whereas a 70-30 blend may be unstable and have additional unwanted fouling. For the US, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) expanded its monthly reporting of crude oil production with new data on API gravity. What was so interesting was that for the first nine months of 2015, most (50,8 %) of the crude oil produced in the Lower 48 states were light oils with an API gravity above 40 degrees (see Figure 2). The largest share of production was in the 40,1 to 45 degree API grav- ity range. Production increases over the past several years in the Bakken, Permian Basin, and Eagle Ford formations account for almost all recent growth in US crude oil output. These low-permeability (tight oil) formations are producing mostly light crude oils. For the United States gulf coast, there was a major investment in refineries to process heavier and sour crude

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Chemical Technology • April 2016

PETROCHEMICALS

Figure 1: World Shale Resource Assessments (US Energy Information Administration, September 24, 2015)

refinery, they were forced to shut down to clean the exces- sive fouled heat exchangers resulting in lost production and additional cleaning costs. The refiner has since added online temperature and pressure measurements on all heat exchanger bundles, implemented software to analyse fouling, and the crude unit process engineer reviews fouling every day. They also have a better understanding on the percentage of different crudes blended to determine what crude blends are incompatible, resulting in accelerated fouling; this information is forwarded to the schedulers and planners. Although tempting to buy any discounted oppor- tunity crude on the market, now crude oil purchasers also utilise crude incompatibility information along with crude properties and price to determine ‘compatible’ feedstocks for the refinery. Even with knowledge about crude blend incompatibili- ties, a refiner may still experience accelerated fouling issues when the supply chain is disrupted. For example, a crude shipment may be delayed owing to severe weather in the gulf, thus a refinery will run with what crude is available onsite which may not be the preferred crude blend. A further challenge processing light tight oils is hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) and the added amine-based H 2 S scavengers prior to transporting. Although tight oil is considered sweet (little sulfur content in the crude oil itself), there is H 2 S that needs to be addressed at the drill site, during transporting, and when offloading. While amine-based H 2 S scavengers are added, tight oil loaded in the cold of winter can have safe conditions at the site prior to leaving – and then transported to a warmer climate. The mixing during transport along with a change in temperature, can result in higher vapour pres- sure and the release of entrained H 2 S making the offload- ing a potential safety hazard. To mitigate the safety risk, hydrogen sulfide monitoring and vapour recovery should be standard for loading and offloading tight oil.

and capacity losses. Improvements in online monitoring and analysis enables refineries to better understand accelerated fouling due to crude incompatibilities, and identify which tube bundles require cleaning. Fouling across the bundles is not linear, so determining which bundle is fouled and needs cleaning can be difficult to determine without all the process measurements like temperature, flow, and differential pressure. For example, a gulf coast refiner that was one of the first to use tight oil experienced severe and unexpected fouling in the crude unit pre-heat exchangers. Unfortunately for the Figure 2: EIA expands monthly reporting of crude oil production with new data on API gravity (https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=23952

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Chemical Technology • April 2016

PETROCHEMICALS

If blending is based on a volume basis, additional laboratory samples or online density measurements are needed to monitor for varying crude oil gravity. Finally, refiners processing light tight oils initially saw deficien- cies in fuel product qualities such as cold flow properties, however, catalyst manufacturers quickly changed functionality of catalyst to compensate for changes in the raw feedstock qualities. In addition, tight oil has shown higher levels of calcium and iron which can lead to catalyst poisoning. Although the catalyst loaded will be fixed until the next turnaround, there are options to change depending on expected future use crude oil feedstocks and product quality specifications and desired yield. Light tight oil production is currently being tested with low crude oil prices globally and the abundance of other opportunity crudes. There may be a temporary decline in tight oil production during this over supply period, but long-term tight oil will be a crude oil that refiners use and need to understand the challenges associ- ated with this different oil. Because their properties can vary, a traditional crude assay does not always represent the crude oil delivered to the refinery. Hence, refiners will learn to process this tight oil and make the required modifications to their processing configuration to best utilise the lighter crude oil.

