Barrancabermeja refinery introduces new technology to continue improving fuel quality
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Barrancabermeja refinery introduces new technology to continue improving fuel quality
Jan 7, 2021
- They completed work to upgrade the Sulphur IV plant that allows removing more Sulphur from gasoline and diesel.
- 360 workers participated with 90% of local labor.
- The recovered sulfur is sold for the manufacture of batteries, matches, fertilizers and cosmetics, among other products.
- US$15 million was invested in engineering, equipment and assembly.
Ecopetrol went one step further in fulfilling the commitments to deliver fuels of the best international quality to all Colombians. This is the technological update of the Sulphur IV plant of the Barrancabermeja refinery, which increases the removal of this element in the process of fuel treatment.
Carlos Guillermo García, General Manager of the refinery of Barrancabermeja, explained that as Ecopetrol advances in its purpose of delivering diesel and gasoline with fewer parts per million sulfur, it has been necessary to have a greater capacity for recovery of the waste gases eliminated in the hydrotreating processes of fuels in which sulfur is removed to diesel and gasoline.
The works allowed to expand by 75% the treatment capacity of the waste gases resulting from the hydrotreating process of fuels, from 80,000 to more than 140,000 standard cubic feet per hour, and increase by 82% the sulfur removal capacity at the sulfur IV plant, from 50 tons/day to 90 tons/day, for a total of 134 tons of sulfur/day.
The technological upgrade of the Sulphur IV plant consisted in the change of its main equipment such as the thermal reactor, boiler and burner, and the implementation of the licensed medium enrichment technology with oxygen. In this way, sulfur recovery capacity and efficiency in the treatment of waste gases associated with the projects contemplated in the fuel quality path were increased.
The works also give greater operational flexibility to the refinery because it will henceforth be able to keep the fuel hydrotreating units in operation in case it is necessary to take other sulfur units that perform similar functions out of Service, continuing the commitments of delivery of quality fuels.
The recovered sulfur is sold in liquid form to different customers who use it in industrial processes such as the production of sulfuric acid for batteries, the manufacture of gunpowder, the vulcanization of rubber, the manufacture of matches, fungicides, fertilizers and cosmetics, among others.
Broad participation of local labor
The execution of the design, engineering, assembly, testing and commissioning of the Sulphur IV plant was led by Ecopetrol with the participation of 14 companies that involved about 360 workers, of which 90% was local labor.
Strict biosafety protocols were complied with, which ensured social distance on several fronts of work, the use of protective elements according to the level of risk of the activities and the provision of adequate furniture to ensure frequent hand washing.
The investment made by Ecopetrol amounted to US$15 million in activities such as the development of basic and detailed engineering, the purchase of main equipment, materials and consumables, and the assembly, testing and commissioning of the plant
