Refinery spent caustic treatment

Wet air oxidation system by Siemens selected for refinery spent caustic treatment

Siemens Industry Automation Division is providing Takreer (Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Co.) with a Zimpro wet air oxidation (WAO) system to treat refinery spent caustic as part of the company's expansion of its refinery in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi, UAE. One of the advanced technologies that will help TAKREER meet environmental regulations, the WAO system will treat odorous sulfides and produce biodegradable effluent for discharge to the facility's effluent treatment plant. The expansion project is scheduled to be complete by late 2013.

The refinery expansion project will increase crude oil refining capacity by 417,000 barrels per day using the latest advanced technology for downstream processing units to produce higher quality products and to comply with UAE and international environmental standards. The Zimpro wet air oxidation system will be part of the new downstream units.

Wet oxidation is the oxidation of soluble or suspended components in an aqueous environment, using oxygen as the oxidizing agent. When air is used as the source of oxygen, the process is referred to as wet air oxidation (WAO). The process will oxidize odorous reduced sulfur species such as sulfides and mercaptides. WAO can pretreat difficult wastewater streams like refinery spent caustic, making them amenable for discharge to a conventional biological treatment plant for polishing. (see also the Siemens pages on Water & Wastewater Technologies.)

Siemens Industry Automation Division is working closely with Siemens in Seoul, Korea and EPC firm SK Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd on the Takreer contract.

The Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company (TAKREER) is a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). A leader in the UAE refining industry, Takreer has been responsible for such refining operations as the crude oil, condensate refining, and supply of petroleum products since 1999.