Feb 16, 2010

CPCL ERECTS MASSIVE DHDT REACTOR

Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL) has undertaken an Auto Fuel Quality Up-gradation Project at an estimated cost of Rs. 2615 crore in Manali Refinery to produce MS/HSD meeting Euro-IV specifications for Chennai and Bangalore and Euro-III equivalent specifications for the rest of the locations from April 2010 onwards, as per the Auto Fuel Policy of the Government of India.

The Diesel Hydrotreating (DHDT) unit of CPCL is being installed as part of the facilities for meeting the Euro IV Specification of Diesel. The DHDT unit has a capacity of 1.8 MMTPA and M/s Axens, France is the process licensors. The Reactor is the heart of the DHDT unit. It handles hydrocarbons and hydrogen at high temperature and pressure. All the desulfurisation reactions take place in the reactor in the presence of the Catalyst.

A milestone was achieved when the DHDT Reactor 211-R-01, the heaviest among all equipment within CPCL, 614 MT and costing about Rs 50 crores, was erected. The DHDT Reactor is designed for 93 kg/cm² pressure and was fabricated by Larson & Toubro at their state-of-the-art unit located at Hazira, Surat. The reactor was transported using barge from Hazira to Mumbai and by ship from Mumbai to Chennai.

After unloading at Chennai Port, the transportation of reactor from Chennai Port to CPCL was carried out. When this Over Dimensional consignment (ODC) emerged out of Chennai Port, the onlookers were awe struck at the mammoth size of the vessel (42 m tall x 5.8 m dia) and the long and wide tractor trailer with as many as 420 wheels.

The transportation through road called for removal of 28 lamp posts, 2 traffic signals and demolition of median at several places, in co-ordination with Chennai Corporation, Police Department, municipal agencies and local bodies apart from modifications within Chennai Port premises.. Enroute, the reactor passed through two railway crossings, one inside Chennai Port and the other near Eranavoor Bridge where the main north bound rail traffic is involved. These crossings required elaborate arrangements like stoppage of rail traffic and dismantling of overhead electric traction by Railways and preparation of surface using sand bags, steel mat for crossing the rail track and restoration of track and traction to its original shape - all within a short span of two hours.

Another major crossing is the Buckingham canal crossing. This canal being the major backwater conduit, detailed discussions were held with Public Works Department and the crossing was designed in such a way that unrestricted water flow was established. RCC pipes were laid across the canal as the bottom layer and the upper layers are consolidated with sand, morrum, steel mat etc. Erection of reactor at site was carried out by strand jack method, where heavy loads are lifted with computer controlled hydraulic jacks, similar to drawing water from a open well using, rope, pulley and a bucket.

The DHDT unit is expected to be mechanically completed by July’10. CPCL takes this opportunity to thank the Chennai Port, Railways, PWD, Corporation, Police, Municipal agencies and Local bodies for their support during the transportation of the reactor.

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