LEVERAGING PERFORMANCE OF PLANT 2 BY
REDUCTION INFRONT END PRESSURE DROP
Being part of a process plant, we are most concerned of the
production numbers & when we talk about production number,
there comes the load…!
But the issue is how effectively we are able to utilize the
available gas pressures. Moreover, whenever there is a flow there
is an associated pressure drop and energy loss. In order words,
front end pressure drop is directly linked with synthesis machine
steam consumption. It was observed that Plant 2 front end
pressure drop has an increasing trend and can reach to an
alarming range by 2020. Capability Analysis also revealed the
same for the process. Replacement of catalyst can be one easy
task to address the issue but the need of the hour was to come
up with such solutions so as to minimize the cost but maximize
the impact. Advanced catalyst designs with inherently low DP
were researched for Furnace & cost effective but impactful IDLH
nitrogen environment skimming was planned for R-201. After
efficacious completion of these massive tasks in TA-2018 Plant 2
team was able to attain almost ~3kg/cm2 reduction in FE drop
corresponding to steam saving in synthesis machine, fuel saving
at Encop and margin for load increment..!!!
Narmeen Hunjra/Sara Ahsan
Loss Reduction Black Belt Project at Plant-2
With the continuously changing industrial dynamics and
squeezing profit margins, 32 Loss Reduction Projects
including on-stream and opportunity based projects were
identified by the Production Department, out of which 25
Projects were deemed workable. 05 onstream projects
were successfully implemented in Year 2017 while 05 more
had been implemented recently grabbing the available
opportunity for hardware modifications or the startup
phase post TA-18. From the innovative idea of
heating the methanator with nitrogen to the status quo
challenging ideas of early air lineup and excess syn gas
lineup to F-201, no stone was left unturned. An out of the
box idea of steam reduction was brought in play at ARU
leading to significant process improvement at the unit.
The efforts by the team
didn’t conclude here and
work is still in progress at
the remaining projects,
which once implemented
will have a potential
saving directly impacting
the company’s
bottomline.
Muhammad Zain Anwar