june issue 2014
DESCRIPTION
Fertilizers, Pumps and ValvesTRANSCRIPT
ChemTECH World Expo 201528-31 January 2015, Mumbai,India
Industry Focus: Fertilisers
Special Section on Pumps & Valves
FERTILISERS: ALL EYES ON GOVERNMENT Ÿ 24ItÊs a Serious Business, Govt Must Pull its Socks Up Ÿ 26Technological Advancements Will Pave the Way for Growth Ÿ 30Will Bringing Urea Under NBS Make the Difference? Ÿ 36Corrosion Tacking Challenges in Indian Fertiliser Industry Ÿ 40Opportunities for EPC Players in Fertiliser Sector Ÿ 52
ContentsCEW
4 • June 2014 Chemical Engineering World
NEWS Industry News / 6
Technology News / 12
NEWS FEATURES Focus on Long-term Benefits, not on Instant Profits: Atanu Maity / 18
FEATURES FERTILISERS: ALL EYES ON GOVERNMENT… / 24
It’s a Serious Business, Govt Must Pull its Socks Up / 26
– Suresh, Krishnan, MD, Zuari Agrochemicals Ltd
Technological Advancements Will Pave the Way for Growth / 30
– R Mukundan, MD, Tata Chemicals Ltd
Will Bringing Urea Under NBS Make the Difference? / 36
– Guy Goves, President – Agri Business & Farm Solutions, DFPCL
Corrosion – Tacking Challenges in Indian Fertiliser Industry / 40
– V P Sastry, CV Manian, NIGIS
India Takes Pride of Place in Global Specialty Plastics Market / 50
– Dr Prakash Trivedi, Polymer SBU, Gharda Chemicals Ltd
Opportunities for EPC Players in Fertiliser Sector / 52
– K Shankar, Director – Onshore Business, Technip India Limited
SPECIAL ON PUMPS & VALVES Pump Material for Harsh Environments / 56
– Raimo Arola, Thomas Kraenzler, Sulzer Pumps
Handling Tricky Situation with Ball Sector Valve / 62
– Volker Gatzert, Thomas Labahn, Schubert & Salzer Control Systems GmbH
New Verderflex Dura 5 and Dura 7 Hose Pump Receives “Ringier Technology
Innovation Award 2014” / 66
– Verderflex
Centrifugal Pump Hydraulik Rerate - ROAD to RELIABILITY / 68
– Vishwanath Kulkarni, ITT Corp India Pvt ltd
Complete Solutions for Valve Requirements / 72
– Intervalve India Ltd
MARKET INSIGHTS India Posed to Add Huge Desalination Capacities in 5 Years / 74
PRODUCTS / 80
EVENTS / 84
PROJECT UPDATE /85
BACK OF BOOK Ad Index / 87
Book Shelf / 88
Interview/ 89
“Leverage Talent and Experience Base to Focus on Specialty Chemicals”
- Dr Raman Ramchandran, Head – South Asia & Chairman, BASF India
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VOL. 49 | NO.6 | JUNE 2014 | MUMBAI | ` 150
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Cover page image: Zuari Agrochemicals Ltd
Industry NewsCEW
6
Nihal Chand is MoS for Chemicals & Fertilizers
Higher Gross Refining Margin Reported
RCF Shelves Plans of Setting Up Fertiliser Plant in Ghana
Self-reliance in Fertilisers to be the Focus for Government: Ananth Kumar
New Delhi, India: Nihal Chand has taken charge as the Minister of State for Chemicals & Fertilizers in New Delhi on May 28. The Minister said that he had been with his senior cabinet colleague Ananth Kumar, when he expressed the ministryÊs priorities and that he would work hard to achieve these stated objectives. Nihal Chand has been elected as a MP from the Ganganagar Constituency in Rajasthan in the recent Lok Sabha Elections. The 43 year old
young BJP leader had earlier been elected to the Parliament three times and this is his fourth term.
Chennai, India: Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd (CPCL) has reported a profit in Q4 of FY 2013-14 because of higher gross refining margins. The refinery, a group company of India Oil Corporation, has seen a net profit of 49.81 crore in Q4 which ended on March 31 as compared to the net loss of 392.23 crore last year. The gross sale in the Q4 were 14,608 crore against 13,586 crore last year. As stated in the BSE filing, CPCL had a net loss of 303.85 crore for the fiscal year which is much less compared to last yearÊs 1,766.84 crore. In FY14, the gross sales touched
53,923.7 crore ( 46,842.5 crore). About 2.8 million tonnes was processed during the last quarter. The gross refining margin stood at USD 1.96 per barrel (USD 0.08).
New Delhi, India: Rashtriya Chemicals and Fer tilizers (RCF) has put its plans of setting up a fer tiliser plant in Ghana on hold as the country denied gas supply which was assured previously. It is an investment of USD 1 billion in total. A MoU was signed between India and Ghana to set up a urea plant which initially has a capacity of 1.2 tonnes per annum (tpa) in western GhanaÊs Shama district.
The Indian government nominated RCF for this project as both, India and Ghana had to select a company from their side for the projectÊs execution. High level ministry officials and RCF officials paid a visit to Ghana in June 2013 for discussing the pricing and gas supply issues.
Ministry sources stated that RCF has halted the project because assurance about gas supply as well as pricing was not given by Ghana government as those were the sole reasons why the company was interested.
In India since 2007-08, the urea production has been stagnant at 22 million tonnes (MT). The current demand is at 30 MT and this is met through imports.
New Delhi, India: One of the key focus areas for the new government is going to be making India self-reliant in the fer t i l iser sector, said Ananth Kumar after he took charge as the Minister of Fer t i l izer and Chemicals on May 29. When talking of special economic zones he stated that petrochemical hubs would be set up in various parts of the country like Tamil Nadu, Assam and Odisha. Before the sowing of kharif or summer crops begins, fertilisers would be provided to the farmers. He further added
that the governmentÊs long term policy would be to ensure that India does not depend on imports and becomes self-reliant in fertilisers.
Kumar said, „We are making a roadmap for the revival of closed urea units. Also, a new urea unit will be set up in Namrup in Assam and a new Single Super Phosphate (SSP) unit by FCI Aravali Gypsum Minerals India Ltd in Rajasthan.” Talking about neem-coated urea, he stated that the government would continue to work towards an action plan to improve its availability.
New Delhi, India: Dharmendra Pradhan took charge in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) on May 27.
Speaking to the media-persons after assuming the role, Pradhan said that his focus would be to meet the expectations of the poor and the middle-class people o f the count r y. „The peop le o f the country have large expectations from
the new government and this government is dedicated to the welfare of the poor. India needs to reduce import dependence and secure energy needs, so that it becomes self-reliant,‰ he said. Indian economy has an impor tant role in the world economy, and the government would endeavour to make contr ibut ion to th is ef fect . Pradhan would consul t senior col leagues in the government and would like to formulate holistic policies, in tune with the guidance and vision of the Pr ime Minister, Narendra Modi.
Earnest effor ts will be made to bring back the economy on the track of progress and development. The issues, being dealt in the ministry, would be studied and discussed with senior officers, so that decisions could be formulated in the interest of the poor and the country.
Dharmendra Pradhan Takes Charge as MoS for Petroleum & Natural Gas
D h a r m e n d ra P ra d h a n , M o S, Petroleum & Natural Gas
Ananth Kumar Minister of Chemicals & Fertiliser
Nihal Chand, MoS, Chemicals & Fertilisers Group
Industry NewsCEW
8
Coal, Minning Could Revive Manufacturing: KPMG
Industry Wants Govt to Set Up 560 Crore Fund
To ensure that the chemical sector can reach its full potential, the chemical industry suggested the government to raise a chemical innovation fund of 560 crore apart from creating a Council on Innovation. The CII National Committee has asked the government to take a look at the free trade agreements which stated that even after signing such pacts with numerous countries, India does not seem to benefit from it; while other countries have fared well. Nadir Godrej, Chairman, CII National Committee on Chemicals and MD, Godrej Industries, expressed that the government has to make certain that essential feedstock is available and economically priced for the specialty chemical industry. He also said that the government should faci l i tate quick implementation of GST (goods and services tax) so that transaction costs can be brought down along with sky-rocketing taxes. He added fur ther that states should be considered when formulating policies.
Kolkata, India: To encourage the manufacturing sector in India, tackling issues related to coal and mining industry as fast as possible is impor tant. According to S V Sukumar, Par tner & Head, Operations and Supply Chain, this is not only affecting this sector but has a cascading effect on other sectors and the whole economy.
KPMG in i ts note stated that enhancing rai l , road and por t inf rastructure should be the shor t , medium and long term focus of the industry because the industry is facing a barr ier in this area from the point of view of overseas and domestic movement. Sukumar also emphasised the need to employ more people. He fur ther added, „In India, planning has always been the weakest l ink for quite some years now. Given the many unpredictable factors associated with it , planning wil l have to be even more robust.‰
India has a solar power capacity of over 2,630 MW and wind power capacity of 20,000 MW.
Wa b ag S h i f t i n g f ro m Au s t r i a t o I n d i a fo r Cost-cutting
Chemical Policy Draft would be Submitted to Govt
Chennai, India: Rajiv Mittal, MD, VA Tech Wabag, said that the company would be having increased operations of their overseas business out of India because it wants to have lower costs and improved margins. Previously, all of WabagÊs international businesses were operated out of Austria, which happens to be the base of its parent company. But in the recent past, new subsidiaries which operate out of India proved to be better paying verticals. In 2013-14, more than 60 per cent of the companyÊs revenue came from their overseas business, which stood at 2,230 crore.
The Indian team suppor ts WabagÊs business in Egypt, Nepal, Tanzania, Phil ippines, and Oman with regards to manpower, financials and technology. The team also provided support to big markets in South America. Human Resources, Treasury, Finance and Management Information Systems reporting will be brought here so that there is better control. Also, the company would have to pay one-fifth of the cost it pays in Europe.
Hyderabad, India: A draf t of the nat ional chemical pol icy would be submitted for the governmentÊs consideration by the Depar tment of Chemicals and Petrochemicals according to a top official. The purpose of this policy is to bridge the gap in expor t and impor t of chemicals by improving the domestic production, said Indrajit Pal, Secretary (Dept of Chemicals and Petrochemicals), under Ministry of Chemicals and Fer til isers. At an event organised by FICCI, he said, „We will be ready with the draft very soon. The new government has just taken over. Due to election code, we could not announce. We will submit it (draft policy) to the government soon.‰ The sector may even rise beyond the GDP growth.
Lilleria Group and Fairmate Chemicals Plan JV in Kenya
Production at ONGC Mangalore Petrochem to Start in July
Ahmedabad, India: Vadodara-based companies Lilleria Group and Fairmate Chemicals plan on making a 200 crore annual investment with the intention of acquiring a share in the construction chemical market in Kenya. Through the joint venture the companies plan to begin manufacturing in Kenya. Veer Rajesh Patel, MD, Lilleria Group, states that large amounts are being spent by Kenya on developing infrastructure which includes townships, residences and hotels. He said, „We will invest 50 crore in the JV in next five years. There is a massive infrastructure and real estate boom in Kenya and there is huge demand for construction chemicals.‰
Mangalore, India: The production wil l be star t ing at ONGC Mangalore Petrochemical Ltd (OMPL) around the end of June or early July. The aromatics complex is promoted jointly by Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) and ONGC. For some t ime now, pre-commissioning activit ies are going on. MRPL refinery would be supplying the feedstock to OMPL and the plant will produce 920,000 tonnes of paraxylene and 283,000 tonnes of benzene every year. In the Indian market, OMPL products would be useful in developing the downstream industries in the area around Mangalore. Besides that the company has plans of marketing for exports as well. The area of the plant is 442 acres and the company invested 5,800 crore for setting up the plant.
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Industry NewsCEW
$2 .5 b i l l ion Secured by Turkmenis tan fo r Petrochemical Projects
Jacobs Gets Contract for Chlorine Dioxide Plant
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan: For financing the construction of a petrochemical complex in Turkmenbashi near the Caspian Sea, Japanese and South Korean expor t credit banks have agreed to finance Turkmenistan. A loan wor th USD 2.5 bill ion has been secured by the country. A credit agreement has been made by the State Bank of Foreign Economic Affairs of Turkmenistan with Japan Bank of International Cooperation for USD 700 million and another with Korean Eximbank worth USD 1.8 billion for a period of 10 years to finance the plantÊs construction in the Balkan region of the country.
The rest of the funding for th is project would be done by Turkmengas which is TurkmenistanÊs national gas company. The contract for this complex was given to Toyo EngineeringÊs consortium which has Hyundai Engineering, Hyundai Engineering and Construction and LG International of South Korea. The project has been slated to be completed by 2018 and it will have a gas separat ion uni t a long wi th product ion uni ts of e thy lene and po lypropy lene. The gas separat ion un i t w i l l s e e 5 b i l l i o n c u b i c m e t e r s c a p a c i t y a n nu a l l y w h i l e t h e ethylene and polypropylene units will produce 400,000 tpa and 80,000 tpa, respectively.
Pasadena, USA: Jacobs Engineering Group Inc announced on May 20, 2014 that i t was awarded a contract by P.T. OKI Pulp and Paper Mil ls for the design and supply of an integrated ch lo r i ne d iox ide p lan t fo r i t s pu lp m i l l p ro jec t i n Sou th Sumatra, Indonesia.
Officials did not disclose the contract value, but revealed that when completed, the plant is anticipated to produce 172 metric tonnes of chlorine dioxide per day. The plant is scheduled to be commissioned in 2016.
Materia and QAPCO Join Hands for Developing the Next Gen of Materials
JV Agreement Between SABIC and SK Global for Production of PE Products
Pasadena, USA: As Qatar continues to grow its energy and industrial sectors and attempts to further optimise its hydrocarbon resources utilisation, research and innovation are set to propel the future success of these sectors. Research will support the development of new products using QatarÊs existing feedstock and natural resources and opens the door to new uses for energy products and derivatives such as petrochemicals.
To further this goal, Materia Inc. (Materia) and Qatar Petrochemical Company (QAPCO) have forged a par tnersh ip, through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), to fur ther reinforce their collaborative R&D effor ts and to study the development of the next generation of mater ials produced from QatarÊs existing feedstocks. Mater ia Ês exper t ise and breakthrough cata lyst technology combined with QAPCO resources will provide for the development of new products.
Together, they will explore the possibilities to fur ther optimise the use of Qatar Ês natura l resources, by s tudy ing how to ex t rac t new p roduc ts f r om QAPCOÊs cu r ren t feeds tock , w i th the a im to max imise the va lue re la ted to QAPCOÊs existing processes.
Seoul, South Korea: SABIC and the Korean petrochemical company, SK Global Chemical, signed a 50-50 joint venture agreement for a total investment of USD 595 million to manufacture a range of high-performance polyethylene products using SKÊs cutting edge Nexlene solution technology. The joint venture, which is located in Singapore, is expected to operate a series of manufacturing plants, the first of which was recently completed by SK Global Chemical at its complex in Ulsan, South Korea, with an expected annual capacity of 230,000 tonnes. The plants will produce metallocene linear low density polyethylene, polyolefin plastomers and polyolefin elastomers that wil l meet the growing needs of diverse industr ies such as advanced packaging, automotive, healthcare, footwear and electrical & lighting. A second plant is planned for Saudi Arabia. Over time, production bases will be established worldwide. After the signing ceremony, Al-Mady commented, „We are happy to establish this par tnership with SK Global Chemical and bring the best in advanced material science closer to our expanding customer base in Asia.‰
IndiaÊs chemical industry is estimated to
reach USD 290 billion at CAGR of 15
per cent by 2017.
HoneywellÊs UOP C3 Oleflex Process Technology Chosen by Guangdong Peng
Des Plaines, USA: Honeywel l Ês UOP LLC announced that Guangdong Peng Zun Energy Development Co Ltd has selected HoneywellÊs UOP C3 Oleflex™ process technology to conver t propane to propylene.
This will be the first propane dehydrogenation project in the Southern Guangzhou region, which is a major trade hub for Southeast Asia located near Macau and Hong Kong. „The rise in disposable income for AsiaÊs middle and upper classes is increasing consumption of durable and nondurable goods made from chemicals and polymers derived from light olefins,‰ said Pete Piotrowski, Senior Vice President and General Manager, UOP Process Technology and Equipment business unit.
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Technology NewsCEW
12
Streaming of Videos Could Save Billions of CO2 Emissions, Says Research Report
Biomethane Hybridization to Make Thermosolar Plants More Sustainable
Carbon-capture can be Improved with Patented Technology
Bristol, England: It has been proved through a new study that streaming videos would be positive for the environment as it would need less energy and emit less carbon dioxide as well when compared to using DVDs.
The research was published in the Environmental Research Letters journal where the researchers state that modem devices l ike tablets and laptops are responsible for the improved environment. The reason for this is because these devices are energy efficient as compared to the DVD players.
When complex HD content is streamed, the energy consumption and carbon emissions are quite high from this transmission of data. This research study was under taken by researchers from Northwestern University, Chicago and Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory, California.
It was estimated that in 2011 almost 2 bill ion kg of CO2 could have been eliminated and about 30 petajoules (PJ) of energy could be saved if DVD viewing in US would have switched to streaming services. To read more about the research log onto http://iopscience.iop.org
M a d r i d , S p a i n : Concentrating solar power (CSP) technology could be easily commercialised if biomethane integration i n c o n c e n t r a t i n g s o l a r t h e r m a l p o w e r
plants is done. This could br ing down f inancial as wel l as environmental costs.
Researchers belonging to the Hysol Project which ACS-Cobra company leads along with researchers from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid conducted this study.
Presently, the integration process of biomethane is being studied. The plans of constructing a pre-industrial plant are underway at the cluster of thermosolar innovation of Manchasol for ensuring process validation.
A big problem the CSP technology faces is electr ical generation as there is dependence on solar and seasonal cycles and weather conditions. The possibility of solar energy resources such as biomethane may enhance this technologyÊs financial viability. This can make 100% renewable electr icity production possible. Read more on http://www.upm.es/
Alabama, USA: Less than a year after patenting a process that could improve s t r i p p i n g g r e e n h o u s e g a s s e s f r o m industr ia l emiss ions, a Univers i ty of A labama eng ineer ing pro fessor was recent ly granted another patent that uses a different solvent to accomplish the same goal.
T h e n e w e s t m e t h o d , p a t e n t e d b y UA and Dr Jason E Bara , ass is tan t
professor of chemical and biological engineer ing, uses a form of l iquid sal t that could be swapped with chemicals current ly used to scrub harmful emissions, such as carbon dioxide, or CO2, f rom industr ia l emissions.
