MARKET/APPLICATION: OIL & GAS
EXPANDING AN
AMBITIOUS PROJECT
China, the world’s fastest-growing economy, is a breathtaking blend of
innovation and industry. Wison Group Holding Limited mirrors the diversity
and dynamic development of its home country. In 2005, Atlas Copco Gas and
Process joined the industry giant’s long and diverse list of business partners
when it delivered two five-stage GT032 CO compressors to the company.
W
ison Group subsidiary Wison Engineering builds plants
and provides technology consulting to engineering
firms, local design institutes, construction companies and
suppliers worldwide. The company acquired two Atlas Copco
CO compressors at two different stages (in 2005 and 2008)
and via different subsidiaries – to serve two CO plants that are
part of a gigantic combined coal-chemical facility located in
the coastal city of Nanjing in China’s Jiangsu Province.
Phase 1: A Challenging Project
In 2005, Wison (Nanjing) Clean Energy Co. Ltd., a subsidiary
of the Wison Group also known as Wison Energy, needed a
strong turbocompressor solution to help produce purified car-
bon monoxide (CO) at the Nanjing coal-chemical plant.
The CO is used as a raw material in the complex production
of acetic acid, which is then delivered to Wison Energy’s
customer, the global chemicals player Celanese. Acetic acid
is a chemical used to make a wide range of products, including plastic bottles, adhesives, fabrics and fibers. It’s also quite
well-known in its diluted form: vinegar. China accounts for an
impressive 30% of the global demand for acetic acid, and the
country’s rate of consumption increases by about 7% each year.
Finding an efficient compressor to help Wison supply
purified CO for acetic-acid production was no easy task,
especially under a tight timeline. Because carbon monoxide is
a substance toxic to humans and the environment, the process
cycle must be absolutely leak-proof. Additionally, the
compressor can’t exceed an outlet temperature of 120 °C in
order to prevent any temperature-related reaction of the CO.
Enter the five-stage GT032 CO compressor built by Atlas
Copco Gas and Process: Delivered in 2006, the machine fit the
process requirements perfectly, including the specific power
range of 3.2 MW required by process provider Linde Engineering. The entire set was up and running within five months,
processing 1500 tons of coal and 300 000 tons of CO a year.
Oil & Gas
Phase 2: Direct Cooperation
In early 2007, when it was time for phase 2 of the Nanjing CO
plant – an ambitious expansion of plant capacity to 600 000
t/a (tons per annum) of carbon monoxide – Wison decided to
extend its collection of Atlas Copco Gas and Process machinery
by ordering a similar GT032T5D1 turbocompressor. This time,
Wison and Atlas Copco worked together directly, without the
involvement of a process provider.
Once again, Wison had good reasons to choose Atlas Copco.
“We did some research on who can make this machine, and we
know some other companies who use Atlas Copco. We heard of
references and heard about performance, which was good. So
we decided to also work with Atlas Copco,” said Cao Xianjie,
Procurement Supervision Director at Wison Engineering.
Thanks to Atlas Copco’s prior experience with the plant requirements, the phase 2 project could be completed and started
up in September 2009.
Today, the combined Wison coal-chemical plant in
Nanjing covers a land area of 480 000 square meters, equivalent to roughly 87 football fields. In a facility this huge, every
machine has to work without a hitch, and the suppliers who
provided it have to be 100% reliable. According to Zhang
Jin, Wison Engineering Procurement Business Director, Atlas
Copco has proven itself in both regards. “The relationship is
very good,” he says. “The most important things for us are
the quality of the machinery, the service, v the delivery times.
Everything has to be smooth.”
Technical Profile
The Wison Energy plant in Nanjing is home
to two Atlas Copco Gas and Process CO
compressors, including the five-stage GT032
CO compressor delivered in 2009 for phase 2
of the plant expansion.
Type: Five-stage GT032T5D1
Flow Volume: 2 200 Nm3/h
Inlet Pressure: 11.2 bar(a)
Outlet pressure: 38 bar(a)
The relationship is very good. The most
important things for us are the quality of
the machinery, the service, the delivery
times. Everything has to be smooth.”
Headquarters
Atlas Copco Energas GmbH
Schlehenweg 15, 50999 Cologne, Germany
Phone: +49 2236 96 50 0, Fax: +49 2236 96 50 899, [email protected],
www.atlascopco-gap.com
Zhang Jin
Engineering Procurement Business Director
Wison Engineering