Chemicals

The process industry is changing. Chemical industries have to deal with changing views on energy, logistics, space, environment and safety. Integration of existing process systems with recovered or renewable energy sources. Petrogas works comfortably in both green-field and brown-field projects, our skid-based plants are part of the integrated solution.

Case studies

Innovative CO2 separation technology

Carbon2Value

Client: DOW Benelux

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What did our customer request?: DOW was looking for a partner that could scale-up their lab-sized test facility into a pilot installation. This installation had to be installed at the site of Arcelor Mittal in Gent. The pilot is connected to the steel plant blast furnace and coke plant gas handling system to perform tests for valorizing the CO-gas.
Our solution: As PTG has vast experience in glycol dehydration units, which uses the same principles of an absorber and reboiler vessel, a circular system could be made in which the amine-solution can be re-used to extract CO2 from the steel plant gas and therewith valorizing the CO-gas. The amine-solution binds itself to the CO2 in the steel gas inside the absorber column. Thereafter the CO2 can be disengaged by heat input in the reboiler, enabling the amine to bind new CO2 at the absorber.
What set the project apart?: The entire installation is road transportable as its outer dimensions are limited by a high-cube 40 feet container. The pilot is part of a multi-stage project that is ought to make a synthetic naphta out of flue gasses. Herewith it has the potential to drastically decrease the CO2 output of high polluters like for instance the steel milling industry.
What were the project challenges?: The scale and equipment sizing of this project was for PTG standards relatively small. This resulted in the contact with new suppliers and different solution than we would have used on our more standard gas systems.

Complex project management

Thermphos phosphorus removal project

Client: Van Citters Beheer (VCB)

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What did our customer request?: After the Thermphos phosphorus plant went bankrupt in 2012, the administrators and the province of Zeeland (Southern Netherlands) issued tenders to dismantle the complex and remove all the phosphorus. The entire project was secured by Decontamination Services, a subsidiary of Mourik. Petrogas was asked to process 4000 tons of stored sludge, which contained phosphorus and was slightly radioactive.
Our solution: We designed, built and operated the custom processing installation for the phosphorus-containing sludge. The composition of the material made it necessary to design a special pump (phosphorus auto-ignites around 30°C). By subjecting the sludge to a 40 bar pressure the liquid phosphorus and water were separated from the solid components, which were then pressed together to form a cake. The liquid phosphorus was reusable and the cake was incinerated.
What set the project apart?: Processing phosphorus demands many safety measures. The presence of materials containing phosphorus mean that there are still support services stationed on the Thermphos grounds. Petrogas integrated the installation within the former plant to assure the safest possible processing.
What were the project challenges?: “The complexity of the project was a challenge, particularly since there are just a handful of phosphorus plants worldwide. Our processing installation had never been built before. Wherever possible, Petrogas made use of the knowledge and experience of former Thermphos employees. “