Metso supplies 1,350 valves for Shell's Singapore project
11 Oct 2010
London – Metso has supplied 1350 valve assemblies for Shell Eastern Petrochemicals Complex Houdini project in Singapore – the company’s largest petrochemicals investment to date and its second world-scale petrochemicals project within Asia in four years.
The Houdini project plan, which encompassed a range of new chemical production units was officially completed in May. The facilities include a world-scale ethylene cracker complex, started up in March 2010, and one of the world’s largest monoethylene glycol plants started production in November 2009.
The project also includes modifications to the Shell Pulau Bukom Refinery, enabling it to process a wider range of crudes to supply feedstock to the cracker. A new ethylene jetty and cryogenic terminal enable the import and export of ethylene.
Metso’s delivery scope included Neles ball valves, high-performance triple eccentric disc valves, V-port segment valves, eccentric rotary-plug valves and pneumatic cylinder actuators, as well as Jamesbury ball valves, butterfly valves and pneumatic actuators. The company also included some third party valve products.
The total delivery comprised 528 on/off valves, 653 emergency shut-down valves, 93 control valves, including low db and anti-cavitation Q-trim models, 33 high rate and low rate de-pressurising valves and 51 manually operated valves.
Sizes ranged from 0.5”-72”. Pressure ratings range from ANSI Class 150, 300 and 600 to 1500. The temperature range is from high to cryogenic. The project followed Shell’s specifications, including fugitive emission requirements.
All pneumatically operated on/off valves for the Shell Houdini project are equipped with Neles ValvGuard VG9F intelligent safety valve controllers, which is mandatory, rather than using conventional solenoid valves and limit switches.
This enables the plant to carry out full diagnostics on all on/off valves via the DCS asset management system. The Neles ValvGuard VG9F is connected to the safety system and the FOUNDATION Fieldbus DCS system for full diagnostics and configuration.
VG9F intelligent safety valve controllers are also mounted on all pneumatically operated on/off valves outside the Metso range.
“There is always a risk in using a new product on such a scale, but we were convinced of the advantages the valve controller offered,” Peter Beerepoot, Shell ECC project, manager process automation group and instrumentation, said in a Metso press release.
“Houdini was a complex project, but the end result speaks for itself. We started the plant up with no major hiccups in just 29 days, which was most satisfactory,” Beerepoot also stated.
At the Shell Houdini project, Metso site teams of around 20 people are working to support the commissioning and start-up activities. Metso provides global key-account management support and in-house engineering support for EPC contractors.