In a different patent granted in August 2013, Bara proposed switching currently used chemicals with a class of low volatility organic molecules.
I t is al l par t of his research focus of showing different and possibly better, ways to capture harmful emissions. Read more on http://uanews.ua.edu/
Zürich, Switzer land: When c r ude o i l i s re f i ned to fue ls and chemicals, help is at hand in the form of so-cal led ca ta lys ts . Sc ien t i s ts now prov ide a re fe rence parameter for the performance of an impor tant c lass of catalysts for petrochemical production.
Zeol i tes are among the substances which can accelerate c h e m i c a l r e a c t i o n s t h e y a r e k n o w n a s c a t a l y s t s . Usual ly appl ied in pe l le t form, the indust r ia l product ion of gaso l ine f rom crude o i l w i thout zeo l i tes is inconce ivable t o d a y. O n e o f t h e m a i n i n d u s t r i a l p r o b l e m s w i t h t h e u s e o f z e o l i t e s i s c o k e ; a r e a c t i o n s i d e p r o d u c t w h i c h c l o g s t h e p o r e s o r b l o c k t h e a c t i v e s i t e s o f the cata lyst .
Researchers are therefore working to make zeolite catalysts more resistant to such deposits, thereby delaying the need for regeneration and thus, extending the production cycles. Researchers from ETH Zurich headed by Javier Pérez-Ramírez, a professor of catalysis engineer ing, have now identif ied the relation between this resistance and the internal structure of a new class of zeolite catalysts combining a complex network of pores of var ious sizes. Log on to https:/ /www.ethz.ch to read more.
Dr Jason E Bara shows a more efficient and cheaper method for capturing harmful emissions.
Enhanced Catalyst to Improve Petrochemical Production
The thermosolar plant of Manchasol / Hysol
14
CEW Marketing Initiative
KBLÊs Lowest Life-cycle Cost Pump Receives Excellence Award
Wacker Adds to Production Capacity of Dispersible Polymer Powders
Pune, India: Kirloskar Brothers Limited (KBL) has been conferred with the Award of Excellence at ACREX 2014. KBLÊs Lowest Life-cycle Cost (LLCTM) pump has been recognized as the most Energy Efficient product of 2013 at the ACREX Awards, held in New Delhi. Over 300 exhibitors enthusiastically participated in the competition that recognised excellence in four distinct categories such as Innovation, Indoor Air Quality, Energy Efficiency and Green & Sustainable.
KBLÊs LLCTM Pump is a result of an innovative product development at the 100+ year old Kirloskarvadi facility. Factors such as corrosion and natural erosion have been considered while designing the LLCTM pumping system. The objective behind the breakthrough technology of LLCTM Pumps is to save additional energy costs and reduce the degradation cost. The cumulative reduction in energy consumption directly helps in saving cost and increases the overall profitabil i ty of an organisation.
Munich, Germany: Wacker Chemie AG i s expand ing i t s p roduc t i on capac i t y fo r d i spe rs ib l e po l ymer powders i n Germany. The Munich-based chemical company is currently building a new spray dryer with an annual capacity of 50,000 metr ic tonnes at i ts Burghausen site, investing an amount of around Euro 20 mill ion. The facil ity is scheduled for completion in the f irst quar ter of 2015 and wil l be one of the largest of i ts kind wor ldwide.
Wacker aims to meet the globally r ising demand for dispersible polymer powders, which is dr iven by wor ldwide trends such as urbanisation, renovation and energy eff iciency, as well as the increasing need for environmentally compatible dry-mix mor tar products. With the planned production expansion, the group is creating the necessary capacity to rel iably meet the market growth predicted by industry exper ts in the long term.
„Wor ldwide, demand fo r h igh-qua l i t y d ispers ib le po lymer powders is r ising par ticular ly in residential construction and infrastructure measures,‰ said Arno von der Eltz, President, Wacker Polymers.
Houston, USA: Sasol Chemicals North America LLC and INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA announced that they have reached final investment decision to form a joint venture to build a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plant in LaPorte, Texas. The 50-50 joint venture will produce 470 kilo tonnes per annum of bimodal HDPE using Innovene™ S process technology licensed from INEOS Technologies. The ethylene required for the production of the HDPE will be supplied by Sasol and INEOS in proportion to their respective ownership positions.
„Th is p ro jec t w i l l expand Saso l Ês p resence in the g loba l chemical market and complement our Nor th American growth strategy,‰ said Fleetwood Grobler, Group Executive - Global Chemicals, Sasol. INEOS will operate the HDPE plant at its Battleground Manufacturing Complex in LaPorte. Plant star t-up is expected in the 2016 calendar year. The definitive agreements are in the process of being finalised, and all relevant permits have been obtained. As the plant will be debt financed, the investment decision is conditional on achieving financial close.
Sasol and INEOSÊs High Density HDPE JV at Final Investment Decision
2014 World Cup Stadium Built with Sandvik Duplex Stainless Steels
Frankfurt, Germany: SandvikÊs Sanmac® 2205 has been used in the construction of the iconic Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho stadium in Maracanã, Brazil. Hightex GmbH required duplex materials for a specific part of the roof of the stadium. With a tight construction deadline to meet, Hightex opted for hollow bars made from Sanmac® 2205 duplex stainless steel, chosen for the manufacturerÊs good price and fast delivery. The grade is a machinability-improved version of Sandvik SAF 2205™. The latter material accounts for more than 80% of applications of duplex stainless steel grades and is characterized by excellent machinability, high mechanical strength and good weldability.
„We wanted to find a supplier of duplex stainless steel that could deliver quickly but also at a competitive price. We selected Sandvik on that basis and they were able to deliver on time as promised,‰ explained Vladimir Renner, Purchasing Manager, Hightex.
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CEW Marketing Initiative
National Technical Approval to OutokumpuÊs Lean Duplexes
New Delhi, India: OutokumpuÊs lean duplex grades LDX 2101® (EN 1.4162) and LDX 2404® (EN 1.4662) recently received general approval AbZ (Allgemeine bauaufsichtliche Zulassung) by the German national building authority DIBt (Deutsches Institut für Bautechnik).
This approval designed for the building industry means that manufacturers of building and construction components can use lean duplex grades and utilize their benefits without applying for a specific approval for the manufactured component.
LDX 2101® and 2404® are OutokumpuÊs propr ietary grades, d eve l o p e d i n t h e g r o u p Ês r e s e a r c h c e n t r e i n Ave s t a , Sweden . The bene f i t s o f l ean dup lex i nc l ude exce l l en t mechan ica l p rope r t i es , co r ros ion res i s tance as we l l as cost competitiveness.
The approval covers lean duplex coil and plate products up to and including 30 mm thickness and bar products up to and including 40 mm diameter as well as all components manufactured from these materials. „This is an important milestone for the use of lean duplexes in building and construction, where lean duplexes have additional benefits. Leaner alloying together with added strength ensures highest value for money for our customers,‰ says Thomas Kirchhartz, Technical Sales Manager, Outokumpu.
Sustained Growth for Freudenberg in India
Bangalore, India: The Freudenberg Group in India successfully withstood the challenging economic condit ions in the region in 2013. Compared with 2012, sales rose slightly to 1,128 crore. „The solid development of Freudenberg Group companies in India will have a sustainable positive impact on the entire group in the long-run,‰ said Dr Jörg Matthias Grossmann, Regional Representative (India), Freudenberg Group and CFO, Freudenberg Chemical Specialities at the press conference in Bangalore. In 2013, Freudenberg had a direct presence in 32 locations and employed 3,453 associates in India.
In the 165th year of its history, Freudenberg was more successful than ever before on a global scale. In the 2013 financial year, the international technology group reported record sales for the fourth year in succession, on the previous consolidation basis totalling to approximately Euro 6,622.5 million. This represents an increase of almost Euro 300.8 million or 4.8 per cent.
Freudenberg Press Conference
Jan WardCEO
Corrotherm
Corrotherm International are a global distributor of heat and corrosion resistant nickel alloys in the form of pipes, fittings
flanges plates and bars in trade name alloys Inconel Incoloy and Monel with over 100 alloys in the range.
With offices in 10 countries Corrotherm understands market needs, delivers what customers want when they want it. We have the capability to supply from stock or to order with a
Corrotherm International
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The portfolio of alloys offered is continually updated and puts the company, and its customers, at the centre of any technological innovations and at the forefront of any new developments.
Jan Ward, Corrotherm CEO, says: „With our expertise we can analyse client requirements and translate them into something mills can supply. We are also flexible enough to document and expedite jobs the way customers want so they fit their systems. We share our product knowledge through specially-tailored free seminars conducted by our metallurgist and mill technologist to create a forum for customers to discuss alternative solutions or ways of working. Our offer of flexible payments terms also gives
customers the confidence to place orders no matter what their timeframe requirements.‰
For more info, visit: www.corrotherm.co.uk
Corrotherm International Ltd, Unit 31, Stephenson Road, South Hampshire Industrial Park, Southampton, Hampshire SO40 3SA, UNITED KINGDOM
India Liaison Office:No.10 Santhanam Street, Mallika Nagar, Zamin Pallavaram, Chennai - 600 117. Tel: +91 44 2266 0048 / +91 96000 42733 / +91 9901119063; Fax: +91 44 2266 2755
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News FeaturesCEW
Focus on Long-term Benefits, not on Instant Profits: Atanu MaityPlastic machines manufactured by domestic manufactures are no ‘less efficient,’ and they are as good as the machines offered by global players, but the higher cost forces customers to go for second-hand machines, says Atanu Maity, President & CEO, Steer Enginering, who has recently been appointed to his current role.
Polymer industry in India is now moving towards evolving as a major global player, and it will definitely
be a key driver for companies engaged in manufacturing processing machines.
„At present, there are around 200 players in the country, most of which are small and belong to unorganised sectors, and about 8,000 machines are sold in India every year,‰ Maity updates. Some of them certainly command respect worldwide in terms of technological advancement. He says that the share of processing machines namely for Extrusion, Injection Moulding and Blow Moulding & Others is about 30, 60 and 10 per cent, respectively.
World-class Ability„Machinery manufacturers in India are building their machines following the design criterions and performance standards set by the best of the brands from Western Europe & North America with optimum quality, productivity, energy efficiency and reliability. Continued association with global technology leaders such as Battenfeld, Bausano, Italtech, Kuhne, Hosokawa Alpine, etc, through JV or technology license agreement, domestic manufacturers have remained par with globally offered technologies. Global players such as Toshiba, Milacron, ASB Nissei and Sidel are also present in India. These players have a manufacturing base in India, and produce machines having the latest technology in injection moulding and blow moulding for domestic market as well as for export.‰
He says that these domestically produced machines find acceptance in developing as well as developed countries such as North
Atanu MaityPresident & CEO Steer Enginering
America, Europe, China, Japan etc. Few of the machine manufacturers such as STEER have their own R&D facilities and have global patents to their name.
Cheaper Second-hand MachinesBut despite this fact, the share of imported machines, particularly second-hand machines and low-cost machines have increased in the country, Maity reveals. „Between 2002-03 to 2012-13, machines were added at CARG of 7.3 per cent. The growth of local machines was at 5.1 per cent CARG, whereas imports grew at 27 per cent CARG,‰ he adds. According to him, a large number of machines have been imported from China, but now with anti-dumping duty, direct imports from China have reduced, still these machines are arriving via other SE Asian countries, which enjoy FTA benefit. He further updates that industry has seen sizeable growth in past 5 years in tandem with our growing economy. Domestic manufacturers have 54 per cent share in the machinery market, while the share of imports is 46 per cent. Imports are mainly from far East on account of low price and shorter delivery period.
Highlighting the reasons for popularity of second-hand machines, Maity explains that advancements in processing machinery
for enhancing the energy efficiency and productivity have occurred in recent past. Under the compulsions to reduce the carbon footprint, processors in the developed world are replacing the older machines with new technology machines. Thus, used machinery from developed world is finding a way to developing world with an attractive price tag. Used aged machinery population -if allowed to increase- will definitely harm the industry in the long term, but at this juncture low cost machines are creating tough competition for major domestic machine manufacturers. Over past few years approximately 30 per cent of imported machines are second-hand.
1999-2000 2005-06 2009-10 2012-13
Domestic 2,955 3,105 3,889 3,941
Imports 156 1,600 2,593 3,357
Indian Market 3,110 4,705 6,482 7,298
Installed Capacity 3,400 5,000 6,250 9,600
Share of Imports 5% 34% 40% 46%
The share of import till 2012-2013 (Nos.)
News FeaturesCEW
- Harshal Y Desai
Disadvantage of Using Second-hand Machines„Second-hand machines are cheaper, but it will affect the productivity in the long run, for sure,‰ he adds further.
„As the second hand machinery import is reported to be of older technology, the use of such machines is likely to impact the productivity, quality and competitiveness of domestic plastics processors. New technology machines help in achieving the fastest possible productions, continuous & smooth operation for long periods, low downtime, no major failures, maximum repeatability due to minimum rejections despite fine tolerances, low materials waste, minimal energy costs and long machine life span. These aged, second-hand machines consume greater energy, have greater variations in dimensions and due to this consume higher polymer per product,‰ Maity explains further. He exemplifies that a plastic cup produced using an old injection moulding machine with technology of 2000 or prior will consume 1.1KW/Kg and produce part which will weigh 16 gm in 9 sec. The same cup can be produced using latest technology machine in 8 sec, with part weight of only 14 gm and power consumption of 0.8 KW/kg.
According to Maity, the cost of recent technology machines is higher by 30 to 40 per cent than the old technology conventional systems. Indian plastics processing industry is highly fragmented and majority of players are from small and tiny sector; low cost second hand machinery attract them instead of buying new technology machines which are relatively high priced. Also, many a time these processors find it difficult to obtain required funds from FIs and hence are more inclined to buy second hand machinery to meet the production requirement and deadlines.
Steer EngineeringÊs Contribution When asked how well-designed are the machines manufactured by Steer Engineering to ensure higher output, better quality and less involvement of people, Maity educates that with around 25 global patents in various stages of approvals, Steer Engineering has developed technology and designs which provide overall improvement in product quality at lower cost due to higher output and less energy consumption. He says, „This improvement is due to special elements, shaft designs which are capable of higher torque, gearboxes that are suited for product requirement. Improved and special material of construction allows operation at higher rpm which not only improves output, but also reduces resident time of melt within extruder.‰
„SteerÊs strategy is to remain close to its customers and be alert to changes in the market in terms of volumes, technology and applications. Coupled with steady investments in R&D, the company would be ready with capacity and enhance the technological features of its products or the range of services required by our customers,‰ Maity concludes.
According to Atanu Maity the cost of production in India is higher due to following reasons
Higher Input Cost: In order to bring domestic machines on par with global manufacturers technology components are imported from Europe, USA and Japan. Technology parts which are imported form on an average 25 per cent to 50 per cent of material costs. These imports attract ~8 per cent customs duty leading to increase in prices of finished goods, which in turns make the domestic products uncompetitive in comparison to global manufacturers.
Taxes and Duties: Existing tax structures, duties, FTAs and regulations have created an unequal playing field between domestically manufactured goods and imported goods, imposing higher costs on domestic manufacturers. The current system of taxes leads to distortions to the detriment of domestic manufacturers. While the difference varies across states; the overall tax and duty structure can cause a 17 per cent cost disadvantage for domestic manufacturers. Further, certain automation equipment are required in the machinery for improving productivity, reducing wastage and improving quality levels. These automation equipment, which are currently covered under Tariff Heading 9031, are not manufactured in the country and attract an import duty of ~8 per cent.
FTA: FTAs, in certain cases, are also creating an undue advantage for global competitors seeking to tap into Indian demand. If corresponding measures for creating a level playing field are not adopted, such as, lower duties for raw materials costs, domestic manufacturers will remain disadvantaged. Not only are manufacturers in these countries benefitting, but exports from other countries such as China are also routed through FTA countries to secure greater advantage over local manufacturers.
Lack of Efficient Supply Chain: Quality and reliability of the product is decided by the quality of components put into its construction. Moreover, cost of the product is dependent on cost of parts from supplier. We need to develop efficient supply chain for cost-quality delivery using the cluster development programs. Lack of efficient supply chain also creates the necessity to carry high inventories & high inventory carrying cost.
Lack of Skilled Manpower: Skilled manpower is in short supply in associate and supervisory category for processing industry as well as in machinery manufacturing. The education system in the current form and curriculum prevalent at institutes and universities does not create industry employable manpower, with the exception of diploma and degree in plastics stream conducted by some of the institutions.
Modern Manufacturing Processes: Most manufacturers have not adopted modern manufacturing processes & systems such as forecasting, advance planning with use of ERP; all these causes longer delivery time of machinery.
CEW Features
24 • June 2014 Chemical Engineering World
The growth of Indian fertilizer sector has been marred during the last decade which can be attributed to volatile energy costs, policy paralysis and very high dependence on raw material imports. The subsidies offered to the fertiliser industry too could not bring the much needed respite to bolster the growth of this sector.
Manufacturers have been forced to carry subsidy burdens over stretched periods of up to 180 days and in some cases even 12 months, which severely impacts the operations and profitability.
As a result of inadequate availability of raw material, India has almost 50 per cent of underutilised capacity. Though urea can be produced to certain extent from indigenous sources, our industry relies completely on potash and phosphate imports to produce phosphate based fertilisers. Any fluctuations in global supply chains have adverse impact on the Indian manufacturers.
Sadly, despite being considered one amongst the largest agrarian economies globally, the fertiliser consumption is very low in India as compared to many countries like Bangladesh & Pakistan which have far lesser geographical spread in comparison.
Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) scheme, launched in 2010 was a good move but was not extended to urea manufacturers and in the due course of 18 months the benefits of NBS have been partially neutralised, shares Suresh Krishnan, MD, Zuari Agrochemicals Ltd. With the new government in place, R Mukundan, MD, Tata Chemicals Ltd is optimistic about the improvement in policy regime during 2014 with implementation of NBS for urea and timely payment of subsidy bills.
Setting up of Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) has been appreciated by the fertiliser industry but would require careful allocation of funds. Guy Goves, President, Agri Business & Farm Solutions, DFPCL is of the view that setting up joint investment fund to increase inorganic footprint through acquisition of raw material assets can go a long way towards securing long term supplies.
Mukundan identifies technology stagnation as one of the major deterrents for the growth of the indigenous fertiliser sector. Internationally, fertiliser producers have deployed advanced technologies in their facilities, which enable them to be globally competent, whereas, over regulation and price control have refrained the investors from enter the Indian market.
Announcement of comprehensive National Energy Policy would benefit the industry at large; the government has also proposed policy changes in the oil & gas sector which would include introducing uniform licensing policy to facilitate E&P operators to work under the single policy regime. However, government will still require striking the balance in gas pricing, allocation and subsidies mechanism for the fertiliser sector to realise its true potential.
