Technip Wins Contract for industrial Gas Complex in Kochi, India

Technip was awarded by Air Products a contract to provide project management, as well as engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) services for a new industrial gas complex for Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited – Kochi Refinery (BPCL-KR) located in the state of Kerala, India.

Being built on a “Build-Own-Operate” basis (BOO), the industrial gas complex of Air Products is designed to cater to the requirement of industrial gases (Hydrogen, Nitrogen and Oxygen) of BPCL-KR  for its Integrated Refinery Expansion Project (IREP), which will increase BPCL-KR’s crude refining capacity from 9.5 million metric tons per annum to 15.5 million metric tons per annum (from 190,000 barrels per day to 310,000 barrels per day) and produce clean transportation fuels to meet Euro IV/V specifications(1).

The BOO project of Air Products includes the following main units:
- Two trains of hydrogen production unit (based on steam methane reforming), of  8.2 metric tons per hour capacity (approximately 91,000 Nm3/hr),
- An air separation unit to produce nitrogen and oxygen,
- Steam generation and export to BPCL’s manufacturing process,
- A gas turbine to produce power  for the Air Products facility,
- Other utilities required for the BOO facility.

The plant will feature the latest technology advancements to maximize energy efficiency and minimize emissions, and will include optimal heat integration, which in turn lowers feedstock consumption during production.

The contract will be managed by Technip’s operating center in Delhi, India, as well as Technip in the Netherlands.

Nello Uccelletti, President and COO, Onshore/Offshore of Technip commented: “This is the first project to be built in India through the global hydrogen alliance (2) between Technip and Air Products. It will further enhance our two decades-old relationship. Our strong presence in the country and long experience of delivering projects in India will be an asset for the alliance.”

Samik Mukherjee, Managing Director and Country Head of Technip in India commented: "This project will lead to further growth in India of the BOO business model to supply industrial gases to the refineries based on long term gas supply agreement. We are very proud to work closely with our global alliance partner Air Products to deliver a world class facility to supply industrial gases for BPCL Kochi refinery.”

(1) European emission standards.

(2) The Technip and Air Products global hydrogen alliance provides the worldwide refining industry with competitive technology and world-class safety. Together, Technip and Air Products global hydrogen alliance have constructed 35 world class steam methane reformer (SMR) hydrogen plants across the world. Technip provides the design and construction expertise for steam reformers while Air Products provides the gas separation technology. Technip, from its large reference base, and Air Products, through its extensive operating network, also bring effective operational and engineering knowledge to “design-in” high reliability and efficiency. The plants are operated and maintained by Air Products under long-term agreements with customers.