| |
Reducing tanker loading emissions
Vela International Marine, a direct subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, has announced the successful testing of a project to reduce volatile organic compound emissions from tankers.
Working with Venturie, the test was carried out with the VLCC Gemini Star while loading Arabian Light Crude at Saudi Aramco’s Ju’aymah terminal. The system was run during loading at rates as high as 80,000 bbls an hour with emissions reduced by 47 per cent.
Jorn Heimsted, President of Venturie, said: “This test proves the system has captured 100 tons of hydrocarbon vapour.”
The system works in a similar way to keeping the carbonation in a soda bottle. By slightly increasing the vent pressure from atmospheric - where it is when most tankers load – to 1200 mm water gauge, the typical discharge pressure on a tanker, the emissions are reduced by up to 50 per cent.
The gases that do escape from the cargo’s surface are then gathered in the ship’s inert gas system and combined with the cargo liquid by re-injecting the vapour stream back into the cargo itself via Venturies’ absorption unit.
The gases that are then vented are much reduced in volatile organic compound content. Concentration in the vented gas stream varies, depending on fluid agitation, temperature, the cargo’s vapour pressure and the back pressure created by the venting system, but the keys to the system are Venturies’s Absorption Tower and the Auto-Back vent pressure control system.
Venturie and Vela are working toward elimination of VOC emissions during loading and transport.
“Right now we can prove that the system entirely prevents any VOC emission during transport, and this test shows that we now know how to control the venting of VOC gases during loading,” said Heimsted. The next step will be to use the system during the topping off phase.
“The system worked beautifully,” Gemini Star Captain Stefano De Petris said. “However, this is brand new technology and it’s best to take things slowly whenever testing out something so new.”
“Vela is very proactive with new technologies, and I congratulate Venturie on their system and Captain De Petris on executing a successful test.” Vela’s President and CEO, Saleh B. K’aki, said. “We have test bed systems on two other VLCCs and will continue to develop this system with Venturie.
“What we needed was a robust system that can be used on board a ship as a matter of operational routine. To do this, a VOC capture system must be both user-friendly and cost-effective.”
Venturie estimates they will be able to offer the technology for use on VLCC-type tankers at a very low cost. The system is simple to operate and already has type approval from the three major classification societies - the American Bureau of Shipping, Det Norski Vertas and Lloyds Register of Shipping.
“I was amazed at how smoothly things went,” said Gemini Star Chief Officer Ing Malcom. “I was keeping a close eye on the tank pressures but the system worked just as it was designed.”
Vela is a direct subsidiary of Saudi Aramco with 21 VLCCs and six product carriers, of between 50,000 deadweight tons (dwt) and 100,000 dwt, under direct operation. Last year, Vela safely transported just over one billion barrels of crude oil and petroleum products to worldwide destinations.
Saudi Aramco ranks number one in oil production and oil reserves
among the major global oil companies in the world.
Saudi Aramco also ranks fourth largest in gas reserves and the eighth in worldwide refining capacity. Saudi Aramco is among the top 10 natural gas producers in the world.
|
|
