【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Equipment】PetroChina’s first jet fuel liquid-phase hydrogenation unit, developed between 1975 and 2018, passed the evaluation

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Happy May Day 2024! Safety first. Let’s give praise and support to the achievements made in China’s chemical engineering technology and equipment. **********************【Ten Years of Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】Regular updates and summaries are available; feel free to join the discussions at https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html (Source: Haichuan Chemical Engineering Forum) ***************** On December 11, 2018, the liquid-phase hydrogenation unit at the Golmud Refinery in Qinghai Oil Field, which has an annual production capacity of 150,000 tons of aviation fuel, successfully passed the certification by the National Aviation (Ship) Fuel Evaluation Committee. This is the first jet fuel liquid-phase hydrogenation unit to be successfully put into operation by CNPC. The facility was designed and overall contracted by East China Global Company (hereinafter referred to as ECGC). It was successfully commissioned on April 23, 2018, and its output can meet the fuel needs of the aviation industry in Qinghai and Tibet provinces. It plays a crucial role in supporting the rapid development of the civil aviation sector as well as the local economies in these two provinces. 　　This facility was developed through a collaboration between East China Institute and Hunan Changling Petrochemical Technology Development Co., Ltd.; Changling Petrochemical provided the technical data package for FITS hydrogenation of jet fuel, while the East China Institute designed the process framework. The facility produces civil and military jet fuel products that meet the requirements of \"3# Jet Fuel\", while also generating components for low-viscosity diesel. The project began preliminary design in February 2017, and detailed design was completed by the end of August of the same year, meeting the requirements for on-site construction; it became the first of several kerosene liquid-phase hydrogenation projects carried out by CNPC to be put into operation successfully. 　　The FITS hydrogenation technology for aviation fuel eliminates the complex recycle hydrogen or recycle oil systems used in conventional hydrogenation processes; it does not require heaters or compressors. This reduces the electrical consumption and fuel usage of the facility. It offers various advantages, including a low hydrogen-to-oil ratio, high product quality, reduced catalyst usage, a simple process flow, smaller footprint, and lower operating costs. 　　The Golmud Refinery is the only refinery with a capacity of one million tons in Qinghai and Tibet provinces and autonomous regions, and it is responsible for supplying refined oil to these areas. In recent years, the civil aviation industry in the western regions has developed rapidly. In Tibet alone, the demand for civil aviation fuel reached 40,000 tons in 2016; this figure is expected to rise to 88,000 tons by 2020 and 140,000 tons by 2025. Previously, aviation kerosene in Tibet was transported from Lanzhou Petrochemical to Lhasa via a 2,300-kilometer railway line; this long-distance transportation severely affected the stability of the aviation kerosene, and the high transportation costs had a significant impact on economic efficiency. Producing high-value-added aviation fuel products can improve the product structure of the Golmud Refinery, enhance the company’s competitiveness and risk resistance, and bring considerable economic benefits to the enterprise. 　　As CNPC’s first commercially operational liquid-phase hydroprocessing unit for aviation fuel, the 150,000-ton/year liquid-phase hydroprocessing unit in Golmud has served as a model for similar projects on a small scale with low costs. Since material feeding began, this unit has been operating steadily for nearly a year; all its technical and economic indicators meet or exceed the design requirements, enabling East China Institute to accumulate extensive experience in the design of such units as well as in the selection of equipment and materials for high-altitude areas.