European consortium with Shell and ITM Power to build hydrogen electrolysis plant at Rhineland Refinery

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Shell and ITM Power will build the world’s largest hydrogen electrolysis plant at Rhineland refinery, Germany, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

With a peak capacity of 10 megawatts the hydrogen will be used for the processing and upgrading of products at the refinery’s Wesseling site as well as testing the technology and exploring application in other sectors.

The European partner consortium of Shell, ITM Power, SINTEF, thinkstep and Element Energy has now secured 10 million euros in funding from the European "Fuel Cell Hydrogen Joint Undertaking". The project’s total investment, including integration into the refinery, is approximately 20 million euros. Detailed technical planning and the approval process will now begin. The plant, named "Refhyne" is scheduled to be in operation in 2020 and will be the first industrial scale test of the polymer electrolyte membrane technology process.

"This new unit at Rhineland enables hydrogen to be made from electricity rather than natural gas. A unit of this kind brings a flexibility that can help the stability of the power grid, thereby facilitating more use of renewable electricity", explains Lori Ryerkerk, Executive Vice President of Shell Manufacturing. "In addition, if powered by renewable electricity, the green hydrogen will help reduce the carbon intensity of the site - a key goal for us".

Currently the Rheinland refinery, Germany’s largest, requires approximately 180,000 tons of hydrogen annually, which is produced by steam reforming from natural gas. The new facility will be able to produce an additional 1,300 tonnes of hydrogen per year, which can be fully integrated into the refinery processes, such as for the desulphurisation of conventional fuels.

Shell Rheinland Refinery General Manager Thomas Zengerly highlights: "We are pleased to be working collaboratively with the European Union and to assist in developing Europe’s future energy system by testing this technology at the Wesseling site. If successful there is potential for this technology to be expanded at our refinery." Hydrogen has the potential to play an important role in the energy transition. Today, hydrogen is already being used in transport by fuel cell vehicles, as well as in industrial applications. When used in transport, hydrogen can help improve local air quality, as the only emissions of fuel cell vehicles is water vapor. When the hydrogen is produced from renewable sources, it can help improve CO2 emissions from the transport sector. Shell is taking part in several initiatives to build up a hydrogen refueling network for transport in a number of markets, including Germany.

As MRC informed earlier, in December 2017, CB&I announced it had been awarded a contract for more than USD95 MM by Saudi Aramco Shell Refinery (SASREF). The scope of work includes the engineering, procurement and construction management for SASREF's modernization and expansion of its existing refinery in Al-Jubail city, Saudi Arabia.

Royal Dutch Shell plc is an Anglo-Dutch multinational oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the biggest company in the world in terms of revenue and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors". Shell is vertically integrated and is active in every area of the oil and gas industry, including exploration and production, refining, distribution and marketing, petrochemicals, power generation and trading.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Chemours Company, a global chemistry company with leading market positions in titanium technologies, has recently broken ground on a new research and innovation facility on the University of Delaware's Science, Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus, according to GV.

The facility will be called The Chemours Discovery Hub.

In partnership with the University of Delaware, the facility will conduct research focused on new process, product, and application development to better meet customer and market needs. Construction on the 312,000 square foot facility, representing an investment of approximately USD 150 million, is expected to be completed by early 2020.

To celebrate this partnership, University of Delaware leadership, the Governor, federal elected officials, and other local and state officials joined Chemours for the groundbreaking event at the STAR Campus.

"This is much more than a brick-and-mortar story - it's about the discoveries to come that just might change or at least shape the future," said Chemours President and CEO Mark Vergnano. "The Chemours Discovery Hub will serve as a gathering place - a centre for activity where vision, ambition, intelligence, and creative energy will flourish - not just for years, but for decades to come."

"Today's groundbreaking goes far beyond a new building for Chemours," said University of Delaware (UD) President Dennis Assanis. "As partners in innovation and economic development, Chemours and UD will build dynamic connections across business, education, research, learning and discovery. We are breaking ground on a new era of opportunity at the STAR Campus for the University of Delaware, our state and our shared future."

"Collaboration between businesses and educational institutions has never been more important to the future of our economy," added Delaware Governor John Carney. "This partnership between Chemours and the University of Delaware will drive innovation on the STAR campus, and connect Delaware students with leaders in their fields. Chemours' investment in this state-of-the-art facility also will continue a long tradition of important scientific discovery in Delaware, and keep good, high-paying jobs right here in our state."

As MRC wrote before, in 2015, The Chemours Co. was created by the spinoff of Dupont's Performance Chemicals unit.

DuPont is an American chemical company that was founded in July, 1802. The company manufactures a wide range of chemical products, leading extensive innovative research in this field. The company is the inventor of many unique plastics and other materials, including neoprene, nylon, Teflon, Kevlar, Mylar, Tyvek, etc. DuPont was the developer and main producer of Freon used in the production of refrigeration equipment.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Suncor today announced it will proceed with the phased implementation of autonomous haulage systems (AHS) at company-operated mines, starting with the North Steepbank mine, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Over the next six years, the company expects to deploy more than 150 autonomous haul trucks in the full program, which will be one of the largest investments in electric autonomous vehicles in the world.