Figure 3: API Gravity Variability (Source: Platts)

As mentioned earlier, the API gravity of opportunity crudes can vary despite coming from the same source. Figure 3 highlights these variations showing Eagle Ford basin tight oil with the highest variability. The refiners should be aware of this variation to ensure modern crude tank level measurements can accurately measure the tank no matter the API gravity, and mass flow measure- ments with crude oil blending to ensure more consistent blends.

Fast-tracking low carbon development in South Africa

by Harmke Immink, a director of Promethium Carbon, a carbon advisory firm

represents the anthropogenic emissions that would occur in the absence of the proposed project activity. The baseline emissions are the greenhouse gas emissions that would occur in the baseline scenario. Carbon offset programmes are designed with the primary aim of maintaining environ- mental integrity. Recent developments in both the CDMand the VCS have focused on the eas- ing of this burden. Many of the changes are, however, not automatically available. Offset projects provide valuable GHG mitigation and support low carbon economic development opportunities in South Africa while offering financial benefit to tax payers. Investment in these carbon offset projects should be fast-tracked enabling implementa- tion in 2016, in order to be ready for trading against carbon tax in 2017. The fast track options can assist low carbon development through utilising recent develop- ments in the three programmes identified in the South African offset scheme to reduce bar- riers to project registration through automatic additionality, positive lists and standardised baselines; and streamlining the administrative process of project registration based on these interventions. For more information contact: Robbie Louw on tel: +27 861 227 266; email: robbie@promethium.co.za; or go to www.promethuim.co.za

It is not well known that many of the burdens of carbon offset schemes have been significantly reduced through innovations in recent years, designed to reduce the barriers in accessing carbon finance while maintaining the cred- ibility of the programmes and the integrity of the carbon credits generated. A report produced by Promethium Carbon on Fast-Tracking Low Carbon Development in SA, funded by the British High Commission in Pretoria, supports the unlocking of low carbon investment in South Africa in line with the National Development Plan. The unique carbon tax and offset scheme proposed for South Africa allows for carbon offsets to be used to mitigate a firm’s carbon tax liability. Projects that qualify to generate credits for the scheme must use an interna- tionally recognised programme approved by the government and must be implemented

inside the borders of the country and comply with the stated eligibility. The research focuses on the streamlining of administrative processes to be followed to obtain carbon finance. It also addresses the removal of barriers faced by smaller projects. Carbon finance is linked to specific carbon programmes such as the Clean Develop- ment Mechanism (CDM), Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and Gold Standard (GS). The programmes proposed for the South African carbon offset scheme have a reputation of having large administrative burdens. In many cases this is deserved. Many of these burdens have been sig- nificantly reduced, however, through recent innovations, designed to reduce the barriers in accessing carbon finance while maintain- ing the credibility of the programmes and the integrity of the carbon credits generated. The two main areas of innovation lie in proving additionality and establishing standardised baselines. Additionality is the effect of the offset project activity to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions below the level that would have occurred in the absence of the project activity. It is also defined as whether an emissions reduction project would have oc- curred in the absence of incentives, such as a payment for emissions reductions. The baseline scenario is the scenario for an offset project activity that reasonably

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Chemical Technology • April 2016

Reliable in experience and technology.

Endress+Hauser has a wealth of know-how, products and services to support the Oil & Gas industry. Whether upstream or downstream, we tackle your specific challenges with a spirit of partnership and enthusiasm. Our expert engineering, open standard technology and reliable field instrumentation can enhance and improve overall plant safety. Factory-trained staff are available worldwide to support you throughout the entire life cycle of your plant. Endress+Hauser, partnering to save your time and money.