The new government has given positive feelers to drive the growth of the fertiliser sector. However, this would require concerted effort on the part of policy makers and the industry to put the fertiliser sector back on a growth trajectory.
- Mittravinda Ranjan
FERTILISERS:ALL EYES ON GOVERNMENT...
GAME CHANGERS
Acquire overseas assets to secure raw material supplies
Invest in technology up-gradation
Encourage investments in new technologies like coal gasification
Ensure prompt subsidy payments
Explore different business models - PPP and JVs etc to revive sick units
Chalk out focused intent of Sovereign Wealth Fund
Set up Joint International Fund for asset acquisitions
Extend NBS to urea
Adopt calibrated price increase of urea by 20 per cent minimum for next 4 years
Remove 35 per cent cap on neem-coated urea
Gas allocation to urea & NPK fertilisers
CEW Features
26
It’s a Serious Business, Govt Must Pull its Socks Up
Please share an overview of the fertiliser consumption patterns in Indian market. The total consumption of urea last year was close to 30 mil l ion tonnes of which 23 mil l ion tonnes was produced locally and 7 mil l ion tonnes was imported. As far as the Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) segment is concerned, which is the larger Nitro Phosphate (NP) segment, India imported 3.2 mil l ion tonnes while the domestic production was 3.6 mil l ion tonnes. We also produced 7 mil l ion tonnes of Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Pottassium (NPK) in India.
In a good year, India consumes about 30 million tonnes of urea and 20 million tonnes of NP and NPKs. NP and NPKs have seen a decrease in sales and production over the last two years largely due to two reasons - 1st, the uncertain period of monsoons and 2nd, pricing.
Consumption in the last 24 months has declined in India in this segment.
Last decade has been very tough for Indian fertiliser sector, where the growth was saddled with various factors including the ones related with the policy. May we have your comments? Yes, it is true. Over the last 10 years, the fertiliser industry has had a challenging time. The one positive thing for the industry has been the introduction of Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) scheme in 2010. It was indeed a good move by the government. However, the benefits of NBS have been partially neutralised in the last 18 months.
I must say that the fertiliser segment of our business in the last two years has not been able to hold on to profitability. However, our dominant market position, built over many years along with diversification into agri-inputs has stood us in good stead and allowed us to remain profitable.
Subsidy burden has been an ongoing debate for the fertiliser industry, but we have not yet reached a conclusion yet. What is your take on that? Let us understand very clearly that the industry is just a conduit to deliver subsidy, not being subsidised itself.
The Indian fert i l iser industry is very eff icient as the cost structure of the industry is highly competit ive when it comes to the conversion cost. However, feedstock price is one of the major reasons for the high manufacturing cost of the fert i l isers. This is because the raw materials such as natural gas, phosphatic rock and potash required for manufacturing are not available in India.
Hence, the industry is totally exposed to global prices of raw materials and foreign exchange fluctuations.
Being a conduit, the industry needs to be paid on t ime, but somehow, it has been forced to carry the burden of subsidy in the books for a very long period. The primary principle of the fert i l iser subsidy pay out being fol lowed for the last couple of decades has been that the subsidy is released within a period of 45 to 60 days after the material has been producedand delivered.
But we have noticed that the subsidy period has now increased stretching upto 180 days as well. There are certain elements of the subsidy which have not been paid for more than 12 months. This is exerting enormous pressure on the fert i l iser industry.
The growth of Indian fertiliser sector has been saddled with various issues right from raw material deficit to market volatilities in gas prices to policy paralysis. This sector has gone through the most turbulent phase over the last decade. With the new government in place, fertiliser manufacturers are very optimistic about the growth of this sector and hoping that they take the much required initiatives to put the growth of this sector back on track. In an exclusive interview, with CEW, Suresh Krishnan, Managing Director, Zuari Agrochemicals Ltd, shares his views on these issues.
2013: Overview
UreaTotal consumption 30 MT Indigenous production 23 MTImports 7 MT
DAP Indigenous production 3.6 MT Imports 3.2 MT
ONE ON ONE
CEW Features
28
What are your thoughts on the plans of the government to set up Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF)? The SWF is a very good thought the government has come up with. I think the allocation of money should be far more serious here and the statement of intent should be very clear in terms of what kind of participation this fund will finally end up doing. One of the good ways of doing this would be to provide long term money to the Indian fertiliser industry wanting to invest and integrate in the upstream of this sector which means buying into mines and buying into resources which are being imported into India. For this, the quantum of money required would be more serious and the same will have to be truly long term.
How have the overall dynamics impacted the performance of the company and what are the key strategic decisions that the organisation has taken towards maintaining positive growth momentum? As a long term growth strategy, we are going ahead with the backward integration for our DAP/NPK fertiliser segment and have planned investments of 4000 crore in the Middle East (ME) to supply DAP to the Indian market. India is a net importer of finished fertiliser and 3.2 million tonnes of DAP was imported last year (which was about 7 million tonnes a few years back). Zuari Agrochemicals is a major supplier of DAP in IndiaÊs south and south western markets and it is now expanding in the northern part of India as well. This project is a strategic move in the direction of converting part of trade supplies into manufactured products for our markets.
Currently, the project is in the planning stage with basic approvals already in place and feasibility studies are in progress. We are targeting to achieve the financial closure during this year and it would take another 3 years to commission the facility.
Do you plan to set up urea ammonia based fertiliser units in the ME? The first and foremost criterion for setting up a nitrogenous facility is to locate a site where gas is available at a competitive price. It may be a good idea to set up such a plant in the ME but most of the recent gas finds or expected finds are seen
largely in the African markets. There is no surplus gas available for investment in the ME, as per our information.
India is setting up single phosphate greenfield project in Rajasthan. Is there a possibility of such projects elswhere in the country as well? In India, the Single Super Phosphate (SSP) manufacturing units have come up in the last two decades. However, the capacity utilisation of the local industry is not even 50 per cent today. The manufacturers have not been able to procure adequate material to run their plants at full capacity due to their location and their linkages for the supply of these raw materials.
Today, even the local producers are importing rock phosphate. In this scenario, expecting a local project based entirely on local raw material to materialise is quite a challenge. Unless investments are made in the upstream, it will not be possible to have any new local projects based on local raw materials. I do not see any major change in the availability of local raw materials for the NP/NPK sectors in the near future.
How do you propose dealing with the challenge of technology upgradation?The Indian industry has evolved over the last four decades as far as the ammonia urea manufacture is concerned. At any given point of time, India has always had projects which have been most competitive in terms of energy consumption and conversion cost.
The overall efficiency and the input output ratio of any new plant to be set up in India will be far more competitive than what we have today. There is a good possibility for most of the units in India to be upgraded to the contemporary competitive global level. To achieve this, the Government of India must have a programme wherein they give incentives to the industry to modernise their technology and expand their capacity, resulting in ROI, which is beneficial both to the industry and to the government in the long term. This way, the government will be able to convert all the existing capacities to more competitive and efficient long term capacities over the next five years for the good of the Indian industry.
What would a perfect model for India? India is one of the largest fertiliser markets and the business environment for this sector is completely different from the rest of the world. Hence, there has to be an Indian model in place best suited to meet our needs. Other large countries such as the US have a different dynamics in terms of availability of raw materials and consumption drivers. Furthermore, other large consumption centres such as China, are still very comfortable in terms of availability of raw materials. It is essential to have a unique model for India as it is a big consumer with literally no availability of raw materials. Time has come for pooling of gas prices for the urea industry so that it can bring all manufacturers to a common platform, wherein all of them can compete, perform and extend the NBS scheme across all nutrients.
What are the corrective actions required to be taken to bolster the growth of fertiliser industry in the country?
Firstly, the government needs to have a long term strategy on handling subsidy. This has to be done keeping the global prices in mind. The government needs to decide what kind of subsidies it intends giving to the consumer at large and how it wants to target it. It is absolutely important for the government to have a clear position on this. Secondly, the government needs to look at correcting the MRP of urea in India. Currently, urea is priced at approximately 5360 per tonne, which is not good for sustainability of fertiliser usage in India, as the overall NPK ratios need to be maintained for appropriate soil health.
The third critical point is that the government needs to prepare a policy framework which encourages investment in this sector. It may be worth mentioning that this is one of the sectors which has not seen capital investments since the last 15 years. Fourthly, the trade aspect of this sector needs further opening up. Urea imports are still controlled. Similarly, while phosphatic fertilisers are imported, its export is again subject to government approval.
CEW Features
30
Technological Advancements Will Pave the Way for Growth
The Fertilisers Association of India’s submission on the ideal mechanismto calculate and x the gas prices is quite valid as high gas prices andfurther increase in fertiliser imports will push up international pricesand will lead to increased outgo of foreign exchange.
Please share some insights into the future-scenario if the government decides to double the gas price?Any gas price hike by the government must be supported by increased domestic production to ensure overall gains to Indian economy, hence the government should link price hike to increased production by domestic producer and they must be held accountable to meet with the committed production levels to address the growing demand and curb IndiaÊs import dependence.
While the expected hike in gas price may lead to an increase in the subsidy burden for the government, it can look to offset the additional burden through higher royalty, profit sharing and tax collections from upstream operations expected in development of new gas resources. It will also benefit the overall economy by reducing expensive LNG imports. Further, the recent announcement by the government to promote a comprehensive National Energy Policy that focuses on development of energy related infrastructure, human resource and technology is a welcome move which would benefit a number of sectors, including the fertiliser sector.
How is the Âgas price in US dollarÊ affecting the industry? In your view,
what should be an ideal mechanism to calculate and fix the gas prices? The domestic gas price in USD was introduced five years ago; since then the rupee has depreciated by nearly 25 per cent. Due to the currency exposure, prices expressed in rupees have seen an increase, which in turn have led to higher working capital cost. The Fertilisers Association of IndiaÊs submission on the ideal mechanism to calculate and fix the gas prices is quite valid as high gas prices and further increase in fertiliser imports will push up international prices and will lead to increased outgo of foreign exchange. Therefore, there is merit in the domestic gas price to be billed in Indian rupees, not USD.
Besides the glaring disparity in the price of feedstock, how are the issues ie, release of timely payment of subsidies, in-balanced usage of urea, low budgetary allocation to the industry affecting the Indian fertiliser sector? The countryÊs twin deficits, fiscal and current account, have reached levels that have prompted a wave of prudence by the previous government.
Against a requirement of 1 tril l ion, the government allocated 67,970 crore for the current fiscal. With arrears reaching as much as 32,000 crore, the budgeted subsidy amounts are getting exhausted fast. As a result, firms are making up for delayed payments through borrowings, which are driving up interest costs. The problem of under-budgeting, especially when the urea subsidy bill is likely to bloat in the next fiscal, will need to be addressed. The huge price gap (50% to more than 100%) with complex fertil isers is leading to disproportionate usage of urea which requires the government to slowly rationalise urea pricing. Moreover, the low recover where in only one-third of the price is recovered from farmers are distorting the market and firms are reluctant to invest in new technologies. Policy regime for fertil iser business is likely to improve in 2014 with implementation of Nutrient Based Scheme (NBS) for urea and timely payment of subsidy bills by the new government.
As a fertiliser company, how do you maintain the profit margins and
A favorable regulatory environment that propels technological advancements is what we need to reinvigorate the fertiliser sector, believes R Mukundan, Managing Director, Tata Chemicals. Mukundan further shares views on how the new government should ensure the overall development of the fertilise sector in the country. He also questions the need for the New Investment Policy.
ONE ON ONE
CEW Features
34
The natural gas prices should encourage investment in the upstream segment and boost domestic production of natural gas. However, thenew government should look at putting in place a robust framework that enhances the accountability of domestic gas producers.
operating cost through balancing the subsidies offered to the fertiliser sector for gas and those to the farmers? As a fertil iser company, we have already stretched our efficiency to the best possible level. Delay in payment of subsidy is impacting our operations as well as profitability adversely. Inaction in the sector has weighed on our finances and share prices in the past three years. All these issues need governmentÊs attention. In fact in Q4 of FY14 even Tata Chemicals made losses in fertil iser business for thefirst time.
May we have your comments on corrective actions and new measures that need to be taken immediately to attract investment in this sector by the industry as well as the policy makers? The natural gas prices should encourage investment in the upstream segment and boost domestic production of natural gas. However, the new government should look at putting in place a robust framework that enhances the accountability of domestic gas producers. In addition, the government should also look at enhancing the production efficiency by supporting the right technology and giving out incentives for efficient domestic production. New avenues such as coal gasification should also be considered as future source of fuel. The new government can adopt a few corrective actions such as deregulating the price of urea or inclusion of urea under ÂNBSÊ scheme, reviving sick and closed fertil iser units to boost capacity, and encouraging industry players financially to set up overseas facilit ies thus attaining self-sufficiency in urea production.
What is your take on the planned move of Department of Fertilisers for creation of Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) acquiring fertiliser assets abroad? To what extent this
action would bolster the growth of fertiliser industry? Indian fertil iser companies rely entirely on imported potash and phosphate. Urea is the only fertil iser where the country can partly rely on domestic production, although availability of natural gas remains a major issue. In order to create long-term resource security for the country in the fertil iser sector, we believe that the new government should push for acquisitions abroad and the creation of a SWF for acquiring fertil iser assets abroad, on the lines of the China model. The government is already looking into setting up common overseas acquisition arms, and the need of the hour is to source resources like potassium, rock phosphate and urea from abroad. Access to raw materials and appropriate technology transfer would help in making the industry more sustainable.
Technology stagnation has been cited as one of the constraints for the growth of Indian fertiliser sector. May we have your views on how this issue can be tackled inIndian context? Internationally, the fertil iser producing technology has progressed many folds with advancements focused at making plants more efficient. In India, deficit in technological advancements in the fertil iser sector is one of the biggest constraints for the growth. Over-regulation and price control has resulted in the country not witnessing any significant investment. Due to a lack of clarity on returns and input cost pricing, no new urea plant has come up in recent years. In order to revive the industry, the new government would need to make the sector attractive for investors and create a conducive regulatory environment that propels technological advancements. This can only be done by removing price control and incentivising efficient producers.
Your views on recent policy changes proposed for the fertiliser sector (Urea & Nutrient based)While a lot has been mentioned and talked about New Investment Policy for urea, I believe this is not the most important move government should focus on. In fact, we probably donÊt need New Investment Policy.
The recommendation for the government would be to remove the 35 per cent cap on neem coated urea and make neem coated urea mandatory; extend NBS to urea; adopt a calibrated price increase of urea by at least 20 per cent every year for next 4 years; ensure prompt subsidy payments; focus on government to government contracts for investments in urea and other fertil isers assets overseas using SWF; focus on improving farm productivity by rejuvenating agriculture extension services and ensure priority allocation of domestic gas to domestic urea.
As an immediate step, the new government can look at handing over the sick units to the public sector on nomination or make it open for the private sector. It can also be done through public private partnerships and joint ventures. Private sector participation will bring in much needed competition and improve efficiency. Further, the government should look at granting state owned companies more autonomy and focus on increasing efficiency as showcased by the Gujarat government. Over the last 10 years several state-owned companies such as Gujarat State Fertil izer and Gujarat State Petroleum Corporations have turned around due to such initiatives.
There is a need to diversify the feedstock used by the industry rather than it being over-rel iant on natural gas. With recent advances in coal gasif ication technologies, the competit iveness of coal-based fert i l iser projects has improved substantial ly. A number of public-sector companies in India are coming together to revive fert i l iser plants, which are also public-sector undertakings.
CEW Features
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Will Bringing Urea under NBS Make the Difference?
Please share some insights into the future-scenario if the government decides to double the gas price? What should be an ideal mechanism to calculate and fix the gas prices?If this happens then for urea companies the subsidy would go up to the extent of the increase or the government may want to increase the price of urea to offset the increased subsidy burden - in all likelihood it would be the latter.
It is quite possible that there would be surplus gas because in the power sector there would be fewer takers as the price increase is unaffordable.
So, some of hte options can be, first, Fixing the price on a weighted average price for gas rather than simple average; second, working out the gas price on purchasing power parity with other nations; and third, excluding gas prices from the calculation as per the first point of those nations where gas is used for high end industrial uses like Japan.
What are the elements affecting Âbalance application of fertiliserÊ?The glut in 2012-13 and the drought situation greatly impacted the fertiliser industry’s working capital as companies had to offer longer credit periods as well hold inventory for a longer period, and
delay in subsidies further stretched the cash flows of these companies. Further, keeping urea out of the Nutrient-based Subsidy (NBS) has had an adverse impact on balanced application of fertiliser. Analysis has shown that wherever complex plants are situated the fertiliser application is more balanced. Urea should be brought under NBS.
Low budgetary allocation to the sector leads to further delays in subsidies as more often than not subsidies run out half way through the year. All these factors ensure that this sector is not attractive to investments, yet the industry is one of the main drivers of food security which should be very high on the agenda ofthe government.
As a fertiliser company, how do you maintain the profit margins and operating cost through balancing the subsidies offered to the fertilizer sector for gas and those to the farmers? We focus on operating cost and efficiencies as we have to compete in a competitive
market environment where market prices are concerned. Brand building and farmer connect give our products better salience in the market. Our Agri business and farm solution drive our ‘farmer connect’ to make our products the ‘choice’ of the farming community.
What is the role of technology to strengthen the sector? The way I see it, technology would play a great part if we are to create competitive and sustainable agri ecology. Optimisation of land for better productivity, new seed varieties, sustainable water management, new and safer molecules in terms of crop care, mechanisation and improving the disorganised supply chain, should be some of the key drivers for agri growth. Most importantly, as the domestic markets are emerging, triggering a huge import requirement for products like apples and pears, our farmers should be enabled to access international markets through better know how and GAP certification so that they could
Guy Goves, President, Agri Business and Farm Solutions, DFPCL, believes that the NBS has been good for the country, but not bringing urea into the NBS is one negative move which has impacted balanced fertiliser application. He says, countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan which have lower subsidies use higher fertiliser doses and have higher productivity.
As a country we are dependent to the extent of 60 per cent onimports of nitrogen, 93 per cent on imports of phosphates and 100per cent on potash to fulfil our needs; in this context the countryshould set up a joint investment fund to invest in projects abroadto ensure raw material security for the country.
ONE ON ONE
CEW Features
38
be globally competitive domestically as well.
What are your expectations from the government? The government should move away from controlling the industry from the subsidy angle and instead give subsidies directly to farmers. Allow the fertiliser Industry to be more market oriented and competitive. As a country we are dependent to the extent of 60 per cent on imports of nitrogen, 93 per cent on imports of phosphates and 100 per cent on potash to fulfil our needs; in this context the country should set up a joint investment fund to invest in projects abroad to ensure raw material security for the country.
