IOC lets contracts for clean-fuels projects at Indian refineries
March 12, 2019
Indian Oil Corp. Ltd. has let multiple contracts totaling $12 million to Emerson Electric Co., St. Louis, to provide services related to a major modernization and upgrade of operations and emissions programs to increase operational efficiency, reduce emissions, and expand production of cleaner fuels at several of its refineries to ensure compliance with India’s looming more-stringent environmental standards (OGJ Online, July 30, 2018).
As part of the contracts, Emerson will serve as automation contractor on projects aimed at helping IOC meet the country’s new Bharat Stage VI (BS-VI, equivalent to Euro 6) low-sulfur emissions standards for fuels that, upon taking effect in April 2020, will mandate a maximum sulfur content of 10 ppm, the service provider said.
The project will upgrade 14 different process units, including diesel hydrotreating units designed to reduce sulfur content as well as octane-boosting units either to be installed or augmented with desulfurization technologies.
Specifically, Emerson said it will install advanced technologies, including its proprietary DeltaV distributed control systems; DeltaV safety instrumented systems and AMS asset management software; WirelessHART-enabled instruments; wired field instruments including pressure, temperature, and flow sensors; control and isolation valves; and gas analyzers.
Emerson will also provide installation, commissioning, factory-acceptance testing, and training support services for the project at IOC’s 314,000-b/d Panipat refinery and petrochemical complex in Haryana north of New Delhi, 277,400-b/d Koyali refinery at Vadodara in India’s western state of Gujarat, 164,100-b/d Haldia refinery in the district of Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, and 47,200-b/d Bongaigaon refinery in Assam.
While Emerson did not disclose further details regarding a timeframe for completion of its work under the contract, IOC said it expects to complete the entirety of its 166 billion-rupee BS-VI quality improvement projects at all its refineries by September, according to the operator’s web site.
Contact Robert Brelsford at [email protected].