Endress+Hauser (Pty) Ltd Phone Fax info@za.endress.com www.za.endress.com +27 11 262 8000 +27 11 262 8062

Endress+Hauser extends production availability An Endress+Hauser client in the oil & gas industry has presented a challenge, where they had to save costs on maintenance as well as prevent production losses. Endress+Hauser has assisted the client minimise maintenance and costs.

the transmitter due to the problems men- tioned. The client decided to use Deltabar FMD72 electronic dp, which eliminates all of the typical issues with traditional differential pressure measurements us- ing capillaries. Since the installation of Deltabar FMD72 at the reactor 18months ago, it has "never been touched again for maintenance as the reliability of the system is outstanding". The client was also pleased with the modular concept compared to capillary systems because in- dividual sensor parts and electronics can be exchanged in case of need. Thanks to the elimination of production shutdowns for capillary maintenance, the client has extended production capacity by at least 3 days per year which results in cost savings. The client is a privately held chemical producer for third parties. With batch re- actor capabilities of up to 32 000 litres, the client features flexible, multipurpose continuous production and conventional catalytic batch slurry autoclaves. The Plant Operations Manager commented that this system perfectly suits them as it reduced their costs and increased reliability of their processes. For more information go to: http//bit.ly/21ETgEF or www.za.endress.com Enquiries: Frans van den Berg Tel: +27 11 262 8000

and medium changes. A batch runs be- tween a few days and several months. Between every batch, the vessel has to be cleaned to avoid contamination and to avoid safety risks caused by reactions of different chemicals. Complete cleaning is also necessary in case of maintenance work at the plant. The reactor for special chemicals frequently caused control is- sues since measurements with capillary systems did not work properly. Varying ambient temperatures jeopardised the reliability of measurements. The oil filling in the capillaries expanded and created an increasing output signal independently of any level change in the distillation column. Furthermore, the mechanical and thermal impact destroyed the capillaries every 4 to 6 months. The consequences were not only an unreliable process control but also at least one day of production losses due to maintenance work required every 4 to 6 months to replace the whole capillary system. A Deltabar FMD72

FOCUS ON

PETROCHEMICALS

Apart from continuous production processes, an Endress+Hauser oil & gas client is specialising in customised batch processes. The flexibility of this client is apparent in high batch cycles

electronic dp solution with metal cells was sug- gested to replace the inferior capillary system. Endress+Hauser also suggested level calcula- tion from two values of the sensor modules within

Sasol selects ABB’s flexible mobile E-House solution

solution is the UniGear ZS1 switchgear equipped with IEC 61850-embedded Re- lion 615 series protection relays and ABB’s advanced sensor technology. The switchgear was

ABB, the global leader in power and automa- tion, has supported Sasol to minimise pro- cess downtime for routinemaintenance with a range of medium-voltage solutions. Sasol, the international chemical and energy com- pany, has implemented an innovative and flexible ABB solution utilising the power of UniGear Digital switchgear, Relion® protec- tion relays and sensor technology installed in a lightweight E-House, mounted on a mobile truck trailer. At Sasol’s Secunda petrochemical plant in South Africa, locally mined coal is con- verted into synthetic fuels. On this site, age- ing substations needed to be refurbished and Sasol was looking for a solution to minimise capital losses due to the produc- tion downtime required for the switchgear replacement. To meet the requirements set, ABB of- fered a mobile E-House based on the Uni- Gear Digital solution. The backbone of this

placed in a prefabricated metal enclosure, an E- House, which was then installed on a truck trailer. Installing the solution on the truck trailer means that it can be relocated to wherever it is needed, swiftly and efficiently. This mobile E-House provided the flexible power supply solution required by Sasol. ABB delivered the solution within a short time frame — from concept to design and implementation — within a year.

For more information contact Paul Louw, Local Marketing Manager Elec- trification Products Division, ABB South Africa, on tel: +27 (0) 10 202 5916; or email Paul.louw@za.abb.com.