The government should focus on sustainable agriculture in terms of water management and help set up structures to ensure that a competitive and productive environment is provided for thefarming community. The single point agenda should be to make the Industry more market driven, give subsidies directly to the farmer and ensure that companies have a more market driven environment where competitive advantage is created through differentiation and economic cost structures.
Reviving sick units should not be on the agenda, ensuring raw material security for gas, ammonia, phos acid should be high on the governments agenda along with improvement in farm productivity.
On gas pricing There is lesser interest in investments from gas producers in the country primarily because of slow decision making process and bureaucratic delays, and the second reason is not offering market driven prices to the gas producers. Though gas prices must be revised to incentivise the producers to implement the projects in order to step up gas production, the prices for the fertiliser industry could be maintained at a level to keep the indigenous manufacturers competitive against the imports. This is very important as India relies for 30 per cent of its urea supplies from the overseas market to meet the domestic demand.
The CCEA’s decision to increase domestic gas prices is fair and the gas produced within the country cannot be compared with the imported RLNG. No country does that for survival of its end users. Once, the revised prices are implemented by the Department of Fertilizers (DoF), and ensuring that the Fertiliser Manufacturers are competitive by imposing extra customs duty for imported urea; the Industry will become efficient to survive against the global manufactures.
On price trends in ammonia and phosphatesAmmonia and phosphate prices seem to be stable in the next couple of years, though there are some seasonal fluctuations in the same. We are banking on the Indian government to decontrol urea segment as they have done for the phosphate and potash segments. The subsidies by the government have to be decreased by increasing the price of urea which is currently very low and is being misused.
On feedstock diversification from natural gas to coal gasificationThe technology for coal gasification for production of ammonia is available today in countries like China and few other European countries, and they are producing ammonia by using this technology. However, high ash content continues to be a major problem with Indian coal and using this would incur high capital cost and sizeable maintenance cost. Currently, the availability of coal from Coal India is also an issue and gas seems to be the best option for production of ammonia and urea for the Indian Industry.
The interview was covered in May 2014 issue of CEW.
CEW had earlier interviewed K Rahul Raju, Managing Director, Nagarjuna Fertilzers and Chemicals Limited (NFCL) who shared insight into the challenges and possible solutions to transform the sector. Excerpts…
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40 • June 2014 Chemical Engineering World
CEW Features
Corrosion – Tackling Challenge in Indian Fertiliser Industry
Corrosion has continued to be a major concern for manufacturers of phosphatic and nitrogenous fertilisers due to corrosive nature of raw materials used in the production process. Industry runs high risk of encountering un-foreseen downtimes due to damage caused by corrosion and result in heavy losses to the fertiliser manufacturers. The authors briefl y review typical forms of corrosion observed in fertiliser plant and recommend measures to improve overall plant reliability.
Technical Article
Figure 1: A typical flow sheet of a fertilizer plant
I ndiaÊs agriculture industry is a major consumer of phosphatic fertilisers viz, single and triple super-phoshates; and
nitrogenous fertilisers which include ammonium sulphate, ammonium nitrate, di-ammonium phosphate, calcium nitrite and urea.
Phosphate rock is the primary source of raw material to produce phosphatic grades. For nitrogenous fertilisers, hydrogen and nitrogen are the main raw materials for ammonia production. Typically, hydrogen (H) is generated by steam reforming of natural gas, while nitrogen is obtained through air liquefaction. The production process involves use of acids like phosphoric acid, nitric acid and sulphuric acid that are produced on-site (Figure 1).
Corrosion in urea manufacturing plantsCorrosion is determined by temperature, process components and concentration of dissolved oxygen. Presence of contaminants may accelerate corrosion. Use of stainless steel (SS) lined carbon steel vessels in HP synthesis section and leak detection units (1, 2) can help mitigate the impact of chemicals on the process unit. Some of the typical forms of corrosion that occur in urea plant include
Active corrosion is one of the most common forms of corrosion that can be prevented by exposing SS to carbamate solutions and passivated by the design amount of oxygen, else SS suffers severe thinning thus reducing longevity of the equipment
Erosion corrosion Inter Granular Corrosion (IGC)is due to
oxidizing action of oxygen containing urea carbamate solution, a low NH3/CO2 ratio and segregation of impurities in sensitized SS.
Any chloride ingress in the shell side of the stripper/carbamate condenser will initiate Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) on austenitic SS tubes, whereas duplex SS material resists SCC.
Galvanic corrosion occurs in intercooler and after cooler of CO2 gas cleaning circuit (3), which in some cases have resulted in shutdown of the plant within six months. In one of the cases, AISI type 304 SS parts
sealing strips, fins, demisters and the shell that were in contact with the duplex SS tubes suffered galvanic corrosion. Remedies reported are 304 SS for all parts of inter and after coolers; cool scrubber exit CO2 gas to condense water and increase 0.8 per cent oxygen in CO2 gas before entry into the intercooler for an effective passive film on SS.
Acid AttacksPhosphoric Acid(4): Level of impurities like fluorides and chlorides in phosphate rock decides the extent of attack downstream processes. Some of the reported failures include SCC and pitting/ crevice corrosion, thinning and leaks of phosphoric acid tanks and acid loading pipe cracking. Techniques such as Âredox adjustmentÊ or ÂMg additionÊ are reported to reduce corrosion. The process water
CEW Features
Liquid fertilizers Chemicals Reactions with steel
Nitrogenous solutions Ammonium nitrate, urea Slow reaction with steel, can be more rapid at welds and bolt holes, etc.
Phosphate solutions Ammonium phosphate Protective phosphate coat against nitrogenous solutions, in absence of acid conditions
Fertilizer Corrosion rate, mpy
Mild steel Galvanized steel
Ammonium nitrate: Saturated /63% solution 50/15.2 10/11.2
Ammonium nitrate and chalk: Saturated /67 % 32.6/42.8 13.2/13.6
Compound fertil izers(0,24,24) Saturated solution 8 2.4
Controls in clean water 2.4 0.8
Material Corrosion Rate(mpy)
SS 304 0.01
Carbon steel 11.2
5052 Aluminium 5.28
Table 1: Corrosive reactions of liquid fertilizers (9)
Table 2: Laboratory tests- Steel corrosion rates in fertilizers at ambient temperature (9)
Table 3: Material performance in commercial liquid fertilizers (9)
associated with by-product phosphor-gypsum is acidic and corrosive.
Nitro-phosphoric Acid(4): Used in manufacture of nitrate containing compound fertilisers. Temperature control to 700C and monitoring is critical to minimize corrosion in reacting rock phosphate in HNO3. Nitric Acid: Corrosion protection is through suitable austenitic SS.
Aqueous Amine Solutions: Mono ethanolamine, di-ethanolamine or hot potassium carbonate solutions used for absorption of CO2 in the process are corrosive, inhibited by V2O5.
Urea Ammonium Nitrate (UAN)(5): Acid ic nature of UAN makes i t h igh ly corros ive to CS, and resul ts in Âsur face corros ion Ê when the ammonia levels are low. Accumulated corros ion deposi ts lead to crev ice format ion between/and eventual ly p i t t ing. I t is very impor tant to contro l the level o f ammonia when the sur face is wet wi th UAN as excess ammonia of the order of 100 to 2000 ppm helps to mi t igate the corros ion. Some of the contro l pract ices inc lude: Cleaning at least once in two years;
recirculation of sludge during in-between period
Use sloped bottom tank for removal of sludge
(1) Monitor and maintain neutral pH, with ammonia levels >100ppm (2) Salt out condition causes corrosion if AN/Urea ratio is not between 1.2 to 1.4 (3) Use filmer or passivator type of corrosion inhibitor (4) Use coatings, linings , SS or plastics MIC
Microbial Induced Corrosion (MIC): This is a perennial problem in fert i l iser waste waters. Heat exchanger tubes show MIC leading to pi t t ing and foul ing (6, 7). DAP-NPK in the eff luents serve as nutr ients for a) Fungus Aspergi l lus to produce corrosive organic acids, b) sulphates and low DO (dissolved oxygen), favorable to H2S product ion by Desulphovibr io desulphuricans, Clostr id ium perfr ingens, thus resul t ing in MIC.
Potassium and chlorine deposits: Fertiliser manufacturers are now moving to use of biomass as an alternative source to derive the H requirement. Gasification of straw is one such source of H but poses the problem of corrosion due to the threat of high K and Cl deposits(8).
Storage & Handling Corrosion in storage of fertil izer solutions can due to three main factors - decomposition or induced reaction to produce aggressive substances such as NH3 or H2S, presence of chloride ions - including K or NH4Cl, or if acidic conditions prevail. Generally, in dry conditions, no corrosion is reported. Initially, moisture ingress results in caking, adding abrasive properties, in addition to corrosion.
MOC like CS have limited resistance to corrosion while galvanized steels, aluminum and SS can withstand corrosion to a greater extent as compared to CS. Paints and coatings can generally improve equipment life. Tables 1, 2 & 3 describe the impact of corrosion on different materials of construction (MOC).
Improving Plant ReliabilityCurrent fertil iser production plants are very complex with individual units operating at various temperatures and pressures as per the licensor technology employed by the end-user. The plant availability and reliability is enhanced substantially by adopting following modern techniques: HAZOP study: It is a design stage
activity and continued at each stage when modif ications, affecting the plant performance, are incorporated. It is a structured review of the Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams(P & ID) with the project group to ensure that adequate controls, instrumentation and interlocks are in place to take care of any process upsets,
Safety Integrity Level(SIL): Analysis of control system should be mandated to ensure that the crit ical loops in the plant are in conformity with International Safety Standards IEC 61508 & IEC 61511and to verify that the plantÊs safety functions meet the SIL requirements and to recommend possible mit igations if SIL standards are not complied with.
Chemical Engineering World
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CEW Features
S.no. MOC Advantages Disadvantages
1 Titanium * Good passivation properties with less air
* Susceptible to Erosion* Difficult to Weld* Expensive
2 Stainless Steel * Immune to Erosion* Good Weldability
* Large amount of passivation air required
3 316L-UG * Excellent Weldability* Fair corrosion* Relatively less cost
* L a r g e a m o u n t o f Passivation air required
4 25Cr-22Ni-2Mo(2RE69)-Low to zero ferrite.
* Excellent weldability* Better Corrosion resistance
than 316LUG.
* Susceptible to SCC by chloride * Expensive
5 Duplex StainlessSteel (SAFUREX)
* Good Weldability* E x c e l l e n t C o r r o s i o n
R e s i s t a n c e* Passivation air is not
required
Expensive
Table 4 Comparison of MOC for urea plants
Table 5: Epoxy vinyl ester resin cost and chemical resistance comparison (11)
Materials Cost ratio H2SO4 C/% HCl C/% Acid Chloride Salts
FRP -epoxy vinyl ester
1-1.5 100/ 30 80/15 100 CAll conc.
2205 Stainless Steel
1.88 30/ 30 60/1 65 Cto 2000 ppm @ low pH
Alloy C-276 3.3 100 / 30 80/15 65 Cto 50M ppm @ low pH
Emergency shutdown (ESD) and proper start up of the plant. Al l plant personnel should be dri l led into ESD procedures.
Provision of Distr ibuted Control System (DCS) and Advanced Process Control System (APC) should be provided to take care of inherent f lexibi l i ty required in process operations, because of changes in quality and availabil i ty of feed stock, changes in process condit ions.
Selection of trustworthy and reputable vendors, who wil l work with the industry at al l stages of plant change implementation, is crit ical.
Provision for improving plant performance by incorporating corrosion monitoring techniques, which can form the basis for Residual Life Analysis and Aging Management programs. Typical examples of such activities will include provision of corrosion coupons, NDT testing programs, tested and reliable models to extract information out of corrosion monitoring devices.
Complete understanding on the effect of materials selection on plant corrosion and hence its operation. Typical examples for a reformer section, urea plant and characteristics of FRP resin are listed here and comparison of MOC used in urea plant (Table 4).
(1) Primary Reformer performance has been improved by change of tube metallurgy from HK-40 to Micro-alloys like Manurite 36M, Paralloy H39W.
(2) Urea Stripper has undergone up-gradation from Ti tubes to Zr tubes and to Sandvik 2RE69.
FRP: In Âwet processÊ H3PO4 and
H2SO4, typical MOC include high Ni alloy, rubber-lined CS, acid brick-lined CS and resin coated CS. Choice is based on life expectancy and cost (Table 5). FRP with epoxy vinyl ester resin seems to be a suitable material for some equipment and piping and for abrasion resistant applications (gypsum slurry). Typical laminate is shown in Figure 2 Figure 2: Typical Corrosion Resistant FRP Laminate Construction (11)
2 Ply 1.5 oz./ft.2 Glass Mat75% Resin
0.25 mm Veil 90% Resin
ProcessSide
Corrosion Barrier Portion (CB) 2.7 mm (100 mils) minimum E-glass or ECR glass
Structure Portion6.4 mm (250 mils) minimum thickness
Exterior “Top Coat” or Veil as Required
One Mat Ply or More for Corrosion Allowance as Required
Mat Alternating with Woven Roving or Filament Winding as Required
46 • June 2014 Chemical Engineering World
CEW Features
AuthorsÊ Details V P Sastry
Technical Committee NACE International Gateway India Section
Email: [email protected]
C V Manian Technical Committee
NACE International Gateway India Section Email: [email protected]
Adopting Risk Based Inspection (RBI) / proper Corrosion Monitoring Programs can lead to significant improvement in plant reliability and reduce annual routine shutdowns.
Recommendations Fertiliser manufacturers should develop methodology to
maintain and optimise inspection programs for high corrosion risk to fertiliser plant equipment.
There is a need to compile the available data on corrosion in fertiliser industry since there is very limited data available.
References1. Best Available Techniques for Pollution Prevention and Control in the
European Fertilizer Industry. Production of urea and urea ammonium nitrate, EFMA 2000.
2. Fabrication of Construction Materials in Urea Manufacturing Plants . Deepak Juneja, Jitender Kumar, International Journal of Enhanced Research in Science Technology & Engineering, Vol. 2 Issue 9, September-2013, pp: (56-59).
3. Corrosion failures of AISI type 304 Stainless Steel in a Fertiliser Plant. H. Shaikh et al. Engineering Failure Analysis, Volume 10, Issue 3, June 2003, Pages 329–339.
4. Solutions to Corrosion Caused by Agricultural Chemicals : B. Eker1, E. Yuksel2, 1,2Trakya University, Tekirda� Agriculture Faculty, Agricultural Machinery Department, 59030, Tekirda�, Turkey.
5. Phil Bureman and Dr. Craig Meyers. “Take UAN Corrosion seriously.” Fluid Journal, Vol. 17, No.1, Issue # 63,2009.
6. Microbiological-In uenced Corrosion Failure of a Heat Exchanger Tube of a Fertilizer Plant. Journal of Failure Analysis and Prevention June 2014, Volume 14, Issue 3, pp 314-317.
7. Microbiological Characteristics of Wastewaters from a Nitrogen- and Phosphate-based Fertilizer Factory. Beatrice Nnene Uba , Bioresource Technology, 1995, Vol. 51, issues 2-3, pp 143-152
8. Ammonium Nitrate Fertiliser Production based on Biomass –Environmental effects from a life cycle perspective., SerinaAhlgren,*, AndrasBaky, Sven Bernesson, Åke Nordberg, OlleNorén, Per-Anders Hansson , Bioresource Technology ,2008, 99, pp 8034–8041
9. Anonymous, Corrosion control of agricultural equipment and buildings, http://www.npl.co.uk/ncs/docs
10. Improving Reliability of Fertilizer Plants,: S.C.Kar, Sr. Advisor &R.G.Rajan, CMD, Projects & Development India limited, www.pdilin.com/news/31.
11. The Use of FRP (Fiberglass-Reinforced Plastic) in Phosphate Fertilizer and Sulfuric Acid Processes. Don Kelley. Ashland Performance Materials
12. Inspection Manual for Fertilizers Industry. www.eeaa.gov.eg/ippg/.../Fertilizers/Fertilizers%20english/Sec%202.doc
28-31 January 2015, Mumbai, India
28-31 Januar y 2015, Mumbai , India28-31 Januar y 2015, Mumbai , Indi a
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CEW Features
India Takes Pride of Place in Global Specialty Plastics Market Specialty plastics market is an extremely niche sector; the global volume of production is just 225 KMTA. Dr Prakash Trivedi, Polymer SBU, Gharda Chemicals Ltd throws light on the intricacies involved in specialty plastics, right from its properties, production to its application and market size.
Figure 1: Specific Flexural Modulus (MPa)
Forward Focus
Specialty Thermoplastics are those which can withstand high temperatures, usually higher than 1700C for long
periods. These usually have aromatic rings in chains, and therefore they have outstanding mechanical properties. Amorphous Polysulfone (PSU) with glass transition temperature (Tg) of 1790C is at their lower end and crystalline Polyether Ketone Ketone (PEKK) with melting point (Tm) of 3950C is at the highest end of specialty plastics.
ProductionAll specialty plastics are made using nucleaophilic or electrophilic substitution reactions on a single or two monomers at temperatures from ambient temperature to as high as 3200C in an aprotic solvent. Getting reactive end groups capped and getting rid of bye-products, usually salts and solvent are as challenging as controlling chain structures and molecular weights (MW). Importantly, for higher MW,
Polymer SBU
Gharda Chemicals Ltd
the conversion of monomers needs to be higher than 99.7 per cent.
While their overall production volume is low at about 225 KMTA, they make up with their higher prices starting at USD 6-10/Kg to USD 200/Kg and total business of USD 3.1 Billion. Major producers are Solvay, Ticona, Chevron Philips, BASF, Evonik, Arkema, Sumitomo and Gharda.
Having such high temperature Tg & Tm, it becomes necessary that they be further processed into any shape using injection or compression moulding or extrusion techniques at temperatures approaching 4000C or even higher. Thus, processing machines parts should be capable of such high temperatures besides being able to withstand corrosion. Specialty plastics thus can be extruded into pipe, rod, plate shapes, as also film, fibers and cable insulation. They can be moulded into a large variety of shapes or blown moulded into bottles and jars.
PropertiesSpecialty plastics are meant to be used only where other plastics fail. Being generally of lower specific gravity (1.2-1.5), they are also preferred for metal replacement, when
weight saving is a norm as in auto or aerospace. The amorphous plastics also show transparency making them a good substitute for glass. Their chief usage lies in applications, where resistance to corrosive chemicals and higher mechanical load at higher temperatures is important. They score over common
engineering plastics in all these aspects. For example, PEKK shows mechanical properties like tensile and flex strengths at 2500C, which are higher than those of polypropylene or ABS at room temperatures.
