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Publication > Issue > Articles
MEScon returns to Abu Dhabi
Summary
CRU and UniverSUL Consulting, together with the event host, ADNOC, are delighted to welcome you back for MEScon 2024 at the Conrad Abu Dhabi, Etihad Towers from 20 to 23 May 2024.Abstract
The 2024 Middle East Sulphur Conference (MEScon 2024) organised by CRU and UniverSUL Consulting and hosted by ADNOC will take place at the Conrad Abu Dhabi, Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi, UAE, from 20 to 23 May 2024. Keywords: conference preview, Middle East Sulphur Conference, MEScon, Abu Dhabi, agenda, Sulphur Youth Majilis Session, operations roundtable, sour hydrocarbon, gas treating, automation, digitalisation, sulphur handling, SRU/TGTU best practices, CRU, UniverSUL Consulting, ADNOCIs sulphur nutrient supply meeting crop demand?
Summary
Sulphur plays an important role in crop nutrition. Indeed, sulphur is increasingly being recognised as the fourth major crop nutrient alongside N, P and K. However, a combination of intensive agricultural practices, increasing application of high-analysis fertilizers and tighter air quality regulations has led to increasing sulphur deficiency in soils. In this insight article, CRU's Peter Harrisson looks at what's driving sulphur deficiency and whether there's a gap in the market for sulphur fertilizers.Abstract
Plants are able to take up sulphur as a soil nutrient in sulphate form. This can be supplied directly through atmospheric deposition and sulphate fertilizers, or via the oxidation of organic sulphur or elemental sulphur fertilizers. Organic sulphur accounts for around 95 percent of the sulphur found in soils and, when converted into sulphate, is either taken up by plants or lost from the system by leaching. The major factors influencing the levels of available sulphur in soil are the rate of plant uptake versus replenishment by atmospheric deposition, animal/crop wastes and fertilizer applications (Figure 1). Keywords: insight, sulphur fertilizer, crop nutrition, sulphur cycle, sulphur emissions, crop yield, high analysis fertilizer, sulphur demand, sulphur nutrient supply, crop demand, sulphur deficiency, CRUA better understanding of SRU incinerators
Summary
Sulphur Experts outline the steps required to determine optimised SRU incinerator operating conditions. Although a proper determination of the ideal SRU incinerator operating conditions for any given facility is complicated by a combination of inconsistent permitting standards and poor understanding of the role of the SRU incinerator, the payoff for incinerator optimisation is a significant decrease in natural gas usage with corresponding savings in operating costs, a decrease in CO2 emissions, and a simultaneous reduction in NOx and SO3 emissions.Abstract
The vast majority of the world’s sulphur recovery units (SRUs) are required to process their tail gas streams in an incinerator prior to releasing them to the atmosphere. These incinerators, also commonly called thermal oxidisers, serve two primary purposes. The first purpose is to acceptably combust certain regulated chemical species present in the SRU tail gases before releasing them to the atmosphere. The second purpose is to release the incinerated tail gas to the atmosphere under conditions that will ensure that the residual amount of these same regulated chemical species is well dispersed and diluted in the atmosphere, so that when they eventually reach ground level they will be less than the regulated maximum ground-level concentrations. Keywords: SRU incinerator, optimisation, CO2, NOx, SO3, emissions, natural gas usage, operating costs, incinerator regulations, compliance monitoring, incinerator inlet composition, H2S destruction, CO destruction, VOCs, turndown, TGTU bypassing, Sulphur ExpertsFine-tuning SRU incinerator burners
Summary
Sulphur Experts outline the steps required to determine optimised SRU incinerator operating conditions. Although a proper determination of the ideal SRU incinerator operating conditions for any given facility is complicated by a combination of inconsistent permitting standards and poor understanding of the role of the SRU incinerator, the payoff for incinerator optimisation is a significant decrease in natural gas usage with corresponding savings in operating costs, a decrease in CO2 emissions, and a simultaneous reduction in NOx and SO3 emissions.Abstract
The vast majority of the world’s sulphur recovery units (SRUs) are required to process their tail gas streams in an incinerator prior to releasing them to the atmosphere. These incinerators, also commonly called thermal oxidisers, serve two primary purposes. The first purpose is to acceptably combust certain regulated chemical species present in the SRU tail gases before releasing them to the atmosphere. The second purpose is to release the incinerated tail gas to the atmosphere under conditions that will ensure that the residual amount of these same regulated chemical species is well dispersed and diluted in the atmosphere, so that when they eventually reach ground level they will be less than the regulated maximum ground-level concentrations. Keywords: incinerator optimisation, SRU incinerator, burner, NOx emission, energy consumption, AecometricTaking digitalisation to the next level