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Chemical Technology • April 2016

SKY002_Man resized 18 March 2016 Engineeri

KBR awarded MAXOFIN™ FCC revamp contract

KBR, Inc announced at the end of March that it has been awarded a license and basic engineering design contract for the revamp of a Fluid Catalytic Cracker (FCC) unit with MAXO- FIN technology. The project was awarded by a confidential client and is located in Shandong Province in China. Under the terms of the contract, KBR will provide the licensing package for the MAXOFIN conversion. MAXOFIN technology, developed by KBR, enables upgrade of existing FCC units to produce higher amounts of propylene, an important petrochemical feedstock, while still retaining the flexibility to produce more gasoline when market demand or prices are favourable. John Derbyshire, President of KBR Technol- ogy & Consulting, said: “This project demon- strates our commitment to deliver innovative technologies that help the client meet their performance objectives. “MAXOFIN technology is a flexible option to help clients increase their propylene production without major grassroots capital investment,” continued Derbyshire. KBR has been an industry pioneer in FCC technologies having developed the world’s first FCC commercial unit in 1942, and having executed over 120 FCC projects globally. In addition to conventional FCC technology, KBR also offers KBR MAXDIESEL™ technology that increases diesel yield from FCC VGO stream and several other FCC configuration options. The value of the contract was undisclosed

and was booked into the backlog of unfilled orders for KBR’s Technology and Consulting division in Q4 of 2015. KBR, Inc is a global technology, engineering, procurement and construction company serv- ing the hydrocarbons and government services industries, employing approximately 22 000 people worldwide with customers in more than 70 countries and operations in 40 countries across three distinct global businesses: • Technology and consulting, including pro- prietary technology in refining, ethylene, ammonia and fertilizers, and gasification; and niche consulting and know-how through subsidiaries Granherne, Energo and GVA • Engineering and construction, including Offshore Oil & Gas; Onshore Oil & Gas; LNG/ GTL; Refining; Petrochemicals; Chemicals; differentiated EPC, and Industrial Services • Government Services, including programme management and long term annuity con- tracts. KBR is proud to work with its customers across the globe to provide technology, value- added consulting services, integrated EPC delivery and Long Term Industrial Services to ensure consistent project delivery with predict- able results. For more information contact: Zac Nagle, Vice President, Investor Relations on tel: +1 713 753 5082; email Investors@kbr.com; or www.kbr.com

Hydro scheme cleared for danger

possible hazards such as debris and sand bags which could cause damage.” The inspection of the whole shaft and its entire depth was done using rope access gear such as rope, headlights and battery-op- erated spotlights for clear visibility. “The shafts were well over 700 m long, 6 m in diameter and with 25 degree

In order to eliminate the chances of freak accidents, complying with operational compli- ance procedures is a prerequisite for a hydro scheme. Skyriders recently assisted engineers with two shaft inspections at a hydro scheme in South Africa. The hydro project was established to deliver energy to the national grid at peak demand times using hydroelectric power. It consists of an upper and a lower dam, each capable of holding about 22 million square metres of water. During peak times, the water is released from the top dam, passing through the shafts into the bottom dam. In times of low de- mand, the shafts are used to pump the water back again. A three-man team from Skyriders assisted with inspections of the shafts during Decem- ber 2015. Skyriders marketing manager, Mike Zinn, explained that since all construction on the project had been completed, the next step was to hand over to an engineer for inspec- tions. “We assisted with getting the engineer into each shaft safely, the final visual inspec- tion of the shaft concerned and removing

Skyriders also provides structure inspec- tions and installations, high-pressure cleaning, waterproofing, bolting /steel erection, welding, concrete inspection and repairs, and non-de- structive testing. Due to its cost-effectiveness, flexibility and speedy expertise, Skyriders has become the preferred supplier of innovative height-related solutions, according to Zinn. For more information contact: Mike Zinn on tel: +27 11 312 1418; email: mike@ropeaccess.co.za or go to www.ropeaccess.co.za

slopes. Although it was not easy getting inside the shafts, the project was finished on time,” added Zinn. Skyriders boasts extensive experience in all rope access applications. Its technicians are trained in various fields of rope access expertise. Zinn highlights that two senior tech- nicians with Level 3 IWH certification, which is the highest level of rope access training, and one Level 2 technician, were sent out for the project. “One senior technician went down into the shaft with the engineer while the other two technicians were on standby rescue outside.”

