Gazprom Neft to build hydrogen unit at Omsk refinery

PJSC Gazprom Neft is adding a unit for hydrogen production at the 21.4 million-tonne/year Omsk refinery in Western Siberia as part of the company’s ongoing modernization and upgrading program aimed at reducing environmental impacts as well as improving processing capacities, conversion rates, energy efficiency, and production qualities at its Russian refineries by 2020 (OGJ Online, Dec. 2, 2013).

The standalone 12,300-tpy hydrogen production unit, on which construction began Mar. 17, will provide 99.9% purity hydrogen for new and reconstructed hydrotreating plants at the refinery as well as eliminate dependence of Omsk’s existing hydrotreating processes on byproduct hydrogen currently supplied by catalytic reforming units at the site, Gazprom Neft said.

Alongside increasing the refinery’s stable production of Euro 5-quality motor fuels, the new hydrogen unit also will help boost Omsk’s output of high-octane gasolines and other light petroleum products, the operator said.

Designed and developed by Russian firm Omskneftekhimproject JSC, the hydrogen production plant is scheduled to be commissioned by yearend.

To date, Gazprom Neft said it has invested 3.4 billion rubles in the project.

This latest project joins a series of works under way as part of the second phase of the Omsk refinery’s modernization program, which specifically aims to improve the overall yield of light-end refined products at the manufacturing site (OGJ Online, Feb. 8, 2017).

Contact Robert Brelsford at [email protected].