Pequiven Ammonia Plant Moron, Carabobo State, Venezuela

Petroquimica de Venezuela SA (Pequiven) is in the process of constructing a new ammonia plant for the manufacture of fertiliser at its petrochemical complex in Moron, Carabobo State (21km from Puerto Cabello).

The facility already has a fertiliser plant and the new ammonia facility will complement the production from that. The ammonia will be used to produce nitrogenous fertilisers for the domestic market at the site.

The new ammonia plant is part of the Pequiven strategy to double its fertiliser production, which now stands at just over 2 million tons per year with 700,000t being exported to Latin American countries.

Pequiven has 13 fully owned plants that produce basic petrochemicals and fertilisers. The company also participates in 19 joint ventures in the production of fertiliser and petrochemicals.

Pequiven has four complexes across Venezuela at El Tablazo, Jose, Paraguana and also Moron. The strategy of Pequiven is "to capture regional opportunities in fertilisers" and also to "continue expansion of their petrochemicals production capacity". Over $21bn will be invested into Venezuela's petrochemicals infrastructure over the next ten years.

NEW PLANT

In December 2007 Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR) was awarded a contract worth $57m by MAN Ferrostaal AG (MFS) for services including basic and detailed engineering for the new ammonia plant. KBR will also supply its KAAP (KBR Advanced Ammonia Process) technology and catalyst for use in the plant, which was licensed to Pequiven in July 2007. It is the first time this technology has been used in the country.

MFS is responsible for the overall project management for the ammonia plant. Other contractors appointed for the construction of the plant include Toyo Engineering Corporation (TOYO) and VEC Ingenieria y Construccion (VEC). These contractors may well be constructing additional fertiliser production units.

The plant will have a capacity of 1,800t per day of ammonia, which will be used to produce fertiliser either in the adjacent plant or by using new processing units constructed at the plant.

KAAP TECHNOLOGY

The KAAP technology which will be used at the plant uses a reforming exchange system and a purifier also from KBR to produce a conversion of ammonia gas of around 18–20%. The KAPP synthesis loop pressure is around 90 bar (1,305psi) and is of a four-bed design. The catalyst used is ruthenium-based co-promoted type on a graphite support, which is around 20 times more active than the more traditional iron-based catalysts.

The KAAP reactor design has four beds, the first of which has a magnetite catalyst – ammonia concentration is 2% of the feed. The next three beds have the ruthenium catalyst where the ammonia concentration approaches 20%. The ruthenium catalyst also means that the reactor pressure can be reduced to save costs.

The KAAP reactor has a specially designed sealing system which prevents feed gas from by-passing the catalyst beds.