Babcock custom engineers hydrocarbon waste management system

Babcock’s new flagship branch in Middel- burg has been described as one of the most advanced yellow-metal facilities of its kind, and for good reason. The design team spent several months planning the infrastructure of the facility to ensure that every detail was designed around Babcock’s specific require- ments. All aspects of the new facility were custom engineered with efficiency in mind, from extra-large workshop bays to accom- modate massive 150-tonne rigid trucks, to a bespoke oil separation system to manage the hydrocarbon water waste mix generated by the facility. Babcock is the exclusive distributor of leading international brands and equipment including Volvo Construction Equipment, Terex Trucks, SDLG construction equipment, Tadano mobile cranes and Winget concrete handling machinery. The new branch in Middelburg serves as a regional hub for sales, parts, service and support and was purpose-built to accommodate the full range of construction equipment represented by Babcock, including the mammoth TR100 trucks, the largest of the Terex rigid dump truck range. Requiring 138 litres of engine oil to be replaced during a service, these trucks alone call for an efficient used oil waste management system. The facility gener- ates approximately 4 000 litres of used oil per month from servicing and maintaining predominantly mining construction equip- ment and trucks, as well as hydrocarbon contaminated water from cleaning and washing, so an efficient hydrocarbon waste management system is critical to prevent environmental oil contamination and to manage hydrocarbon waste in a safe and environmentally friendly manner. “Due to the high levels of sediment pres- ent on construction equipment, comprising mostly clay and coal dust as well as the usual oil, grease and hydraulic hydrocar- bons, classic underground grease traps are insufficient and unreliable. They are actually an outdated design and an environmental hazard in environments that have a high sediment load in the waste water,” says Michael de Weijer, Babcock’s Project Man- ager for the new branch. “Instead, the facility was designed with this in mind, and all workshops and wash bays drain into a common oil separation system integrated into the building. All used water that can contain oil, sand and coal dust from the workshops, spray booths,

PETROCHEMICALS

FOCUS ON CONTROL & AUTOMATION

hold up to 7 500 l of oil. When all three tanks are full, the site’s used oil is removed and recycled by commercial used oil vendors. It takes about two months for all three tanks to fill up. An alarm has been installed for a pending overflow warning condition, but if there is a spill, the oil just goes back into the sump,” says de Weijer. Usually built underground, Babcock specified that the settling tank, sump and separator be installed above ground for ease of access, servicing and inspection should this be required, for conducting hy- drocarbon contamination tests by municipal authorities. To avoid an overload of water entering the oil/water separator which has a design capacity of 2 000 l /hr, all non-hydrocarbon contaminated storm water is discharged to the site’s storm water system. Another bespoke feature at the facility is an integrated piped lubrication system that pipes the five most common oils and compressed air directly to the workshop bays and returns the used oil to the used oil storage tanks.

wash bays and boiler shop drain directly into a subterranean system comprising a common settling tank, an accumulation sump and oil separator, located in the refuse area,” explains de Weijer. “As oil, coal and sediment combine with water in the cleaning and servicing of this equipment, high sediment loads can block the drain pipes, so even the gradient of the drainage system was increased to 4,5 % to speed up the flow rate and reduce possible sediment blockage. When the hydrocarbon contaminated waste reaches the settling tank, the flow rate reduces and the water- borne sediments settle in a 1,25-metre- deep chamber. The sediment-free water and hydrocarbon waste is skimmed off the surface of the settling tank by flowing over a small dam wall into a second chamber acting as a sump. The sump is emptied by a simple com- pressed air double-diaphragm pump activated by limit switches and this water hydrocarbon mix is then pumped into a classic oil/water separator. Oil is trapped in a central chamber in the separator while oil- free water is discharged into the municipal waste. The separated hydrocarbon waste in the oil trap is pumped into one of three integrated used oil tanks, which collectively

For more information contact: Michael de Weijer at: Michael.deWeijer@babcock.co.za

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Chemical Technology • April 2016

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Research and piloting centre, Bioruukki

VTT opened its research and new pilot plant, Bioruukki, in Espoo, Finland, a year ago. The first stage comprised gasification and pyrolysis research activities. At the moment the biomass centre is under construction and will be opened this year. The Green Chemistry Centre of Bioruukki will follow in 2017-2019 and the Solar Centre in 2018-2019.

