ORLEN Południe started realization of an investment project which aims at the development of methylesters production. The project, which was launched in February 2015, entered a construction phase, and assembly works on the installation are being carried out at the moment.
When we consider an installation for the production of esters which was launched in 2005, the successive upgrades have increased productivity by 50%, and enabled to achieve the production of nearly 150 thousand tons of methyl esters of fatty acids in 2016. The investment will increase production capacity to over 200 thousand tons per year, and thus have a significant impact on the economics of the processes and will increase efficiency and improve profitability. Completion of the work and installation start-up is planned for May 2017.
Since 2012 PKN ORLEN has been executing so called ‘reduced NCW’, which in practice involves the necessity of purchasing of 70% of bio-components from the domestic market. NCW level is gradually increasing from 7.1 in 2017 to 8.5% in 2020, what automatically translates into an increase in demand for domestic esters. The investment will secure increased demand of PKN ORLEN for methyl esters necessary for the completion of NCW in the variant implemented by the Company. To the end of 2016 methyl ester production plant in ORLEN Południe was used in 100% - said David Berny, Director of Biofuels in ORLEN Południe.
The development project is a multistage process. Its implementation will require application of solutions used for the most demanding industrial installations. The engineering and assembling works have been done by companies that are leaders in process solutions and provide services and equipment to meet the demands of the chemical industry. Currently, as the basic project AT Agrar-Technik Int. GmbH and multi-branch project documentation were accepted, first works are being carried out. The next step will involve installation work finalised by carrying out technological tests and the installation startup.
The development of installation is carried out in the conditions of the working system. The process is supervised by the services required by the building regulations, as well as The Investment and Realization Team of ORLEN Południe which constantly monitors all ongoing work, with a strong emphasis on the people and processes’ safety.
(NCW) - National Index Target