How to Mitigate the Risks Due to the Implementation of New Technologies

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EDL Anlagenbau Gesellschaft mbH

CAC ENGINEERING GMBH

Pörner Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH

Intertek PARC

Independent Protection Layer

After examining the output variables and semi-quantifying the level of risk associated with achieving these output variables, it is to be seen – what level of risk the refiner will accept. If it is not acceptable, then one way to reduce the risk of implementing new technology is by adding an IPL analogous to what is done in the process plant safety field. An IPL, often used in the refinery and chemical industries, is pilot plant testing. A pilot plant is a unit that simulates the operation of a finery unit except on substantially reduced scale. Pilot plants can cover non-hydroprocessing refinery units, such as a delayed coker, deasphalter or visbreaker.

Pilot plants can also simulate operations of fixed bed reactors used in hydrotreating, hydrocracking, reforming and isomerization. Micro-reactor testing is primarily used for initial screening of catalysts, but bench and pilot plant reactor are used for confirmation of catalyst performance and product specifications.

In the present case, hydrotreating technology, the IPL would be independent third-party pilot plant testing or bench reactor testing services. It would be able to provide data on temperature requirements, cycle length and product specifications. Independent testing means that confidential testing services are provided by the company whose only revenues are from the pilot plant services provided. The testing company neither competes with its clients nor owns technology that it markets itself. An additional advantage is that the company providing the testing services has extensive experience that can facilitate program execution. A further advantage is that while a client may have pilot plant facilities of his own, common cause failure may warrant that testing be done by an independent company. While this is a complex issue, it may pay in the long run to do independent testing prior to implementing complex technology in the refinery.

The level of risk can be mitigated by experience. Databases and complex models can be developed that correlate catalyst performance. Instead of focusing on individual compounds — groups or ‘lumps’ of compounds that fall into similar chemical classifications have been used with success. In even deeper analysis, the surfaces of catalysts can be characterized and its properties can be correlated to catalyst performance. These give confidence of process performance and reduce the risk of implementing the technology in the refinery or in a chemical plant.

* The author is from Intertek PARC, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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