V TT’s new piloting centre, Bioruukki, provides a unique collaboration platform for developing products for the bioeconomy and for creating new competitive edge. It is also an innovation and demonstration platform for bio- and circular economy businesses. The centre is one of VTT’s most significant investments this decade, and the largest bioeconomy- related research environment in the Nordic countries. Bioruukki enables studying and assessing both the technological and economic feasibility of biotechnological development concepts and ideas. This applies particularly to the development of production methods for biofuels and valuable chemicals. At the same time, Bioruukki provides companies with an opportunity to speed up the launching of innovations onto the global markets. As mentioned earlier, the pilot centre promotes commer- cialisation and production of solutions based on the bio- and circular economy. The entire value chain from rawmaterials to final products can be piloted in the same environment, which combines biomass processing, thermochemistry and chemical synthesis. The markets are already there The global goals of sustainable development and associated regulatory frameworks within the EU and elsewhere created a need for products developed in Bioruukki. There is now

no other choice but to look for alternative power sources to replace fossil fuels. Markets for biofuels and other products based on bioeconomy-enabling technologies have already been established, according to Principal Scientist from VTT, Yrjö Solantausta. “This environment will open up new possibilities, because we now have more space. We have assembled gasification and pyrolysis research equipment here, which can be easily modified to accommodate any customer needs. Previously, space constraints restricted potential technological solutions, however, the new premises are flexible, including a development environment for our cus- tomers where they can demonstrate solutions to their own customers. Smaller companies can even use the premises for production purposes,” says Solantausta. Tangible tool for promoting bioeconomy Apart from symbolising faith in the future, the Bioruukki piloting environment is also tangible proof of the efforts to create new business activities and opportunities on the basis of bio-based and circular economies. Bioeconomy based on sustainable use of renewable natural resources is a global trend. Finland is in a good position to benefit from such growth, so that one of Bioruukki’s missions is to develop new technologies which enable bioeconomy based on forest biomass and to speed

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Chemical Technology • April 2016

DESIGN & MATERIALS

other equipment manufacturers and research facilities, which, in turn, enables full utilisation of synergy benefits, as well as allocation of risks between the parties concerned. Public sector support also plays a significant role, in the form of laws and regulations, education and funding, for example. A network of piloting environment in bioeconomy VTT makes available to its customers and partners a comprehensive network of research environments of bio- economy, circular economy and cleantech technologies. In the initial stages, VTT focuses on gasification and pyrolysis. In addition, VTT will transfer its pilot plants for biomass processing, cellulose fibre spinning and process chemistry to Bioruukki in the years 2017-2018. At Otaniemi, there is also a piloting environment for biotechnology and food technology, complete with fermentation and extraction installations, bioreactors and high-throughput screening robotics equipment. The process equipment for polymeric materials is located at Tampere and the piloting environ- ment for fibre products at Jyväskylä. VTT’s own resources are supplemented by the resources provided by the partners. The shared research environment for bioeconomy of VTT and Aalto University form the Finn- ish national-level research infrastructure whose activities comprise education and both fundamental and applied

up commercialisation of such solutions in conjunction with other enterprises. From idea to production through piloting Valmet is a prime example of a business partner that has successfully utilised its partnership with VTT in its technol- ogy development. Piloting is a necessary stage in any development project to proceed from ideas and laboratory research to demon- stration trials and industrial-scale commercial production. Along the route, piloting equipment and installations of various sizes are required to validate the newly created technologies, describes Director, Technology and R&D Jussi Mäntyniemi of Valmet Sellu’s energy business line. According to Mäntyniemi, Valmet’s current business operations provide a solid foundation for the development and production of products and solutions for bioeconomy. At Valmet, the starting point for development work is always based on customer needs, such as generation of new revenue flows or products from existing processes, further development of production plants already in operation, or commercialisation of entirely new solutions. The prerequisites of any successful commercialisation process comprise the assessment of the business potential afforded by new products and solutions, and extensive and open collaboration with various actors, such as customers,