The real beauty of these specialty plastics is in the substantial increase in properties when carbon fibre or to a lesser extent glass fibre is compounded with them. As shown in figure 1, Polyehter Ketone (PEK) with 40 per cent carbon fibre in its specific flex modulus equals to Aluminum and approaches to steel.
ApplicationsThe applications for specialty plastics can be broadly divided into two basic categories; transparent like food trays, tapes, baby bottles, plumbing, etc and non-transparent with major engineering applications like seals, gaskets, bearings, cable sheathing and insulation and such others. Some of these plastics withstand high dosages of gamma ray making them most suitable for nuclear power plants and high temperatures up to 3000C, high pressures and chemicals (sour gas) making them useful in Oil/Gas exploration.
Few companies and countries produce specialty plastics and India takes pride of place among them with Gharda (PEK, PEKK & PBI), Solvay (PEEK, PES) and Ralies (PEKK) having their production plants in Ankleshwar, Panoli in Gujarat since late 1990s. While today their Indian market is small at less than 10 per cent, it is a fond hope that in next 5-7 years, not only will they grow but India will also become an exporter of articles made from specialty plastics for real value additions.
11Chemical Engineering World
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CEW Features
Opportunities for EPC Players in Fertiliser Sector
For an EPC contractor, being engaged in a fertiliser plant is quite often a cherished desire, says K Shanker, Director - Onshore Business, Technip India Limited. In this insightful article, he futher elucidates different opportunities that lie ahead for EPC contractors in the fertiliser sector and assures that EPC contractors with superior technical skills will be in demand globally.
A ferti l iser plant challenges the engineering ski l ls of a contractor with i ts requirement of a design
system to withstand high pressure and vacuum, extreme temperatures ranging from minus 1960C to well over a 10000C, corrosive and abrasive f luids in addit ion to a whole range of materials ranging from the ordinary carbon steel through stainless or al loy steels, duplex steels and on to the noble metals. This is why every EPC contractor looks forward to an opportunity to be involved in any aspect of building, modifying or revamping a fert i l iser plant.
The fertiliser industry is a mature industry and has a very strong network both internationally and particularly in India which incidentally is one of the largest consumers of fertilisers in the world. As per the statistics, global nutrient demand was adequately supplied in 2013 with supply covered from production tonnage and important stock carry over in a few large consuming countries. Global production of ammonia, phosphate rock and potash totaled 234 Mt nutrients, has increased by 2 per cent over 2012. In 2013, global nutrient capacity grew at an aggregate rate of 5 per cent over 2012, adding close to 10 Mt nutrients. Internationally, today, the installed capacity of fertilisers both nitrogenous and phosphatic is greater than the demand.
The opportunit ies in the fert i l iser market is mostly in the area of revamp
to improve plant Opex and get as close to the stoichiometric energy norms as possible. The prospects l ie in the customary planned statutory shutdowns involving replacement and maintenance of defective material or equipment and statutory testing of equipment as well. With the mean time between statutory shutdowns increasing, the market for a plant opens up between 18 and 36 months. However, with plants situated worldwide and their planned shut downs varying over a year; this market becomes a constant annual feature for EPC contractors.
While the above market for EPC contractors is an annual one, the same cannot be said for the lucrative expansion market that companies undertake either as brownfield or greenfield projects to enhance their existing production. To enter this market, one needs to know how clients set up these projects. In the international market, the general norm adopted by most cl ients is to start with a selection of technology and then go for a Bankable Feasibi l i ty Study (BFS) along with an AACE Class 4 estimate. If the study is acceptable, then a Front-end Engineering Design (FEED) along with a AACE Class 2 estimate is launched. On acceptance of the study an Invitation to Bid (ITB) is prepared and an EPC lumpsum tender process is put in place to select the EPC contractor who would eventually construct the plant.
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As cl ients init ial ly select a process l icensor for their EPC projects, this f ield is generally restricted to EPC contractors who are Process Licencees of well proven Process Licensors. Thus the competit ion is generally restricted to about 3 to 4 EPC contractors to each bid. While this is the general norm of project execution in the international market, the Indian cl ients do not prefer the route fol lowed by their International counterparts. The BFS is done by Indian cl ients i tself based on their own experience and data bank. FEEDs are not in vogue in India and Indian cl ients generally develop their own ITBs and allow EPC contractors who are Process Licencees of different Process Licensors to take part in their EPC tender.
With fert i l iser capacity greater than the demand in the world today cl ients set up new addit ional capacity in case they have a long term access to feedstock to make the cost of production way below the international sell ing price of
Global production of ammonia, phosphate rock and potash totaled 234 Mt nutrients, has increased by 2 per cent over 2012. In 2013, global nutrient capacity grew at an aggregate rate of 5 per cent over 2012, adding close to 10 Mt nutrients.
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Often it is seen that projects started on a promising note do notprogress beyond the FEED stage as the cost projected as perAACE Class 2 or open book basis do not make the project viable.Projects are thus very often stalled unfortunately .
fert i l isers or are ensured of government protection either by way of subsidies or import restrict ions. Thus, we see plants coming up in western and northern Africa, Russia, the United States, Canada and the Middle East where such feedstocks are available at very attractive prices.
As the fert i l iser market for EPC contractors is therefore restr icted to a regular replacement or revamp market and a l imited expansion of EPC market, i t Ês t ime to explore what opportunit ies are there for EPC contractors? In the former case, one need not necessari ly be a Process Licencee of a Process Licensor and thus the f ield opens up to general EPC contractors. International contractors in this f ield must be ready to face st i f f competi t ion from local contractors who have general ski l ls in the above type of work with an abi l i ty to offer the minimum shutdown at the lowest cost becomes the eventual winner. EPC contractors entering this f ield ought to be f lexible to meet sudden addit ional requirement that general ly crop up in such a market within a short not ice period. Hence, they need to keep addit ional human resources and supply of materials over and above the planned resources for the work being tendered for. Projects are rarely due on a Lumpsum Turnkey (LSTK) basis and general ly go by the unit rate basis way.
In the case of the expansion market, qual i f ied EPC contractors are general ly asked by the cl ients to quote on a LSTK basis with al l the r isks of a contract loaded into the contractor s ide. The size of such market is s l ight ly less than a bi l l ion USD in India and can go up to a bi l l ion and a hal f USD in the markets outside India. EPC contractors must be aware of the r isks that they need to carry whi le execut ing such projects on a LSTK basis. Technical ly, the Engineering and Procurement part of
the EPC contract are wel l def ined and pose no major r isks to an establ ished EPC contractor in this f ie ld. The r isks are chief ly contr ibuted by the construct ion per i ls and the contractual condit ion st ipulated in countr ies where these plants are to be erected. These r isks are broadly subjected to local laws that require a major i ty of the labour force being engaged from the country where the plant is erected, a general reluctance of erect ion contractors to take overal l construct ion r isk and one sided contractual condit ions in favor of the cl ient. Often it is seen that projects started on a promising note do not progress beyond the FEED stage as the cost projected as per AACE Class 2 or open book basis do not make the project viable. Projects are thus very often stalled. Hence, the EPC contractors interested to do business in this section of the fertil iser market should work closely with the clients. Design of the plant should be in sync with the clientsÊ budget with a slight loss of plant flexibility, but without compromising on safety, quality, capacity and environmental norms.
The fert i l iser industry general ly induces a wave in new plants being bui l t . Quite of ten whenever there is growth in the Nitrogenous fert i l iser industry, we see a subsequent sett ing up of Phosphat ic plants as agr icul tural lands worldwide need a healthy and balanced input of Ni trogen, Phosphate and Phosphorus for good crop yields. The phosphat ic industry general ly has a cycle of 8 to 9 years to witness an expansion of i ts capaci ty.
At the end of this cycle one sees a couple of complexes being bui l t worldwide. With this pecul iar i ty of the industry, i t would be prudent for an EPC contractor to have the ski l ls and track record to be capable of sett ing up both Nitrogenous and
Phosphat ic plants. Though the ski l l sets are completely poles apart , EPC contractors could keep their workforce act ive each year i f they are capable of being involved in al l sect ion of the fert i l iser industry as i t general ly takes 36 months to complete a major fert i l iser expansion plant. I t would also ensure that they are constant ly in touch with the latest developments and trends in this industry. There is a third opportunity for EPC contractors in the fert i l iser market and this pertains to the relocation of mothballed fert i l iser plants to a new destination. Invariably apart from the relocation that involves judicious dismantl ing to maximise the use of existing material, cl ients also require the t imely modif ication in the process as well to improve energy norms and at t imes marginal increase in capacity is called for. This indeed is excit ing work for a true EPC contractor who special ises in fert i l iser plant EPC work. However, EPC contractors need to have access to Process Licensors and be able to relocate and upgrade the plant in the shortest possible t ime. A major opportunity to uti l ise the inspection, construction and project management ski l ls of the EPC contractor arises in such cases.
The above three areas of the fert i l iser sector therefore provide an EPC contractor with opportunit ies as indicated above. Since the fert i l iser industry is mature and with capacity in excess of demand, contractors need to be alert to scout for various possible opportunit ies in this market.
In the global market there are 9 major nitrogenous and 5 phosphatic plants expected to come up in 2014. In addit ion to this, there are 10 nitrogen and 4 phosphatic plants l ikely to be set up in the near future. EPC contractors with superior technical ski l ls presenting out of the box solutions to address the requirements of the fert i l iser cl ients both in Opex and Capex are definitely in great demand worldwide in the industry.
++
CEW Features
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Pump Materials for Harsh EnvironmentsPumping corrosive fluids containing abrasive solids is a challenge. Sulzer can adapt pumps to such requirements by making the ideal choice of hydraulics and seals and by improving the materials used to produce the pump. Because i t has i ts own foundry, Sulzer can offer materials that are not easily available on the market. The company has developed a specific heat treatment procedure for steel that improves wear resistance, while leaving corrosion resistance nearly unchanged.
Sulzer supplies a variety of pumps that can operate in corrosive and abrasive environments, such as chemical
or metal processes and demanding wastewater treatment. To ensure high reliability, research and development in the fields of fluid mechanics and materials technology as well as detailed knowledge of the applications and operating conditions are essential. Hydroabrasive wear and corrosion can significantly reduce the lifetime of pump components. One possibility to optimise operational life in such aggressive surroundings is the use of specially adapted hydraulics or seals. Furthermore, the selection of appropriate materials is the key to substantially extending the service intervals of a pump.
Specialised FoundryCast duplex stainless steels, as defined by ASTM International (the international standards organisation formerly known as American Society for Testing and Materials), are the materials mainly
used today under corrosive and erosive conditions. When sourcing from commercial foundries, pump manufacturers are required to use these standard grades for their components. By contrast, Sulzer operates its own foundries in Karhula (Finland) and in Jundiaí (Brazil). This gives the company the option of developing alloys and methods for material treatment that commercial foundries do not offer. The foundry in Karhula supplies high-quality, corrosion-resistant steel and special cast-iron castings primarily to the companyÊs own factories. Of the total annual production of some 30,000 castings, almost 90 per cent are made of corrosion-resistant duplex and super duplex cast steel grades.
Making a Standard Material BetterEven though duplex steel offers outstanding wear properties along with its corrosion resistance, some demanding applications require an enhancement. Precipitation
hardening is a specific heat treatment that can improve the characteristics of duplex steel without the need for expensive additional alloying elements. This heat treatment strengthens the material by allowing the controlled release of constituents that form precipitated nanoscale and microscale intermetallic clusters. However, it is not applicable to all duplex grades and bears the risk of impairing the corrosion resistance and the toughness of the respective material. Sulzer has examined several procedures for the precipitation hardening of duplex steel containing copper. By varying the copper content and the parameters of the heat treatment, Sulzer engineers have succeeded in improving the wear resistance of the material without undermining its corrosion properties and toughness.
Proprietary Testing KnowledgeVarious process parameters, such as heating rate, heating temperature, dwell time, and cooling rate, influence the size
Sulzer’s foundry in Karhula, Finland, manufactures stainless castings for pumps, mixers, and agitators.
Special on Pumps & Valves
CEW Features
58
CEWFeatures
and the distribution of the precipitates. The optimal control of these two characteristics provides the balance between the resulting increase in strength and the loss of ductility and toughness. Methods for the testing and characterisation of the material developed by the experts at the research unit Sulzer Innotec were used to optimise the parameters. The goal was to adapt the ASTM material A 890 Grade 1B (duplex steel containing some copper) to make it usable in challenging pump applications.
During the materials development project, the several parameters were varied such as Copper content, Solution annealing temperature of the base material, Heating rate, Treatment temperature for precipitation hardening, Dwell time and Cooling rate
Improved HardnessThe testing clearly showed that there is only a small temperature range where hardness and toughness can be optimized. This temperature range is limited on both sides by the precipitation of harmful intermetallics (brittle metallic structures). However, within that process window, hardness and toughness can be tuned over a wide range by choosing the appropriate dwell time (Figure 1).
Measured with a high-velocity slurry jet, precipitation heat treatment leads to a
significant improvement in wear resistance compared with the reference material, which was only solution annealed. Corrosion testing of the precipitation hardened steel also showed only minor relative changes.
Extending Pump LifetimeSulzer has successfully used this heat-treated material in cases where the pumped media are corrosive fluids that contain moderately abrasive solids such as pure salt crystals. For these applications, typically an Ahlstar process pump type WPP with wear-resistant hydraulics is selected. The special material is used for pump impeller and side plate·because these parts are normally the most exposed to wear·or for all wetted cast parts.
An exemplary application of a pump made from this new material is the second step of absorption in the fluor salts production, which is part of the production process of phosphoric fertiliser. As for most chemical processes, the performance of these pumps is critical for the production, and the requirements relating to their reliability are high. The pumped liquid is both corrosive and contains fine, abrasive particles.
Improving Process ReliabilityA client who operates a fertiliser production plant wanted to replace
Figure 1: The hardness and the toughness of the steel can be controlled by varying the precipitation hardening temperature and the dwell time.
What is Duplex Stainless Steel?
The corrosion resistance of stainless steels is based on the presence of a substantial amount (>12 per cent) of chromium in the steel. It forms a protective film of chromium oxide on the surface that inhibits corrosion. By alloying other elements like nickel, molybdenum, nitrogen, titanium, and manganese, it is possible to achieve a wide range of mechanical and chemical properties in the stainless steels. Stainless steels are categorised into four groups according to their crystal structure: Austenitic stainless steels (face
centered cubic structure) Ferritic stainless steels (body
centered cubic structure) Martensitic stainless steels (body
centered tetragonal structure) Duplex stainless steels (mixture of
austenite and ferrite phases)
The austenitic grades are most popular, but the duplex grades are the most important for industrial pump applications. Owing to their two-phase microstructure consisting of austenite and ferrite grains, duplex alloys combine the advantages of both steel groups. They are roughly twice as strong as purely austenitic stainless steels. They have significantly better toughness and ductility than ferritic grades. They exceed austenitics in their resistance to stress corrosion cracking. And these advantages are not associated with higher costs. Because of the increased yield strength, it is often possible to reduce the section thickness of components compared with designs based on austenitic grades. Furthermore, duplex stainless steels have a lower content of expensive nickel and molybdenum than their austenitic counterparts do, making them a cost-effective and weight-saving choice for many applications.
Duplex steel combines two different phases: austenite (white areas) in a ferrite matrix (grey areas).
59
CEWFeatures
the original pumps, which had an insufficient lifetime. These machines were sealed with gland packings. This type of seal works with a lubricating fluid and failed to seal the aggressive fluid dependably. Because the customer had had a positive experience with the Sulzer pumps being used in the first step of absorption, he entrusted Sulzer again with the replacement of the second-step pumps.
Based on their experience with the pumps in first step of the absorption in the fluor salts manufacturing process, the Sulzer experts selected a WPP (wear resistant) pump with an open impeller and a dynamic seal. These seals operate very reliably with corrosive and abrasive fluids. The pumps are made from precipitation heat-treated material with a hardness of 300HBW. The chosen pumps operate close to their duty point, which is essential for efficient hydraulic operation.
In this case, the combination of pump, fabrication material, and seal type·all well suited for the application·led to increased reliability of the overall process.
This improvement reduced outage and increased the time between repairs. Following the successful installation of the first pump, several pumps·all made from specifically heat-treated steel·are now running in same fertiliser production line.
Sulzer examined several procedures for the precipitation hardening of duplex steel.
AuthorsÊ Details Raimo Arola
Material SpecialistSulzer Pumps Finland Oy
Email: [email protected]
Thomas KraenzlerManager Core Technology Materials
Sulzer Pumps, Winterthur, Switzerland. Email: [email protected]
(This article was previously carried in August 2013 Issue)
CEW Features
62
The control valve was ready for scrapping after only three months. We are not talking about some cheap
plug valve made from low-quality steel, but rather a valve made from high-quality Hastelloy C. This situation could not be tolerated for long, but the harsh conditions in fiber enforced plastic production at Ticona in Kelsterbach in Germany meant that abrasion and corrosion occurred on the body, tapered seat or plug after only a short time, leading to total failure. Lift valves of the type used until in the 1980s could not be considered because of the emissions regulations in „TA-Luft‰.
Thomas Labahn, the person responsible for plant planning and EMC at Ticona in Kelsterbach, took a long hard look at the problem. This explains why he was very interested in a ball sector valve that he saw during a plant tour of the valve manufacturer Schubert & Salzer Control Systems. „As soon as they explained the
Handling Tricky Situation with Ball Sector Valve
When an expensive control valve breaks down after three months only, a remedy is needed badly. But engineering resin producer Ticona had been having to live with this situation for considerable time due to their extraordinary p roduc ing p rocess . Th ink ing outside the box was the way out. Using an “exotic” ball sector valve not only solved the problem, but also saves money.
control valve to me, a light went on in my head,‰ is how Labahn describes his Eureka moment.
The fiber enforced plastics manufacturer conducted a parallel test of a ball sector valve from Schubert & Salzer and one from another manufacturer. The latter valve lasted precisely three weeks before seizing up. The Schubert & Salzer valve on the other hand, lasted the course: „The very first attempt was a major success.
The valve lasted nearly ten months, almost three times as long as before,‰ explains Labahn. The trick: The valve is made from standard material (stainless steel) and only has hard chrome-plated (stellited) ball sector surfaces. This is the reason
why it is significantly less expensive than the previous valve made from Hastelloy. Furthermore, the damaged valve can be repaired and even costs a good deal less to buy than does the plug valve made from Hastelloy. Considering the numerous control functions in which these valves are used at Ticona under extremely challenging conditions, the saving potential is quite considerable. A small actuator is sufficient.
