Bapco’s Process Control & Instrumentation Department has successfully commissioned three advanced process control applications which are helping reduce environmental emissions and conserve energy at its Sitra refinery.
The three applications, implemented recently on process heaters in the refinery, have enabled reductions in excess oxygen (O2) emissions of 1.5%, 2% and 2% respectively. These reductions were achieved while maintaining fuel gas pressure, heater outlet temperature, stack temperature, CO and CO2 levels, heater draft and other constraints, and imply significant savings in fuel gas and reduced environmental emissions.
The energy-saving applications, part of a wider Bapco programme to minimise fuel gas consumption, were commissioned on heaters installed at three units at the refinery - No.6 VDU (Vacuum Distillation Unit), the Kerosene Rerun Unit (KRU) and Hydro-Desulphurisation Unit #2HDU. The applications utilise state-of-the-art multi-variable predictive control technology to move the heaters to a safe and economically-optimal operating region.
Bapco previously carried out a feasibility study on ten heaters across the Refinery to identify those with the potential to implement an advanced control application.
Advanced process control makes it possible to control certain processes in a complex operating environment such as a refinery to make them more profitable and predictable.