Stamicarbon carries out remote start-up for US urea plant revamp

The urea CO₂ stripping plant, originating from 1975 with a capacity of 1090 mtpd, has been revamped to 1815 mtpd, using Stamicarbon’s Mega Design with Medium Pressure Add-On technology and the installation of a high pressure after-reactor. In addition to the capacity increase, ammonia emissions and energy consumption have been significantly reduced and several safety improvements have been made.

The urea plant of Nutrien Augusta Nitrogen was designed in 1975 with an original capacity of 1200 short tonnes per day (stpd), equivalent to 1090 mtpd according to the Stamicarbon CO₂ stripping process. The urea plant currently produces urea crystals, which are processed into prills, pastilles and DEF solution.

Prior to the commissioning phase, Stamicarbon provided classroom training at the client’s premises in October 2019. After mechanical completion of the plant, two P&ID checks – as well as a review of the process control logic – were carried out to verify the correct implementation of the Stamicarbon design.

With the current travel limitations of COVID-19, Stamicarbon has continued to support Nutrien Augusta Nitrogen employees during start-up with ongoing remote support. In order to help Nutrien finalise the last stage of this major revamp four Stamicarbon engineers were available 16 hours a day, working in pairs across two shifts. Stationed in Sittard, The Netherlands, they were in constant communication with Nutrien. By sharing a live connection of Nutrien’s DCS system on the main screen, they had access to live images from the plant and could give advice, discuss settings and see the consequences of modifications of certain process parameters immediately.

Image courtesy of Stamicarbon

Read the article online at: https://www.worldfertilizer.com/project-news/02072020/stamicarbon-achieves-remote-start-up-for-us-urea-plant-revamp/