After ten months in operation, only the holder of the seat ring had come loose, and the manufacturer is already working on a solution to this problem with an improved variant. „We found there was abrasion on the parts that were not stellated but came into contact with
The valve is made from standard material (stainless steel) and onlyhas hard chrome-plated (stellited) ball sector surfaces. This is thereason why it is significantly less expensive than the previous valvemade from Hastelloy
Special on Pumps & Valves
CEW Features
64
the medium,‰ describes Labahn. As far as the client is concerned, the reason for the longer service life is principally to do with the geometry: „The media flows through the ball sector element in a totally different way than in the plug valve,‰ explains Labahn. In future, completely stellated valves are expected to offer even greater improvements. Other important aspects in favor of using ball sector valves are their comparably light weight and relatively low actuator thrusts. The friction against the stuffing box seal in plug valves means they have a very high break-loose torque and this explains why they need powerful actuator thrusts.
The torque with the ball sector valve, on the other hand, is relatively low and the actuators can be correspondingly smaller. A single action Wirematic actuator with a safety position is used on the valves. Furthermore, the valve does not get
blocked because the entire pipe cross section is left unobstructed when the ball sector is fully open. The fibre enforced plastics manufacturer is also happy when it comes to the control response: „In our case, the control accuracy that has been achieved is comparable to that of the plug valve we used to use,‰reports Labahn.
„We are planning to test using the ball sector valve as a manual valve as well soon,‰ declares operations assistant Volker Gatzert. The client anticipates this will result in greater ease of movement at the same time as saving space and weight. „ThereÊs not much room available where we use the valve,‰ describes Gatzert. However, it is a disadvantage that the unit is not built as a flange valve. Gatzert: „I think the manufacturer should consider designing a flange valve to open up a new and wider range of applications for its valves.‰
(1) The ball sector valve opens the entire pipe cross section when it is open, (2) The actuator of the ball sector valve is relatively small
1 2 COMPACT - Principle of the Ball Sector ValveThe ball sector valve consists of a hemispherical shell - the ball sector - that is held securely in the valve body using two large bearing stems. Part of the hemispherical shell is used for isolating, while the other has a hole with a diameter corresponding to about 80 per cent of the nominal size of the valve. The ball sector is turned through about 90 from fully open to closed. The shape of the opening cross section changes from completely round to elliptical in this case. This practically round shape for the flow opening reduces the risk of blockage when small control settings are made. The valve characteristic maintains almost the same percentage value with constant differential pressure.
T h e m o d i f i e d e q u a l - p e r c e n t a g e operating characteristic (in operation, the differential pressure increases as the valve closes) combined with the outstanding rangeability of 300:1 mean that that valve can be used for most control tasks. The special connection of the valve body ensures that the differential pressure on the valve has little effect on the actuating torque. Ball sector valves are used as isolating and control valves for fluids, gases, turbid media and sludges, especially in the pulp and paper and chemical industry. Abrasive slurries of iron ore, coal, l ime and fly ash are also controlled with thistype of valve.
The modified equal-percentage operating characteristic (inoperation, the differential pressure increases as the valve closes)combined with the outstanding rangeability of 300:1 mean that thatvalve can be used for most control tasks.
Thomas LabahnSchubert & Salzer Control Systems GmbH Email: [email protected]
AuthorsÊ Details Volker Gatzert
Schubert & Salzer Control Systems GmbHEmail:[email protected]
(This article was previously carried in August 2013 Issue)
66
Marketing Initiative
World Pumps China, published by Ringier Trade Media Ltd, has announced Verder Liquids BV as the winner
of the 2014 Ringier Technology Innovation Awards for the Pumps and Valves Industry. The Grand Awards ceremony was held at Shanghai Crowne Plaza on May 19, 2014. About 20 winning companies featured their innovative products and technologies across 5 categories: Centrifugal Pumps, Positive Displacement Pumps, Jet Pumps, Valves, Seals, Ancillary Products & Others.
In the category Positive Displacement Pumps Verder Liquids BV received the award for a new and innovative hose pump: the Verderflex Dura 5 and Verderflex Dura 7. According to the jury prize
An industrial waste water treatment company required a cost-effective solution to pumping polyelectrolyte. Existing helical
rotor pumps were expensive to run and maintain; the Verderflex Dura Hose Pump offered the customer a dosing solution that offered long hose life and lowered maintenance costs.
The Challenge
An industrial wastewater treatment company required a cost-effective solution to pumping polyelectrolyte. The plant engineers approached Verderflex distributor, Global Pumps Australia for a solution to the following problems:
The existing helical rotor pumps were expensive to run and maintain
The replacement pump would have to be able to transfer liquid polymer, which is a thick, viscous liquid mixed with a 30% kerosene (hydrocarbon) carrier.
The pump had to be compatible with the clientÊs existing system
The hose would have to last a minimum of 3 months.
New Verderflex Dura 5 and Dura 7 Hose Pumps receives “Ringier Technology Innovation Award 2014”
Pumping Polyelectrolyte in wastewater treatment
winners develop, produce and market products and technologies which drive development in ChinaÊs pumps and valves industry.
The Verderflex Dura 5 and Verderflex Dura 7 pump range are High Pressure Low Volume (HPLV) hose
Paul DaleMarketingVerderflex Unit 3 California Drive, Castleford, West Yorkshire, England WF10 5QHDDI: +44(0)1924 221033Fax: +44(0)113 [email protected] www.verderflex.com
pumps, dosing less than one (1) litre per hour at 5 or 8 Bar in a rugged hose. Benefits of the Verderflex Dura 5 and 7 HPLV include superior secondary containment, no more dry running problems and long life hoses reducing maintenance costs and increasing service intervals.
John Hoorneman (director Verder Liquids BV), received the “Ringier Technology Innovation Award”
Case Study
Solution
Global Pumps analysed the customerÊs current systems and the Verderflex Peristaltic Dura hose pump was selected for the following reasons:
Peristaltic pumps have a low-shear operation; ideal for shear-sensitive products like polymers
The Dura has the ability to handle viscous liquids
The dosing capability is within 5% accuracy
A service is easy as the hose is only one wearable part in contact with the fluid.
The innovative flange design allows quick and easy removal and fitting.
The Dura provides longer hose life than conventional pumps
Result
VerderflexÊs Dura Hose Pump has now been installed for more than 1 year. The customer has reduced their process downtime, improved their operational efficiency and reduced the overall maintenance cost after moving to peristaltic pumping technology.
Durapump
Special on Pumps & Valves
Small safety valve with big benefitsFainger LESER launches Type FL 237
This safety valve, Type FL 237, is a completely new design and extends the product range for applications that require compact dimensions.
Your benefits:
High quality stainless steel material
Designed for all industrial applications
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Very fast delivery time of two weeks ex works for standard configurations
Read more about the new safety valve Type FL 237 on the Fainger LESER website www.faingerleser.com.
Manufacturing facility in PaithanD-3, M.I.D.C. Paithan,Dist. Aurangabad,Maharashtra - 431 148, IndiaEmail: [email protected];[email protected]
Head office in Mumbai136/137, Sanjay Bldg. No. 3, Mittal EstateMarol, Andheri Kurla Road,Andheri (E), Mumbai - 400 059, IndiaTel.: +91 22 28532200 Email: [email protected]
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68 Chemical Engineering World
Marketing Initiative
Centrifugal Pump Hydraulic Rerate- ROAD to RELIABILITY
Special on Pumps & Valves
Fig 1.1: Pump operation (off BEP)
Fig 1.2:Pressure pulsation plot
Italian quality
Planex System:New patented paddle vacuum dryer
with eccentric agitator
Multispray Cabinet Dryer:Vacuum tray dryer with extractable
shelves
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pump
Uncontaminated vacuum
Operational costs lower than
other vacuum technology
Simple and cheap
maintenance
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Your vacuum drying specialist
Criox System:Patented rotary vacuum dryer
with electric lump-breakers
Brilliant technology
Agent for vacuum pumps
EMJAY ENGINEERS, Mr. Jayant Joshi
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Appasaheb Sidhaye Marg, Borivali (East),
Mumbai 400066
Tel. 02228975275 Mobile 9820047858
E-mail:[email protected]
Chemical Engineering World
Marketing Initiative
API 610 10,11th editionLobanoff, V.S. and Ross R.R 1992 “Centrifugal pumps: Design and application, second edition”
Table 1: Performance comparison post testing
Fig 1.6 : Comparison - Rerated and old curve
Fig 1.3: Damage to Casing Fig 1.4: New Impeller- Engineered
Fig 1.5: Volute Insert- Engineered
72 • June 2014 Chemical Engineering World
Marketing Initiative
The Poonawalla Group is one of IndiaÊs most reputed, leading and respected business houses engaged in various diversified businesses such as, Engineering, Horse Racing & Breeding, Bio-tech, and Hospitality.
Our Engineering Group consists of Intervalve (India) Ltd and El-O-Matic (India) Pvt Ltd, and manufacture Butterfly, Ball, Gate, Globe and Check Valves, Pneumatic Actuators and Automation Systems. We are one of IndiaÊs leading Valve and Valve Automation Systems manufacturers and export to many countries worldwide. Both Intervalve and El-O-Matic are part of the Poonawalla Engineering Group established in 1987.
We provide complete solutions for valve requirements to customers and cater to various industry segments like Oil & Gas, Power, Steel, Fertil izers, Chemical, Petrochemical, Pharma, Paint, Food & Beverage, Sugar, Paper & Pulp, and others. We cover the complete range; viz., both resilient seated valves, high performance Butterfly valves and higher size double flanged valves. Further, our Ball Valves cover higher pressure rating in floating and trunnion mounted design. Our Gate, Globe, and Check Valves also cover the forged and cast range. Kindly visit our website www.poonawallagroup.com for more information.
Complete Solutions for Valve Requirements
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94/1 MANJRI, OFF SOLI POONAWALLA ROAD, PUNE 412 307, INDIATEL (B): 91-20-2699 3900 (D): 91-20-2660 2588 | FAX : 91-20-2699 3921WWW.POONAWALLAGROUP.COM
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Market InsightsCEW
74
India Posed to Add Huge Desalination
Capacities in 5 Years
Desalination, in recent few years, has emerged as an Âefficient technologyÊ that is capable of removing salts,
minerals from both saline and brackish water and making it suitable for human consumption. Couple of reports released earlier this year have indicated that India has installed more than 190 desalination plants by 2013, and that the desalination market has been growing progressively at a CAGR above 15 per cent over the last five year period which recorded revenues to the tune of USD 0.52 billion in 2013.
While mentioning one of the reasons for the growth of the market, Sanjeev Sharma, Head of Marketing (India), IDE Technologies, says that the capital and operating cost for desalination have tended to decrease over the years significantly. Even though energy prices have increased, the desalting cost has been decreasing due to various factors like decrease in membrane cost, increase in recoveries, increase in process efficiencies and new innovative business models and finance structures.
„The cost of obtaining and treating water from conventional sources on the other hand has tended to increase because of the increased levels of treatment being required and available water sources being more contaminated than even before,‰ Sharma explains. According to him, „The cost of desalinated water in India in last few years has been between 4.4-5 paise per liters ( 44-50/1000 liters) which includes cost of finance, plant, O&M cost and all other overheads and associated cost which is quite reasonable given the water scarcity in some parts of the country.‰
Technology TrendsWhen asked to explain about low temperature thermal desalination technology and membrane-based technology, Sharma, who has been associated with reputed names in water industry like Hyflux Ltd, Singapore & Driplex Water Engg Ltd in prior assignments, states that low temperature thermal desalination technology (MED) is a more accepted technology as far as India is concerned. Some of IndiaÊs largest desalination plants are working on this technology. Reliance (160 MLD Jamnagar project), Essar (65 MLD Vadinar project), Nuclear Power Corp of India (11 MLD MVC project) and Sanghi Cement (6.5 MLD
project) are some of the projects based on multiple effect technology. Currently, Reliance Industries is constructing a MED-based plant at their Jamnagar complex for a size of 72 MLD. The project has been ordered to IDE Technologies and is expected to be online in 2015-2016. „Membrane-based technology in last few years has been gaining an edge all over world and in India too. One of the main selection criteria for thermal or RO technology is availability of low pressure steam. For any process, oil and gas or other industry, where in steam is available, it is better to use thermal (MED) technology because of low operation and maintenance cost
Indian clients and end users are becoming more adoptable to higher end solutions like sea water desalination technologies as these offer a very effective and long term water solution to Industries and municipalities, says Sanjeev Sharma, Head of Marketing (India) at IDE Technologies.
Figure 1: IDE has built 160 MLD MED ‘Reliance Jamnagar Project - India’s Largest Desalination Plant for Reliance Industries’ which is in successful operation for last more than 10 years.
“The cost of desalinated water in India in last few years has been between 4.4-5 paise per liters ( 44-50/1000 liters) which includes cost of nance,plant, O&M cost and all other overheads and associated cost which isquite reasonable given the water scarcity in some parts of the country.”
75Chemical Engineering World
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76 Chemical Engineering World
Process Intensifi cation
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ChemTECH World Expo 201528-31 January 2015, Mumbai,India
Industry Focus: Fertilisers
Special Section on Pumps & Valves
FERTILISERS: ALL EYES ON GOVERNMENT Ÿ 24
ItÊs a Serious Business, Govt Must Pull its Socks Up Ÿ 26
Technological Advancements Will Pave the Way for Growth Ÿ 30
Will Bringing Urea Under NBS Make the Difference? Ÿ 36
Corrosion Tacking Challenges in Indian Fertiliser Industry Ÿ 40
Opportunities for EPC Players in Fertiliser Sector Ÿ 52
FLUIDYME PROCESS FLOW TECHNOLOGIESFLUIDYME PROCESS FLOW TECHNOLOGIESDesign & manufacture of
* Various Types of direct & gear driven Agitators, Agitators with mechanical seal & Gland packing.
● Modular design enables various mounting arrangements. (i.e. from open tank to closed tank.)
● High effi ciency impellers designed for specifi c process applications.
● Effi cient Chemical duty Totally Enclosed (TEFC or Explosion Proof Motors and Air Motor.
● Variable output speed by Variable Frequency Drive. ● Power range from 0.06 HP to 100 HP & onwards.
* Agitators with reaction vessels, Pressure vessels. Dosing systems & Pilot plants.* High speed dispersers, Emulsifi ers with hydraulically or
pneumatically operated lifting lowering arrangement.* Drum Hoop mixer for mixing homogenizing viscous
liquids.* Static Mixers with standard & custom design.* Drum press-out for liquid fi lling applications.
E-2/4, Popular Prestige, Near Highway Bridge, Warje, Pune – 411 058, Maharashtra, INDIA.
Telefax: (020) 25294091, 25293397, Mobile : 94220 09479, 98222 79409E-mail: fl [email protected] Website: www.fl uidymetechnologies.com
Market InsightsCEW
78
of the MED process. For Municipal applications, however, it is recommended to use RO technology which does not use steam/heat in any form in the process,‰ Sharma elucidates further.
Scope for Huge CapacitiesDesalination water technology is widely used in water scarce states such as Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan. Sharma reveals that there are around 1,100 desalination plants functional in India. Desalination of sea water and brackish water is one the oldest, most feasible and identified solutions to counter the problem of water scarcity. Desalination primarily is a technology used to convert high saline water (sea water for example) into potable/process applications and its usage is limited mainly to states having a large coastal line. „Gujarat, Tamilnadu, AP, Kerala, Maharashtra are main states which have seen desalination plants coming up in a big way and this trend will continue in the future, rather will be manifold,‰ Sharma predicts. He further says that landlocked states like Punjab, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and others will not have any such desalination plants. Tamilnadu has recently announced 4 large size sea water desalination technology projects ranging from 400 MLD, 150 MLD to 100 MLD and this shows a clear increase in acceptance of SW Desalination technology as an alternative to conventional water resources.
According to Sharma, „India is posed to add very huge capacities of desalination in the next 5 years; hence it may not be prudent to say that desalination has not picked up in a big way in India. India is currently in the list of 10 largest markets on desalination and will see a huge expansion in capacity addition.‰
Sharma believe that government support is essential to develop the infrastructure for desalination projects in the country. He avers, „India still is at a nascent stage when it comes to PPP modeling of projects. Government and political support is a must for more and more projects to come up in India on PPP basis. Ideally, state govenment and central government should have a desalination policy which can boost desalination in India to a big league. Government of Gujarat is working on
desalination policy for the state and intends to have large size desalination plants in state to support the water demands and huge economic growth.‰
Environmental Impact AssessmentWhile commenting on the protests against desalination projects from environmental groups and NGOs, Sharma explains that any desalination project or industrial project for that matter passes through strict environmental checks, controls and clearances in India and elsewhere too. Further, highlighting the significance of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), he adds, „Desalination projects require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study to determine the impact the project can have on the environment. The EIA considers all environmental parameters and criteria. It evaluates the potential impacts to air, land, and marine environments and also proposes mitigation measures to reduce environmental impacts.‰
The EIA report discusses the chosen desalination process, the emissions the process will generate, the implications the facility will have on the environment, the considerations to be made about the energy supply, the benefits the facility will have on the community and the proposed mitigation measures to reduce problems associated with the facility. „No project is given a go ahead until the project is
Figure 2: Top ten desalination markets by expected contracted capacity. Source: GWI DesalData
considered absolutely safe for environment and surrounding and beneficial for the society,‰ Sharma emphasises.
Company PerformanceWith more than 45 years of know-how and experience, IDE delivers end-to-end project solutions for its customers throughout the world. Leveraging superior thermal and membrane technologies, IDE specialises in the delivery and operation of various desalination and water treatment solutions. DEÊs desalination solutions make it affordable for municipalities and industries in arid regions to transform seawater into plentiful fresh water, whether for household/drinking, agriculture and/or industrial use.
Sharma reveals that to date, IDEÊs industry-leading thermal and membrane desalination solutions have made it practical for about 400 customers in 40 countries to create enough fresh water to meet their needs: in fact, the installed capacity of IDE plants is over 3,000,000 cubic meters of fresh water per day, thereby alleviating distress and supporting regional development. „Through continual Âgreen-thinkingÊ technological advancements, IDE has achieved the industryÊs lowest energy consumption for all three dominant desalination technologies, while also reducing associated greenhouse gas emissions and waste,‰ he adds.
- Compiled by Harshal Y Desai
80
ProductsCEW
S a n d v i k h a s t wo g ra d e s o l u t i o n s - S a n d v i k 2 5 3 M A a n d S a n d v i k 4 C 5 4 fo r ove r c o m i n g the cha l l enges faced by recupe ra to r t ubes when used a t h i gh t empera tu re and seve re corrosion conditions.
