As existing facilities grow older, service requirements increase. Equipment needs to be low maintenance and back in operation quickly after service and repair. Technology licensors are expanding their technical services with new digital tools, using digitalised expertise with real time insights and data driven analytics to boost chemical production and ensure that equipment operates reliably and efficiently, while maintaining product quality.
Paving the way for commercially attractive, sustainable, decarbonised fertilizer production, J. Dobrée of Stamicarbon BV discusses the latest developments for nitrate fertilizer production based on renewable feedstocks sourced from solar and wind energy. Stamicarbon has upgraded plant designs used in the past to create a new type of small-scale fertilizer plant capable of producing a product mix that can be adjusted to meet specific local requirements with maximised output value, thereby maintaining a competitive position towards imported products and large-scale producers.
Crystallisation, as a powerful separation technology and production process, is helping the fertilizer industry diversify its product mix, improve profitability and enhance sustainability, as Sana Boulabiar and Matias Navarro, of Veolia Water Technologies North America, explain.
Evaporation and crystallisation are widely used throughout the fertilizer industry. Major applications and the types of equipment used are reviewed by Laurent Palierne and Norbert Strieder of GEA Group.
Digitalisation and the analysis of big data are playing an increasing role in fertilizer production. Innovative digital and cloud-based services are being offered by a range of technology companies, including Casale, tkIS, Topsoe and TOYO.
We highlight recent innovations in sulphuric acid plant design and construction. NORAM and CPPE are offering a new hybrid sulphuric acid process. KVT, meanwhile, has upgraded its wet sulphuric acid technology to reduce capex, opex and emissions. Improved methods of construction and new materials from Koch Knight are also helping to optimise acid tower design
The DA-HF phosphoric acid process has been successfully implemented at Grupa Azoty’s Police fertilizer production plant in Poland, as part of a revamp of the site’s existing DH plant. Sébastien Havelange and Alexandre Wavreille of Prayon Technologies outline the performance improvements achieved by this first-of-its-kind plant.
Applied Analytics discusses potential improvements made possible with data and analytical measurements fed into improved mathematical models to produce a more proactive approach to control and better performance of sulphur recovery units, AMETEK Process Instruments explains the benefits of feed forward control, SICK reports on reliable continuous emission monitoring systems and WIKA introduces a new purge-free system to measure refractory temperature in the Claus reaction furnace.
Fluor/GAA continue to strive to improve the performance of the D’GAASS out-of-pit liquid sulphur degassing technology based on commercial operating experience and ever-changing environmental emissions regulations. T. Chow and S. Fenderson of Fluor Energy & Chemicals/ Goar, Allison & Associates discuss operating experience that has led to the improvements of the new patent-pending third generation D’GAASS 3G technology.
J. C. Bourdon, F. H. Brown and P. J. Photos of Streamline Innovations Inc. present the development and commercialisation of the Valkyrie™ process, which employs new chemistries and advanced control systems to remove H2 S from natural gas at size scales ranxging from single wells to entire fields, providing an operationally sustainable and commercially attractive alternative to standard H2 S removal technologies.