Braskem SA, a subsidiary of Odebrecht SA, will invest 45 million Brazilian real ($11.3 million) to upgrade electrical systems at its basic petrochemical unit 2 (Unib 2) in the Triunfo petrochemical complex in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state.
Designed to improve receipt and distribution of electricity at the plant, the two-part project will involve improvements to the high-voltage main substations of the operating units, as well as work to modernize and optimize the plant’s load-shedding system to combat situations of possible shortfalls in electricity supply from the local utility company, Braskem said.
The system overhaul comes as part of a plan to limit interruptions to production at the site that could result from unplanned electrical outages, the company said.
The planned investment also will include installation of transformers and high-power panels, as well as replacement of power cables and high-voltage distribution controls.
The company did not disclose a timeframe for the project’s completion.
Commissioned in 2010, Unib 2 uses a feedstock of 100% sugarcane ethanol to produce 200,000 tonnes/year of ethylene which is converted into an equivalent volume of polyethylene at other processing units within the Triunfo complex, according to Yokogawa Electric Corp., which served as main automation contractor for the plant’s construction.
Contact Robert Brelsford at [email protected].