Sandvik 253 MA is austenitic chromium-nickel steel alloyed with nitrogen and rare ear th metals. Due to its high creep strength, very good resistance to isothermal par ticularly cyclic oxidation and combustion gases, good structural stability at high temperatures is ideal for use in metal industries such as iron and steel production, DRI, copper smelters, glass and petrochemical industry. The
grade is also used in various industry segments because of its characteristics of handling temperatures up to 1,150 C and good weldability. While Sandvik 4C54 is ferr itic, heat resistant, stainless chromium steel, characterised by extremely good resistance to reducing sulphurous gases very good resistance to oxidation in air, good resistance to oil-ash corrosion, molten copper, lead and tin. This grade is extensively used in the steel, metallurgical, glass, chemical industry and as thermocouple protection tubes.
For details contact:Sandvik Asia Pvt LtdPune Mumbai Road, DapodiPune, Maharashtra 411 012E-mail: [email protected] / [email protected]
Productivity Boosting Tubes for Recuperator Applications
Twin Screw Range of Pumps
The pumping element comprises of two intermeshing screws rotating within a stationary housing. The pumping elements are supported by the bearings. The clearances between the screws are maintained by a pair of timing gears. The rotating screws in the pump casing and liner form transfer the fluid axially
from the extreme ends to the center of the casing or vice versa, depending upon the direction of rotation of the screw spindles. Roto twin screw pumps are constructed around cast iron body with integral liner and in-line suction and discharge branches. Pumps can be configured both in internal bearing as well as external bearing design to suit liquid characteristics with the option for sump heating. External bearing pumps as a standard are with renewable liners and can be completely jacketed or made suitable for electrical tracing. Shaft sealing options are soft gland packing or mechanical seals conforming to API 682 with various flesh and quench plans. To suit liquid medium, a wide choice of construction materials are available.
For detai ls contact:Roto Pumps LtdRoto House, 13 Noida Special Economic Zone Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201305Tel: 0120-3043901 | Fax: 91-0120-3043928E-mail: [email protected]
or Circle ReadersÊ Service Card 1 or Circle ReadersÊ Service Card 2
or Circle ReadersÊ Service Card 3
Barcode Reader
Cognex DataMan 8050 Series handheld barcode readers, which are designed specifically for the pharma industry, with a rugged polycarbonate housing to handle harsh factory floor conditions and feature
Cognex 1DMax+ with Hotbars barcode reading algorithms. The 210 mm x 115 mm x 85 mm readers feature a 752 x 480 global shutter sensor, integrated LEDs with near/far optics, and DataMan Setup Tool software, which enables imaging viewing, Java scripting, and data formatting options. DataMan 8050 reads all type of codes 1D, 2D and pharma code; helps in reading codes on the shipping cartons; and reads code on labels, packets, boxes and shipping cartons. The DataMan 8050 barcode readers are optimized for reading 1-D and 2-D label-based barcodes with the fastest performance
For details contact:Cognex Sensors India Pvt LtdRegus Level 6 Pentagon Towres P2, Magarphatta CityHadapsar, Pune, Maharashtra 411 028Tel: 020-40147840 | Fax: 91-020-66280011E-mail: [email protected].
ProductsCEW
Laboratory Meter
Hanna Instruments offers edge, a full featured, affordable laboratory meter with revolutionary design features. edge measures pH, conductivity and dissolved oxygen: it is incredibly thin and lightweight, measuring only half an inch thick and weighing just 9 ounces; blending elements of portable meters and bench top meters into a seamless design. This
versatile design allows customers to use edge as a benchtop meter, a portable meter or even attached to a wall to free-up valuable bench space in a laboratory. edge features a large 5.5‰ LCD with a wide viewing angle, capacitive touch keypad, dual USB ports, cradle with swivel arm electrode holder and an included wall mount. edge works with digital smart electrodes. These electrodes are nearly as advanced as the meter itself: featuring a built-in microchip that stores sensor type, ID, and calibration information that is automatically retrieved by edge once the electrode is plugged in. The electrodes have a 3.5 mm connector so customers do not have to worry about alignment and pins bending or breaking.
For detai ls contact:Hanna Equipments (India) Pvt LtdAum Sai Bldg, 3/4/5/6, 1st FloorPlot No: 23-C, Sector 7, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai 410 210 Tel: 022 27746554, 27746555, 27746556E-mail: [email protected]
or Circle ReadersÊ Service Card 6or Circle ReadersÊ Service Card 5
Micro-Matrix offers an integrated, easy-to-use, and cost-effective technology platform for the rapid handling and growth of large number of microbial strains, clone libraries, mutant banks and cells. The system offers 24 independent bioreactors in a cost-effective microtiter plate
footprint. pH and dissolved oxygen can be controlled in each individual bioreactor via gas and liquid addition. Temperature is controlled individually in each bioreactor by the integrated cooling and heating system. The micro-Matrix offers a true scale down of small-scale bioreactors. The bioreactorÊs square well cassette design is based upon the popular SBS-format microtiter plates, which seamlessly integrates into lab automation robots. The PC-based human interface offers simple, intuitive interaction for advanced process control in each of the 24 bioreactors.
For details contact:Applikon Biotechnology BVHeertjeslaan 2, 2326JG DelftThe NetherlandsTel: +/+ 31102083555E-mail: [email protected]
The double planetary mixer includes two blades that rotate on their own axes, while they orbit the mix vessel on a common axis. The blades continuously advance along the periphery of the vessel, removing material from the vessel wall and transpor ting it to the interior. After one revolution the blades have passed through the entire vessel, after three revolutions most materials have been mixed and after only 36 revolutions, the blades have contacted vir tually the entire batch.
Ross pioneered Change Can mixer design years ago. Today they offer many of their mixers including their PowerMix with this option. While one vessel is wheeled away for remote discharge and cleaning, another wheels into place to star t the next batch immediately. With no packing glands or bear ings in the product zone, contamination is vir tually el iminated. Ross has patented the HV Blade design. This mixer is ideal for mixing and kneading viscous pastes or putty-l ike mater ials. Capacit ies from 200 ml through 1,500 l i tres. A wide var iety of options include vacuum/pressure, thermal jacketing and sanitary designs.
For details contact:Ross Process Equipment Pvt LtdGat No: 255, Chikhali-Moshi RoadBhoradewadi, Moshi, Pune, Maharashtra 412 105Tel: 020-65111101, 65111102, 65111103, 65111104E-mail: [email protected]
Double Planetary Mixer
or Circle ReadersÊ Service Card 4
Microbioreactors
83
CEWProducts
SEMI-GAS Systems offers Model MGE-XS to its mini gas enclosure product line. Created to store and deliver ultra-high purity process gases from small gas cylinders, this new Xturion™ custom gas system also incorporates automatic cylinder switchover capabilities to help minimize manufacturing down-time and operator interaction.
With the addition of the new MGE-XS, SEMI-GASÊ MGE line now comes in two process models, each with two separate compar tments housing two individual manifolds with separate purge inlets and vent outlets. The MGE-XS houses four process cylinders, providing two independent automatic
switchover systems, in one compact package. While the original MGE-X houses two process cylinders and two dedicatedpurge cylinders.
Ideal for customers who have low flow applications or are operating in limited space, the MGE-XS is small, measuring 69‰ high by 32‰ wide by 27‰ deep.
For details contact:Applied Energy Systems180 Quaker Lane, Malvern, Pa 19355; U.S.A.Tel:: (610) 647-8744E-mail: [email protected] / [email protected]
MGE-XS to Mini Gas Enclosure Line
Trim Handling System
Trim handling device is engineered to suck continuous tr ims of paper, plastic, laminate and the light material. It consists of high-efficiency fan for motive air, well designed venture and discharge cone. High velocity air from motive fan induces sufficient suction at suction nozzles to suck tr ims. Trims can
be conveyed to waste collector, boiling or repumping tanks. All par ts are specially designed for specific installation to consume optimum low power.
Vacunair Engg Co Pvt Ltd has designed a separator that can be placed near the main equipment. This reduces discharge pipe resistance and the power required can be reduced to half or less. This separator can be moved to the place of disposal.
For detai ls contact:Vacunair Engg Co Pvt LtdNr Gujarat Bottling, Rakhial, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380 023Tel: 079-22910771 | Fax: 91-079-22910770E-mail: [email protected]
or Circle ReadersÊ Service Card 7 or Circle ReadersÊ Service Card 8
or Circle ReadersÊ Service Card 9
Guided Wave Radar Transmitter
Magnetrol offers Eclipse Model 706 transmitter with Foundation fieldbus digital output communications. This is the first guided wave radar (GWR) transmitter to pass the Fieldbus Foundation testing using the latest Foundation fieldbus interoperability test kit ITK 6.1.1. This device offers all of the advantages of
the standard 4-20 mA (HART) ECLIPSE Model 706, such as: improved signal to noise ratio (SNR); improved diagnostics (meets NAMUR NE 107); full complement of overfill-capable probes; etc.
This new ECLIPSE Model 706 transmit ter wi l l contain the fol lowing Funct ion Blocks: resource block; t ransducer blocks; analog input blocks; PID blocks; ar i thmetic block; input selector ; s ignal character izer block; integrator block; etc.
For details contact:Magnetrol International NVWorldwide Level & Flow SolutionsHeikensstraat 6 - 9240 Zele - BelgiumTel: +32 (0)52 45 11 11 | Fax: +32 (0)52 45 09 93E-mail: [email protected]
84
Surface & Coatings Expo 2014
Dates: 4-6 July 2014Venue: Chennai Trade Centre, ChennaiDetails: Exhibit technology for cleaning, preparation, coating, painting of surfaceOrganiser: Confederation of Indian IndustryContact: +91 44 4244 4555Email: [email protected]; [email protected] Website: www.cii.in
World PetroCoal Congress
Dates: 15-17 Feb, 2015Venue: Convent ion Centre-NDCC, New DelhiDetails: On sustainable usage of the non-renewable resourcesOrganiser: Energy and Environment Foundat ionContact: +91 11 2275 8149Email: puni t .nagi@ee-foundat ion.orgWebsite: www.wor ldpetrocoal.com
India Chem
Dates: 9-11 October 2014Venue: Bombay Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC), MumbaiDet a i ls : An exh ib i t i on on chemica l , pe t rochemica l and pharmaceutical sectorOrganiser: Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & IndustryContact: +91 11 2373 8760; +91 11 2376 5081Email: [email protected]: www.indiachem.in
Dye+Chem Bangladesh
Dates: 3-6 September, 2014Venue: Dhaka, BangladeshDetails: Biggest show in Bangladesh for buyers and suppliers of dyes & chemicalsOrganiser: Conference & Exhibition Management Services LimitedContact: +65 6829 2144Email: cems@cems-asiapacif ic.com Website: www.cemsonline.com
Speciality & Agro Chemicals America
Dates: 8-10 September, 2014Venue: Charleston, USADetails: The 3rd Annual Event for Agro, Specialty, and Custom ChemicalsOrganiser: American Chemical MarketingContact: 1 215 882-9100Email: [email protected] Website: www.chemicalsamerica.com
RPTC
Dates: 8-11 September, 2014Venue: Moscow, RussiaDetails: Russia & CIS Refining Technology Conference & ExhibitionOrganiser: Euro Petroleum Consultants LtdContact: +7 495 517 77 09Email: [email protected] Website: www.europetro.com
ICIF, China
Dates: 11-13 September, 2014Venue: Tianjin, ChinaDetails: The 13th International Chemical Industry Fair 2014 for Chemical & PetroleumOrganiser: China National Chemical Information CentreContact: +86 10 6444 4135Email: [email protected] Website: www.chinaexhibition.com
International Conference on Chemical Structures
Dates: 1-5 June 2014Venue: NH Conference Centre Leeuwenhorst, Noordwijk, NetherlandsDetails: Conference to cover aspects of cheminformatics and molecular modelingOrganiser: American Chemical Society, and other societies. Contact: +49 30 6128 8887Email: [email protected] Website: www.int-conf-chem-structures.org
Watertech India 2014
Dates: 10-12 September 2014Venue: Pragati Maidan, New DelhiDetails: Trade Fair for Water & Wastewater Treatment & ManagementOrganiser: Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India Pvt LtdContact: +91 22 6144 5900Email: [email protected]: www.watertechindia.com
85Chemical Engineering World
CEWProject Update
New Contracts/Expansions/RevampsThe following list is a brief insight into the latest new projects by various companies in India.
CHEMICALS Punjab Chemicals & Crop Protection is planning a thiamethoxam manufacturing project in Village Kolimajra & Samalheri, district Mohali, Punjab. The project will come up at the companyÊs existing plant premises. The project is in planning stage.
S K Solvochem Private Limited is planning a 1,500 TPA synthetic organic chemicals manufacturing project - dye and dye intermediates, bulk drug and intermediates excluding drug formulations, synthetic rubbers, basic organic chemicals, other synthetic organic chemicals and chemical intermediates at a cost of 20 million in Village Nimbua, district Mohali, Punjab. The Public hearing was held in January 2014. The project is waiting for environmental clearance.
Nuray Chemicals is implementing a ferric citrate-manufacturing project at the existing unit in SIDCO Industrial Estate Kakalur, district: Tiruvallur, Tamil Nadu. Civil, mechanical and engineering work is in progress. The project is scheduled for completion in Q4 2014. Equipment is already available.
Lion Tapes Private Limited, a sister concern of Stretch Bands, Gujarat, is planning a 100-TPM synthetic organic chemicals manufacturing project in GIDC, Chitra Estate, district: Bhavnagar, Gujarat. As of October 2013, the project is waiting for environmental clearance. According to the MoEF sources, the project includes products like 40-TPM of Fast Red B Base, 20-TPM of Fast Bordeaux GP Base, 10-TPM of Fast MNPT (Red G) Base, 5-TPM of Fast Red 3GL Base, 10 TPM of Fast Scarlet RC Base, 5-TPM of Fast Yellow GC Base, 5-TPM of Fast Orange GC Base and 5-TPM of Fast Red RC Base. The commercial waste generated from administration building would be disposed through sale to scrap vendors The generated industrial wastewater will be treated in ETP and treated effluent will be discharged through common pipeline.
Numaligarh Refinery Limited i s implement ing a wax manufacturing project at a cost of ` 5,770 million in Numaligarh Refinery, district: Golaghat, Assam. The project is scheduled for completion in Financial Year 2013. The project envisages production of high value low volume paraffin and micro-crystalline wax utilizing inherent properties of North East crude. Engineers India and Axens of France have been selected as the process licencors for solvent de-oiling and wax hydro-finishing units.
Ascent Pharma is planning a synthetic organic chemical manufacturing project at village Veraval, district: Rajkot, Gujarat. As of September 2013, the capacity of the proposed unit is yet to be finalized. The project is waiting for environmental clearance. Work on the project commenced in Q1 2014.
Vasudha Pharma Chem Limited is planning a chemical manufacturing project - 1-(2-Phenylethyl) piperidin-4-one, in
Parawada, district: Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. As of September 2013, the project is waiting for Government approval. 1-(2-Phenylethyl) piperidin-4-one is used as an intermediate in the manufacture of chemicals and pharmaceutical drugs. This is a new product line in the existing plant. The company also plans to produce Amitriptyline HCl in the same unit in future.
Resil Chemicals Private Limited is planning a specialty chemicals manufacturing project in Malur, distr ict: Kolar, Karnataka. As of July 2013, land has been partially acquired. The project is in conceptual stage. Other details are yet to be finalized.
MININGSri Venkatesh Granites is planning a colour granite mining project in Kamanpur, district: Karimnagar, Andhra Pradesh. As of December 2012, environmental clearance has been received. The project will come up on 4.56-hectare of leased area. Global Enviro Labs is the environmental consultant.
Western Coalfields is planning the Penganga opencast coal mining project (3-MTPA and peak capacity is 4.5-MTPA) on 281-hectare land in Village Wirur, district: Chandrapur, Maharashtra. As of November 2012, the project has been submitted in the 59th EAC (Thermal & Coal Mining Projects) meeting held on 6th November 2012.
Central Coal Fields is planning the Ray Bachra underground coal mining project (0.3-MTPA) in district: Ramgarh, Jharkhand on 1215.45-hectare land. As of September 2012, the project has been submitted in the 57th EAC (Thermal & Coal Mining Projects) meeting held on 17th September 2012.
Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam is planning the opencast 10-MTPA coal mining and a 10-MTPA coal washery project in distr ict: Surguja, Chhatt isgarh. As of August 2012, the project has been submitted in the 55th meeting of the EAC (Thermal & Coal Mining Projects) held on 28th August 2012.
Odisha Power Generation Corporation is planning the Manohar pur opencast coa l min ing pro jec t in d is t r ic t : Sundergarh, Odisha. As of July 2012, the company is waiting for environmental clearance.
Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation is planning ÂSondihaÊ opencast and underground coal mining project in Chhattisgarh. As of July 2012, the company is waiting for environmental and forest clearance.
Central Coalfields Limited plans expansion of its Churi Benti UGP coal mining capacity from 0.16-MTPA to 0.81-MTPA (coal)
86 Chemical Engineering World
Project UpdateCEW
in district Chatra, Jharkhand. As of June 2012, MoEF clearance has been received and the project is planned for completion in 2 years from zero date.
Zain Coke & Energy India is planning a 150,000-TPA metallurgical coke manufacturing project at a cost of 450-million to
500-million in Chickanthapura, district: Bellary, Karnataka. As of May 2012, the project is waiting for revenue and statutory clearance and is planned for completion in 10 months from zero date.
Calcom Cement India , belonging to the BK Group, is implementing the New Umrangshu limestone mining project in village New Umrangshu, district: Dima Hasao, Assam. As of April 2012, the mining work commenced in 2013. and machinery has been ordered.
Jaiprakash Associates is p lanning l imestone min ing project in village Kothar, distr ict: Satna, Madhya Pradesh. As of March 2012, the project is waiting for environmental c learance and the pro jec t comple t ion date is ye t to be finalized.
NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGYSiddheshwari Paper Udyog is implementing a 6-MW r ice husk-based captive power project in Kashipur, distr ict: Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand. The project is coming up with an expansion of i ts kraft paper-manufactur ing unit. Civi l work is near ing completion and machinery has been ordered.
The Jeypore Sugar Company Limited is planning an expans ion of i ts bagasse-based co-generat ion power plant from initial 0.5-MW to 8.5-MW in Chagallu Village, distr ict: West Godavari. Andhra Pradesh. As of January 2014, the project wil l come up along with a new 120-KLD gra in-based d is t i l le r y. The pro ject is wai t ing for environmental clearance.