Following thorough evaluations over the past four years, the company has validated that AHS technology can be used safely, effectively and efficiently in its operating environment. Evaluations have shown that the technology offers many advantages over existing truck and shovel operations, including enhanced safety performance, better operating efficiency and lower operating costs.

"Suncor was the first company to transition from bucketwheel to truck and shovel operations in the early 1990s and we're continuing to be on the leading edge of oil sands technologies today," said Mark Little, chief operating officer, Suncor. "To be the very first company to test these systems and implement them at a commercial scale in our oil sands mining operations speaks to our long history of embracing and implementing game changing technologies - it's simply part of our DNA."

Autonomous trucks operate predictably and employ a suite of safety features like prescribed route mapping and obstacle detection systems. "Safety is our number one value at Suncor. Autonomous haulage systems reduce interaction between people and equipment, which decreases incident rates and injury potential - helping us ensure everyone goes home safely at the end of every day," said Little.

The implementation of AHS will change roles and required skill sets for some employees at Suncor's operations over time. The company will continue to work with the union on strategies to minimize workforce impacts. Current plans show that the earliest the company would see a decrease in heavy equipment operator positions at Base Plant operations is 2019.

Taking a staged approach to deployment will allow the company to deliberately focus on each mine and apply lessons from one to the next.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Kochi crude oil refinery in Kerala, operated by fuel retailer Bharat Petroleum (BPCL), has completed its expansion project to become the largest public sector refinery in the country, surpassing the capacity of Paradip and Panipat refineries operated by the largest retailer Indian Oil Corp (IOC), said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

BPCL completed the Rs 16,500 crore Integrated Refinery Expansion Project (IREP) at Kochi in October last year, ramping up the capacity of the unit to 15.5 million tonne (MT) from the earlier 12.4 MT. That compares with 15 MT capacity each of IOC’s Paradip refinery in Odisha and Panipat refinery in Haryana.

“We have successfully completed the expansion project which has made Kochi refinery the largest , public sector refinery in the country,” Prasad K Panicker, Executive Director at the refinery told ETEnergyWorld. “It has resulted in boosting our crude processing capabilities with a nelson index of 10.8. We can now process almost all kinds of crude. From January 2018, we expect Kochi refinery to process around 1.3 MT of crude,” he added.

The Kochi oil refinery processed 1.2 MT crude in December 2017 as compared to 1 MT processed in the corresponding month a year ago, data from the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC), an arm of the oil ministry, shows.

A BPCL executive, in a conference call post the company’s second quarter results, had said the full completion of the expansion project at Kochi refinery will increase the refinery’s Gross Refinery Margins (GRMs) by USD2 per barrel and the company expects all the units to be working at full capacity by December 2017.

Panicker said that the company is currently working on a propylene derivative petrochemical project at a cost of Rs 5,426 crore which is expected to be completed in 2019. He added that BPCL had last week entered into a long-term agreement with US-based Air Products, supplier of liquefied natural gas process technology and equipment to build, own and operate a new syngas production facility at its Kochi refinery.

Even after the commissioning of the largest public sector refinery, the state-owned fuel retailer is far behind Mukesh-Ambani led Reliance Industries’ Jamnagar complex in Gujarat which hosts two refineries of 33 MT and 35.2 MT capacity each along with a petrochemical unit.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Lubrizol has launched two thermoplastic polyurethane resins for hot melt adhesives (HMAs). The products belong to the plasticiser-free Pearlbond 300 TPU series that stands out for its low activation temperatures and good bonding properties to various substrates, according to GV.

According to Lubrizol, its offering for HMAs can be found in technical textiles, interlinings, apparel (seam tapes and heat-transfer labels), conveyor belts, footwear and many demanding applications. The Pearlbond 360 and 960 TPU resins are said to perform well in outdoor applications thanks to their resistance to external agents (humidity and microorganisms). Pearlbond 360 is a breathable, plasticiser-free soft TPU with good wash resistance and adhesion to fabrics. This solution bonds well at a low activation temperature (< 120 C). This allows it to be combined with delicate fabrics and increases the protection of substrates from heat damage. Pearlbond 960 is a light-stable, breathable and plasticiser-free TPU which combines the above-mentioned properties with good UV resistance. It is said to be a durable solution with improved bonding and mechanical properties.

James Ruben, global market segment manager for adhesives at Lubrizol Engineered Polymers, said: "There is a strong demand from customers around the world to have adhesive solutions that combine softness, low activation temperature and high durability. End-uses such as quality garments, automotive and consumer goods require innovative bonding solutions. An increasing number of customers are in search of such a solution. Lubrizol is listening to those customers and is committed to addressing their needs."

As MRC informed previously, in February 2016, speciality chemicals major Lubrizol Corporation announced the commencement of its USD50 million chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) compounding plant in Dahej. This was the company's first CPVC compounding plant in the country, and it claimed that it is the first such in India by any global major.

The Lubrizol Corporation, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is an innovative specialty chemical company that apart from its production develops and supplies technologies to customers in the global transportation, industrial and consumer markets. Lubrizol is providing innovative solutions for its customers high-performance application needs and remains committed to ongoing investment in its CPVC capabilities that support future growth. With headquarters in Wickliffe, Ohio, Lubrizol owns and operates manufacturing facilities in 17 countries, as well as sales and technical offices around the world. Founded in 1928, Lubrizol has approximately 8,000 employees worldwide.
MRC