CRU Nitrogen + Syngas 2024

Technical programme highlights

A selection of abstracts from the 2024 technical programme

Sustainable maritime transportation: Reducing emissions from ammonia-fuelled ships

Enercat

Ammonia has emerged as a promising green alternative to marine fuels due to its zero-carbon potential. However, the combustion of ammonia can produce nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions, nitrous oxide (N2 O) emissions and ammonia (NH3 ) emissions from the engine alongside various vents related to storage and use.

While selective catalytic reduction for NOx abatement is already being used on numerous vessels using standard vanadium-titania catalyst, N2 O emissions are still be addressed as they could completely offset the benefit of using a zero-carbon fuel.

Enercat has investigated the potential of zeolite catalysts for the abatement of NOx, NH3 and N2 O emissions from NH3 -fuelled engines in combined or multi-staged beds and will share their findings.

H2 Magallanes: A journey to future of green ammonia

TotalEnergies

TEH2, a new joint venture between Total Energies (TTE) and EREN Groupe has assessed the technical constraints and economic evaluation of developing a massive green ammonia plant in Magallanes, Chile. The study looked at the impact of intermittency and its effect on the green ammonia chain in terms of sizing, operability, energy efficiency and GHG emissions. The green ammonia chain consists of renewable onshore wind farms, electrolyser hubs, hydrogen pipelines, gaseous hydrogen storage, ammonia plant and export terminal of liquefied NH3 . Different ammonia export solutions have been evaluated.

Energy reduction at Yara urea plant in Ferrara Italy

Yara Belgium SA/NV

Yara will discuss two projects showcasing how to revamp and improve the energy efficiency of existing plants. The first is a joint project with Casale to reduce the urea plant process consumption by installing heat recovery, optimising the main process parameters and the steam network, reducing the steam imports from the CO2 compressor steam turbine and stop venting LP steam. The second is a project involving replacing the CO2 compressor steam turbine (condensing type) with a counterpressure type, integrated in the ammonia steam network. The results obtained after project implementation in 2015/2016 led to more than 40% reduction of the total energy consumption per GJ/t urea.

In-service monitoring of heat exchanger tube wall thickness

Schoeller-Bleckmann Nitec (SBN)

SBN’s patented sensor technology provides up-to-the-minute data, facilitating a shift from fixed preventative maintenance to a more adaptive, condition-based strategy. Consequently, decisions regarding costly and time-consuming plant shutdowns can be driven by actual data instead of relying on time-based estimates. This presentation showcases two distinct patented sensing systems based on ultrasound and fibre optic technology, designed for continuous monitoring of individual heat exchanger tube wall thickness in high pressure, high temperature operating conditions.

Maximising the storage of liquid ammonia in large-scale flat bottom tanks

Linde GmbH, Linde Engineering

As the use of liquid ammonia continues to expand beyond the fertilizer industry to an attractive hydrogen and energy carrier, there is a growing demand for even larger storage sizes, nearing those of LNG. This presentation will review the currently built and planned ammonia storage tank sizes. Starting with a summary of the available storage concepts and state-of-the-art design features for these tanks it will then discuss how they relate to the maximal storage capacities. This includes an in-depth look at current regulation, design solutions, material selection and maintenance requirements.

Ammonia cracking by Technip Energies

T.EN Netherlands

Technip Energies will introduce a low energy intensity ammonia cracking technology, building on decades of experience in hydrogen production and ammonia cracking. The proposed technology is a combination of high heat recovery and a commercially proven cracking catalyst. While traditional cracking technologies make use of high-grade process heat to generate steam, the proposed ammonia cracking concept offers the possibility to utilise high-value heat to provide additional ammonia cracking efficiency and energy savings, as well as reduce operating costs, by reducing the firing duty.

Reducing primary energy costs through pioneering advances in heat exchange applications

Solex Thermal Science

The energy involved in the production of fertilizers represents one of the industry’s most significant operating costs. The IFS (International Fertiliser Society) has singled out several areas of the fertilizer production process where operators have opportunities to reduce their consumption of fuel gas, notably through the recovery of waste heat from existing process loops. This presentation will focus on how both plate- and pipe-based heat exchanger can be used as waste heat recovery mechanisms that subsequently improve the energy management practices of today’s fertilizer producer. Real world examples will demonstrate how this technology is actively decarbonising industrial process operations worldwide.

Mechanical design of ultra low energy reactor for large capacity urea plants

Stamicarbon

Stamicarbon successfully introduced the Ultra-Low Energy (ULE) reactor concept with the commissioning of two ULE urea plants in 2021. Both plants had a nameplate capacity of 2,334 t/d. Leveraging on the excellent corrosion resistant properties of Safurex, the mechanical design of the ULE reactor features a double bundle connected to an internal tubesheet. This concept is only suitable for plant capacities of up to 2,500 t/d urea plants. For plant capacities above 2,5000 t/d, Stamicarbon has developed a new design and the first large capacity ULE plant with a name plate capacity of 3,850 t/d was licensed in 2022. In this presentation the conceptual design of the new ULE pool condenser will be highlighted.