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DESIGN & MATERIALS

Sweden, and in Holland, supplement VTT’s own resources, but are not at the moment capable of offering a similar level research environment. The services provided by VTT’s research unit in Brazil are also available. VTT’s expertise in materials technology, process chem- istry or, for example, in the utilisation and standardisation of digitalisation, also lend support to research projects associated with bio-based economy. Industrial sectors approach each other In Finland, various consortia covering the entire value chain could be formed for the purposes of development activities. Once the roles have been clearly defined, no conflicts of interest will arise, and it will be easy to agree on IRP, for example, according to Jussi Mäntyniemi. A frequently encountered problem hampering full-scale utilisation of biomass arises from the fact that such mass is dispersed across wide areas. Finland has the advantage that, because of the pulp and paper industry, material is already concentrated in a few locations and the existing logistics will support the new solutions. On the basis of the materials available in the coniferous forest zone, Finland has a natural competitive edge. Conclusions Bioeconomy challenges participants to adopt a new kind of thinking. In the future, bioeconomy will encourage differ- ent industry sectors to combine their efforts to create new business opportunities offering sustainable development, as never seen before. What is needed is visionary and in- novative thinking, which utilises the potential inherent in the open innovation approach. So concludes VTT Executive Vice President, Strategic Research, Anne-Christine Ritschkoff. ​

research. This spans the entire development spectrum from molecule-level cutting-edge research to process develop- ment and innovative technological solutions. VTT operates in a close collaboration with its inter- national partners. On a global scale, individual testing environments for bioeconomy, for example in Karlsruhe,

Biocomposite development and processing High-performance natural fibre com- posites have been developed at VTT for over a decade. The biocomposite research focuses on the develop- ment of material combinations of wood or versatile natural fibres together with oil and bio-based poly- mers as well as the development of new processing technologies suit- able for these materials. The whole process chain from the preparation of biopolymer matrix materials, ad- ditives and coupling agents, to the fibre modification and, finally, to the processing of biocomposites is cov- ered. VTT offers pilot-scale facilities for the processing of bio- composite materials. • Foaming. The processing development of bio- composites has brought improve- ments in plasticisation, compound- ing, injection moulding, extrusion moulding, multilayer structures and foaming technologies. Bion- anocomposite formulation and processing technologies are also covered. Various characterising and analysing methods for biocom- posite materials are also available at VTT. Th e pilot-scale composite material processing facilities at VTT are comprehensive. There are three co-rotating twin-screw compounders, injection moulders and extruders for making films, coat- ings and profiles.

Composite material develop- ment and processing facilities at VTT include: • Polymerisation and modification of polymers and oligomers • Fibre modification (physical, chemical, enzymatic) • Batch mixing and pelletising • Compounding frommicro (6 g) to pilot scale (20–50 kg/h) • Injection moulding • Extrusion • Compression moulding

The available pre- and post- processing methods include drying, milling, reactive compacting, orien- tation (MD-stretching and biaxial ori- entation), AC-corona film treatment and atmospheric plasma treatment.

For more information contact: Tel: exchange +358 20 722 7070; or email info@vtt.fi.

For more information contact: Antti Ojala, Research team leader

This article is based on an article entitled ‘Let’s make bioeconomy a reality’ by Irma Lind, that appeared in ‘VTT Impulse’, VTT’s research magazine © 2015 VTT, and is republished here with kind permission.

tel: +358 40S8429125 email: antti.ojala@vtt.fi

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Chemical Technology • April 2016