Abstract
Processing of more sour crudes while keeping or even reducing the sulphur emission levels is meeting a challenge to the refineries’ SRU system. Higher sulphur loads need to be treated by the CLAUS process and its tail gas treatment section. As a first measure, operators are exploring various ways to improve the performance of the SRU without spending in additional investments for the revamping. Focusing on the CLAUS Tail Gas Treatment Unit (TGTU) can provide a very cost-effective option by replacing the common MDEA-based amine solution. BASF evaluated this path for an existing TGTU and carried out a long-term performance test with its new generation high selectivity and capacity amine solvent. The promising results gained during the trial are going to be presented, and the paper will show how a “vintage” TGTU’s operation can be optimized with the latest development of BASF’s OASER yellow technology The OASE yellow solvent allows to increase the capacity of the TGTU while reducing its operational cost and sulphur emission at the same time without change of equipment. In its summary, the paper will provide a conclusive outlook and some “rules of thumb” for the audience allowing to evaluate the potential for improvement of an existing TGTU.