Summary
Digitalisation is making a strong impact in the process industry and is providing an opportunity to have a positive impact on the production KPIs. Metso's Metals & Chemical Processing Business reviews the impact of digitalisation in the sulphuric acid industry today and discusses the concept of a future pit-to-port system within a digital eco-structure.Abstract
The sulphuric acid industry has been driven by almost a century of improvements in process technology and equipment design. It is expected that this trend will continue, although not at the same rate as in earlier decades and with potential change in focus to consider the challenges associated with the mega-trends such as energy transition, circularity, etc. Keywords: digitalisation, production KPIs, sulphuric acid industry, pit to port system, digital eco-system, MetsoSulphuric acid in the age of technology
Summary
In today's dynamic business landscape, digitalisation has become a powerful tool for companies seeking to enhance operations. By leveraging real-time plant data, organisations can create more meaningful interactions between operations teams, technical experts within the industry and the power of machine learning. David Dericotte and Linda Colby of Elessent Clean Technologies introduce the MECS® digital advisor, a web-based dashboard for plant performance assessment, troubleshooting and a supplemental mentoring tool for less experienced engineers and operators.Abstract
Traditionally, sulphuric acid plant operations have relied on legacy historian systems for data collection and knowledgeable staff with engineering insights and experience to interpret this data. These historian systems record process, lab and sometimes field-collected data without predictive algorithms, resulting in limited interaction with the operations team. However, the landscape is changing rapidly. Advanced analytics models, including machine learning and artificial intelligence, can be incorporated to go beyond traditional regression analysis. These tools can reveal hidden patterns and complex interdependencies, enabling more precise modelling of core plant functions for operations and maintenance planning. In addition, it addresses down-to-earth, day-to-day needs for real-time collaboration, integrated turn-around planning, and mentoring of new hires. Keywords: digitalisation, plant performance, dashboard, MECS® digital advisor, troubleshooting, mentoring tool, Elessent Clean TechnologiesCanadian sulphur exports
Summary
Though production, particularly from sour gas in Alberta, has declined, Canada remains the world's second largest exporter of sulphur.Abstract
Canada was the world’s fifth largest producer of sulphur in 2023, at 4.52 million t/a. More importantly, it was the second largest exporter, behind only the UAE, with a total of 4.01 million t/a of sulphur exported. While it is not the dominant player that it once was, its exports are comparable to those of Saudi Arabia or Kazakhstan. In spite of falling volumes being recovered from declining sour gas fields, increased recovery from oil sands production have so far by and large balanced this, but falling recovery from oil production may see it slip into third or fourth place in export terms in the next few years. Canada’s reservoir of long term sulphur stocks remains a potential wild card for the market however. Keywords: refining, refinery, tar, bitumen, ccs, capture, syncrude, dilbit, upgrade, upgrader, pipeline, forming, albertaMorocco's new acid capacity
Summary
Morocco's OCP is continuing to expand its phosphate fertilizer production capacity. This includes the construction of new sulphur-burning acid capacity to support phosphate production and provide carbon-free power.Abstract
Morocco continues to be the giant of the world’s phosphate industry, with around two thirds of the world’s proved phosphate reserves (some say as high as 80%) and a major share of its production. All of this is in the hands of state-owned Office Cherefien des Phosphates (OCP), 95% owned by the Moroccan government. Keywords: fertilizer, fertilizers, sustainable, jorf, lasfar, africa, acid, adnoc, waste, imports, supplyRefineries and the energy transition
Summary
As refiners adapt to the transition to a lower carbon economy, different strategies are likely to impact upon sulphur output.Abstract
At present oil refining produces 32 million t/a of elemental sulphur, just under half of the total global supply of 67 million t/a. However, the global transition towards a lower carbon economy is leading to much greater uptake of electric and hybrid vehicles, eating into the demand for liquid fuels, which are the main source of demand for refinery products at present. Keywords: efficient, efficiency, carbon, hydrogen, capture, ccs, bunker, biofuel, petrochemical, propylene, margin, closure