S a v e r a B e v e r a g e s i s p l a n n i n g a 5 - M W c o a l a n d b a g a s s e - b a s e d c a p t i v e p o w e r p r o j e c t i n v i l l a g e H i ra n wa l i , d i s t r i c t : Fa z i l k a , P u n j a b. T h e p r o j e c t i s wa i t i ng fo r env i ronmenta l c lea rance and i s p lanned for complet ion in 6 months from zero date. 28-acre of land has been acquired. The project wi l l come up along with a 100-KLD grain-based dist i l lery to produce extra neutral alcohol.
NON-CONVENTIONAL POWERIPL Sugars & Allied Industries, a group company of Indian Potash, is planning a 20-MW bagasse and rice husk-based integrated power spread over 250-acre of land in village Motipur, district: Muzaffarpur, Bihar. As of March 2012, the existing plant will be demolished and the new plant will be constructed. The project is planned for completion in 1-year from zero date.
Tathagata Bio Energy Private Limited plans to set up 12-MW biomass power plant in Gaya, Bihar. As of May 2011, work on the project is under planning stage.
THERMAL POWERKanodia Cement, belonging to the Kanodia Group, is planning a coal-based captive power project in Unit-I, Durgawati, distr ict : Kaimur (Bhabua), Bihar. The project is wait ing for environmental clearance. Land has been acquired. The project wil l come up along with an ordinary por tland cement manufactur ing project. The total cost of both the projects is 900-mil l ion.
Hira Electro Smelters, formerly known as RVR Smelters, belonging to the Hira Group, is planning a 20-MW waste heat recovery based captive power project in Bobbili, distr ict: Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh. The project is in conceptual stage. Work on the project is expected to commence in 2017. The project will come up along with a 50,000-TPA coke oven products manufacturing project.
Jai Bhole Cement Combine, a group company of Zawar Sales, is planning a 72-MW coal and 10-MW waste heat recovery based captive power project in Velabai, district Yavatmal, Maharashtra. Equipment supplier is yet to be appointed. The project is waiting for final approval of environmental clearance. Work on the project commenced in March 2014 and is planned for completion in H1 2017. The project will come up as part of its 151-billion integrated cement project spread over 2,500-acre of acquired land.
Aditya Birla Nuvo is planning an expansion of i ts coal and l ignite-based captive power project from 34.5-MW to 54.5-MW at a cost of 8,500-mil l ion (inclusive of viscose f i lament yarn project) at Indian Rayon unit at Veraval, distr ict: Gir Somnath, Gujarat. The project is wait ing for environmental clearance. The project is planned for completion in 2 years from zero date.
Cauvery Power Generation Chennai, an SPV promoted by the promoters of Kaver i Gas Power, is planning an expansion of i ts coal -based power pro ject in v i l lages Sirupuzhalpettai and Bil lakuppam, distr ict: Tiruvallur, Tamil Nadu. The capacity wi l l be augmented from 63-MW to 213-MW. The coal for the plant is impor ted from Indonesia and supplied by Coastal Energy. The project is in a conceptual s tage. The 63 -MW coa l -based power p ro jec t s tands commissioned since 2012.
Jayaswal Neco Industries Limited is planning a 50-MW waste heat recovery-based independent power project in villages Dagori, Ameri Akberi and Udgaon, district: Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. As of February 2013, Public hearing for the project is over. MoU is yet to be signed with the State Government. The project is waiting for environmental clearance and is planned for completion in 20 months from zero date.
CEWAd Index
87Chemical Engineering World
1 Ani Engineers 73
2 Arvind Anticor Ltd 71
3 A t o m i c V a c u u m C o m p a n y ( E x p o r t s )
Inside Cover I
4 Beda Flow Systems Pvt Ltd 27
5 BHS-Sonthofen (India) Pvt Ltd 59
6 Bonfiglioli Transmissions 23
7 Busch Vacuum India Pvt Ltd 43
8 Chembond Chemicals Ltd 55
9 Chempro Technovation Pvt Ltd 92
10 ChemTECH World Expo 2015 63
11 Cole-Parmer India 67
12 Desmi Pumping Technology A/S 11
13 Dip-flon Engineering & Co 7
14 Dover India Pvt Ltd 39
15 E I DuPont India Pvt Ltd 25
16 Emjay Engineers 69
17 Faab Industries 35
18 Fainger Leser 67
19 Fluidyme Process Flow Technologies 77
20 Galaxy Thermoplast Pvt Ltd 79
21 Glatt (India) Pharma Engineering Pvt Ltd 37
22 Goodie International Pvt Ltd 53
23 Gopani Product Systems Back Cover
24 Hi-tech Applicator 51
25 HRS Process Systems Ltd 5
27 Integral Process Controls India Pvt Ltd 29
28 Intervalve (India) Ltd 9
29 Kirloskar Brothers Ltd Inside Cover II
30 Kishor Pumps Pvt Ltd 69
31 KSB Pumps 17
32 Kwality Process Equipment Pvt Ltd 65
33 Leister Technologies 73
34 Mazda Ltd 81
35 PVF World Expo 2015 61
36 Rasaii Flow Lines Pvt Ltd 57
37 Rathi Transpower Pvt Ltd 71
38 Ravel Hiteks Pvt Ltd 77
39 Robinson Cargo & Logistics Pvt Ltd 13
40 Ross Process Equipment Pvt 19
41 Simulanis Solutions Pvt Ltd 65
42 Super Industrial Lining Pvt Ltd 3
43 Suraj Ltd 77
44 Tecnimont ICB Pvt Ltd 41
45 Transflow Asia 45
46 Uni Klinger Ltd 47
47 UNP Polyvalves (India) Pvt Ltd 49
48 Verder India Pumps Pvt Ltd 15
49 Warade Automation Solutions Pvt Ltd 31
50 WaterEX World Expo 2015 60
Sr No Client’s Name Page No Sr No Client’s Name Page No
88
Book ShelfCEW
Valve Handbook 3rd Edition
Authors : E L CusslerPrice : USD 33.00Pages : 600 (Hardcover)Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Diffusion: Mass Transfer in Fluid Systems
Authors: Philip SkousenPrice: USD 52.76Pages: 496 (Hardcover)Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional
About the Book : Revised to include details on the latest technologies, Valve Handbook, Third Edition, discusses design, performance, selection, operation, and application. This updated resource features a new chapter on the green technology currently employed by the valve industry, as well as an overview of the major environmental global standards that process plants are expected to meet.
The book also contains new information on valves used in the wastewater industry, Applying emergency shutdown (ESO) valves, recent changes to shutoff classifications, valves specified for the nuclear industry, the procurement process for the Nuclear Stamp (N-Stamp), the emergence of wireless technology and its application to current smart technology and characteristics of high-performance hydraulic fluid.
Valve Handbook, Third Edition, covers: Valve selection criteria Manual valves Check valves Pressure relief valves Control valves Manual operators and actuators Smart valves and positioners Valve and actuator sizing Green valve technology and application Common valve problems Valve purchasing issues
Valve Selection Handbook, 5th Edition: Engineering Fundamentals for Selecting the Right Valve Design for Every Industrial Flow Application
H y d r a u l i c s o f P i p e l i n e s : P u m p s , Va l v e s , Cavitation, Transients
Authors : J Paul TullisPrice : USD 122.81Pages : 288 (Hardcover)Publisher : Wiley-Interscience
About the Book : This comprehensive book addresses all hydraulic aspects of pipeline design. ÂHydraulics of Pipelines: Pumps, Valves, Cavitation, TransientsÊ incorporates many real-life examples from the authorÊs experience in the design and operation of pipelines. Topics covered include basic equations necessary to pipeline design, how to conduct a feasibility study and perform economic analysis, design considerations for pumps and valves, how to suppress cavitation, hydraulic transients, trapped air, and methods of numerical solution of governing equations (including applications to complex piping systems). The book includes twenty-five tables for easy reference, which are extensively illustrated.
Editors : R W Zappe, Peter SmithPrice : USD 96.67Pages : 399 (Hardcover)Publisher : Gulf Professional Publishing
About the Book : This second edition of a highly acclaimed text provides a clear and complete description of diffusion in fluids. It retains the features that won praise for the first edition--informal style, emphasis on physical insight and basic concepts, and
lots of simple examples. The new edition offers increased coverage of unit operations, with chapters on absorption, distillation, extraction, and adsorption. New chapters on membranes and drug release broaden the bookÊs scope. The entire text is extensively illustrated, and many new worked examples and homework problems have been added.
About the Book : Valves are the components in a fluid flow or pressure system that regulate either the flow or the
pressure of the fluid. They are used extensively in the process industries, especially petrochemical. Though there are only four basic types of valves, there is an enormous number of different kinds of valves within each category, each one used for a specific purpose. No other book in the market analyses the use, construction, and selection of valves in such a comprehensive manner. The book covers new environmentally-conscious equipment and practices, the most important hot-button issue in the petrochemical industry today, details new generations of valves for offshore projects, the oil industryÊs fastest-growing segment, and includes numerous new products that have never before been written about in the mainstream literature.
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“Leverage Talent and Experience Base to Focus on Specialty Chemicals”
The specialty chemical market has a great scope for growth as several reports suggest. In the chemicals market in Asia, India is the third largest market. BASF has made their single largest investment to cater to this burgeoning sector through their Dahej project. In this exclusive interview, Dr Raman Ramachandran, Head – South Asia and Chairman, BASF India talks to Mittravinda Ranjan about how the company maintains its edge over their competition as well as the opportunities it wants to tap into in the Indian market.
What is the progress of BASFÊs Dahej site? What role will this new plant play in BASFÊs growth strategy in Indian and global markets? The Dahej project, involving an investment of 1,000 crore was broken ground in April 2012 and marks BASFÊs single largest investment in India so far. The new Dahej site will be an integrated hub for polyurethanes manufacturing and will also house production facilities for
care chemicals and polymer dispersions for the coatings and paper businesses. It will strengthen BASFÊs support to key industries such as appliances, footwear, automotive, construction, architectural coatings and personal care, as well as paper. Construction work at the Dahej site is on track and due for completion.
May we have an overview of R&D ac t iv i t i es conducted
by BASF in India? How do Indian operations support the international research activities? At BASF, innovation will play a key role to ensure our long-term business success with chemistry-based solutions to address global and regional challenges of resource, efficiency, food and nutrition and quality of life. Globally, our target is to have Euro 30 billion sales from
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innovations by 2020. BASF invested Euro 1.8 billion in R&D in 2013. As a part of an initiative to globalise R&D, it is targeted to spend 25 per cent of BASFÊs global R&D in Asia Pacific by 2020. India will also be an important part of this initiative. We currently have two R&D centers in India.
Earlier this year, we established global R&D functions here in India at the Thane site focusing on organic synthesis, advanced process and formulation research, discovery chemistry for modern agricultural solutions and molecular modelling. With an initial investment of Euro 2 million, this new facility has been set up by BASF under its group company, BASF Chemicals India Pvt Ltd.
Other than this, in India, BASF maintains a strong R&D presence through its sites in Mangalore and Mumbai, which are part of a global technology platform. Strategically located in close proximity to key production assets and customers, these facilities support close collaboration between research, development and business teams on site.
The research projects are focused on catering to the global megatrends Resources, Environment & Climate; Food & Nutrition and Quality of life. As part of the global research platform, the Indian team collaborates with researchers all over the globe to work on new energy concepts, agricultural solutions, leather chemicals, specialty chemicals and the synthesis of intermediates for industrial applications.
Many global specialty chemical companies have identified India as a big market for their products. Amidst high competition, how does BASF plan to maintain its edge? The opportunities for the chemical industry in India are manifold. Today, India is the third largest market for chemicals in Asia and is expected to grow further. With increasing purchasing power for all groups of the population, consumers want
to buy longer lasting goods and goods that improve their quality of life and status. This offers tremendous scope for innovations from the chemical industry. BASFÊs edge comes from our ability to innovate based on a deep understanding of global megatrends and specific customer needs and a non-compromising quality standard. Our long history in India, strong customer relations and local manufacturing foot print will also give us a competitive edge.
As a company, we believe that it is important to have local manufacturing capacity in Asia for Asia. The local manufacturing sites will let us have a very clear cost positioning which will enable us to be competitive. And the most important reason for having a local manufacturing unit is to be close to the customer and understand the local market driven requirements and adapt and act on it promptly. Added to this, we have a very strong R&D capability which will enable us to bring products in the market quickly.
How do you view the growth of specialty chemicals in India in terms of market and as a manufacturer? What are the biggest bottlenecks in your view for the specialty chemical manufacturers in India to compete at global level? With a growing demand in the chemical industry, I see a very bright future for the specialty chemicals market in India. This has been reaffirmed by the Tata Strategic Report which was released in 2013 on the specialty chemicals market in the country. This report says that the Indian market is bound to reach USD 60-70 billion by 2020.
According to me, one of the biggest challenges we face is the lack of infrastructure and power shortage, ready availability of raw materials are some of the other main deterrents. Hence, large scale direct investments are difficult. But these issues are easily surmountable
with adequate government support and providing an additional boost to the R&D sector.
Water treatment chemicals market is already witnessing strong surge in demand across the entire Asia Pacific region. How do you see the competition in this market for BASF? What is your strategy to stay competitive? In 2050, more than nine bil l ion people wil l l ive on our planet. Hence, the growing population would require resources which would ensure sustainable l iving. Innovations based on chemistry wil l play a key role in three areas in particular: resources, environment & cl imate; food & nutrit ion and quality of l i fe. Amongst these themes, water wil l play an important role in ensuring a good quality of l i fe and food & nutrit ion. Here BASFÊs water treatment solutions would be able to further this vision in safeguarding a healthy future.
On a local front, according to data by Frost & Sullivan, the Indian water and wastewater treatment market earned revenue of over 6,300 crore in 2011 and is estimated to reach 10,230 crore in 2016.
These statistics show that there is a strong demand for water treatment chemicals market and we have seen a surge in the number of multinationals working in this area. We are committed to growing our business in the water space. As part of our strategy, we are also working to expand our business beyond flocculants and coagulants in the industrial sector. In the municipal & industrial sectors, the focus is on water treatment & sewage treatment. We shall offer our products or technologies to the municipal sector through direct channels, OEMs or service providers for raw water treatment, dewatering of municipal sludge(s) and sea water desalination.
As a company, we believe that it is important to have localmanufacturing capacity in Asia, for Asia. The local manufacturingsites will let us have a very clear cost positioning which will enableus to be competitive.
Specialty chemicals market is bound
to reach USD 60-70 billion by 2020.
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Our range of products include highly-efficient ultrafiltration modules and cost-effective, space-saving rack designs as the core components of water treatment plants, rounded off by the superb technical support it provides to its customers. All the companyÊs products are based on the in-house development of its patented Multibore® membrane technology, providing top-quality standards. The extremely small-pore (< 0.02 microns) filters of the Multibore® membrane reliably intercept not only particles, but also microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses, thereby providing a dependable source of clean water.
Which are the other opportune areas for BASF in the Indian market? BASFÊs growth and contribution to Asia Pacific will also develop along with the changing economies and demographics. We will provide solutions for the needs of the emerging middle class forming the Âbase of the pyramidÊ through solutions for affordable mass housing, food fortification, wind energy and water purification. These are in line with the four megatrends, we have identified: resources, environment & climate; food & nutrition and quality of life. We will start to enter with the right customers in India and later extend this further to other South Asian countries.
A recent paper by Frost & Sullivan indicated the strong growth that Middle East (ME) downstream chemical manufacturing industry until 2020 with strong emphasis on the specialty chemicals water treatment, paints & coatings, oil field chemicals etc, which are expected to grow at around 5.0 to 5.5 per cent CAGR. Since ME enjoys the feedstock advantage and is now highly focused on diversifying through value additions, where does that leave India in global competition?
Yes, ME producers look at India as their home turf. But when the ME producers look at diversification, they need to look down the
value chain. This currently does not exist in the ME, primarily due to technology reasons and market reasons. The ME market is export oriented market and hence there is no captive demand. Vis-à-vis India, where the local players with their manufacturing units will continue to have a strong position by adapting the products to specific market requirements.
How can India use its strong talent pool to counter the competition that would be offered by the ME in the years to come? ME, despite being rich in feedstock availability, requires expertise and the necessary manpower for execution of these projects. Currently a lot of Indian diaspora reside in the region and they are well equipped to take this MEÊs vision ahead. To counter this, India by having a local manufacturing unit can provide the requisite opportunity to retain the talent pool in the country. Additionally on a social front, Indians would be more willing to undertake activities in the country if provided the competitive benefits that would be provided in the ME.
On the other hand, China being extremely cost competitive offers a strong competition to India. In your opinion, what kind of growth strategy should Indian companies adopt to get the much needed edge to be globally competitive? Priority should be on India to become self-sufficient in its chemical requirements. As an importer, it always puts India on the back foot with regards to the vagrancies in the global market. This is a strategy that China has adopted very successfully. China is reasonably self-sufficient and hence has become an exporter. From short to mid-term, this should be IndiaÊs strategy and that would generate market growth by being self-sufficient in its requirements. For example, it is crucial to set up petrochemicals units for products such as acrylic acids, oxo-alcohols etc, which India today imports
In addition to this, Indian companies can leverage their talent and experience base to focus on specialty chemicals both for local and for export including contract manufacturing. This would require companies to develop international EHS standards, flexibility to cater to changing demands and a relentless focus on efficiency and economics.
How is the shale gas revolution going to change the global market dynamics for the chemicals & petrochemicals industry? How do you see the impact on the global chemical supply chains in the years to come? And what would be its impact on India? Competitive raw material and energy costs are one essential criterion for the overall development of the chemicals and petrochemical industry. The recent rapid growth in the production of unconventional oil and gas such as shale gas in the US has led to a significant decrease of natural gas prices which in theory benefits the energy intensive industries.
At BASF, we have taken steps to benefit from the low natural gas prices in the US. With competitive energy prices and a dynamic economic development, the United States and Asia Pacific are becoming increasingly attractive as investment countries for BASF.
The shale gas revolution will definitely change the landscape, especially in the petrochemical industry. These changes are likely in the C1 methanol, methane ammonia and C3 methane to methanolpropylene areas. This implies there will be a shift in supply chain, which means there will be products manufactured in USA based on competitive feedstock. Needless to say, there will be a certain impact on India as well which, from todayÊs perspective, further needs to be quantified.
Innovations based on chemistry will play a key role in four areas inparticular: resources, environment & climate; food & nutrition andquality of life. Amongst these themes, water will play an importantrole in ensuring a good quality of life and food & nutrition.
Indian water and wastewater treatment
market earned revenue of over
6,300 crore in 2011 and is
estimated to reach 10,230 crore in 2016.
8
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At Gopani Product Systems we provide high quality filtration solutions to meet the process needs of wide range of markets.
Total Filtration SolutionWe are passionate about what we do. We ensure that our customers get latest technology, most economical solutions and the best in class service.
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