Megaproject safely and successfully delivered.

North West Redwater Partnership leverages Emerson’s capital project and automation expertise to reduce project complexity and improve engineering consistency

Emerson has completed a $73 million (€64m) contract for automation systems and cloud engineering services, helping North West Redwater Partnership design, execute and complete its first-of-a-kind Sturgeon Refinery. The Alberta, Canada refinery uses innovative technology designed to produce ultra-low sulphur diesel for local consumption as well as for export to markets that demand low sulphur fuel.
Using key elements of Emerson’s Project Certainty methodology, North West Redwater Partnership reduced global automation engineering complexity and completed the instrumentation and control scope for refinery automation. Emerson completed its entire scope of work with zero safety incidents.

The project team selected Emerson’s automation technologies and petrochemical project expertise to manage the refinery’s process control and safety system scope and help it safely begin producing diesel from synthetic crude oil in late 2017. This Refinery relies on an innovative, one-step process that, when fully operational, will convert diluted bitumen feedstock directly into ultra-low sulphur diesel while capturing carbon dioxide emissions.

“The unique nature of this refinery makes it important for us to manage all of the project components to minimise complexity,” said Jim Quinn, vice president of engineering for North West Redwater Partnership. “Emerson did an excellent job as the main automation contractor and continues to offer us exceptional support for the systems and services they delivered.”

As main automation contractor responsible for the entire instrumentation and control scope, Emerson provided integrated project management to reduce complexity and support North West Redwater Partnership with the alignment of multiple contractors. Cloud engineering using Emerson’s Remote Virtual Office technology enabled rapid mobilisation of resources and collaborative engineering, ensuring on-time automation delivery from experts around the globe.

“We’ve built world-class project execution and automation delivery capabilities throughout Emerson, and this truly unique project demonstrates the results of that vision,” said Jim Nyquist, group president for Emerson’s Systems and Solutions business. “Combining Emerson’s cloud engineering technology and Project Certainty methodologies helped support North West Redwater Partnership in delivering innovation to the entire oil and gas industry.”

The Sturgeon Refinery uses Emerson automation software and technologies, including DeltaV™ control and safety systems and AMS asset management software, as well as Rosemount™ instrumentation and Fisher™ control valves. The project team also leveraged DeltaV Operator Training Solutions and hands-on training to ensure operator readiness from the first moments of commissioning and start-up.

The refinery will process 79,000 barrels per day of diluted bitumen, while simultaneously capturing an estimated 1.2 million annual tonnes of carbon dioxide, which will act as a valuable feedstock to assist in enhanced oil recovery of up to a billion barrels of light oil that would otherwise have been unreachable.

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E & I project in South Africa

Automation and power equipment will help increase mill efficiency and lower fuel consumption

ABB has been awarded a large Electrification and Instrumentation (E&I) and Distributed Control System (DCS) order by Sappi Southern Africa.

ABB will engineer, procure and supply equipment for Sappi’s Ngodwana mill in Nelspruit (ZA). This scope forms part of Sappi’s Project Go Cell, which entails the expansion of the current mill for the production of chemical cellulose. This order follows ABB’s successful implementation of Sappi Saiccor’s Amakhulu project in 2007.

Among the products to be supplied are Medium Voltage switchgear, Low Voltage MCCs incorporating intelligent motor controls, Profibus intelligent instrumentation, Variable Speed Drives and ABB’s state of the art 800xA control system. These products will support the mill’s goals of increased efficiency and lower energy consumption.

Due to the size and complexity of the project and to meet Sappi’s project deadline, ABB will have an international team of Pulp and Paper composite plant experts from South Africa, Finland and Singapore work on this project. The project team will ensure the seamless installation and completion of the electrification and automation equipment in Sappi’s required timeframes (plant production is expected to begin in 2013).

Sappi Southern Africa is a global leader in the production of chemical cellulose, which is used in the production of a wide range of consumer products such as clothing, plastics, food and pharmaceutical products.

“ABB South Africa’s contribution to the expansion and modernization of Sappi Ngodwana is a proud achievement for ABB and a further testament of our capabilities in the Pulp and Paper for this giant player in the industry”, said Carlos Pone, CEO of ABB South Africa. “The project teams from the two companies will develop synergies and capabilities to benefit processes in the production of chemical cellulose at Sappi.”

Oil and gas producer to use innovative technologies

Will help to capitalise on Norwegian Continental Shelf development, new opportunities in shale gas, heavy oil, and deep-water production

Emerson Process Management is one of three suppliers chosen for a long-term frame agreement with Norway’s Statoil that positions Emerson to bid on future automation and safety systems for the international oil and gas producer.

The agreement supports Statoil’s strategy of using innovative technologies to solve the energy needs of the future, including making the most of emerging opportunities in shale gas, heavy oil, and deep-water production, as well as further development of the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Emerson’s integrated safety and automation system – which includes its DeltaV™ digital automation system and DeltaV SIS™ process safety system – will help Statoil maximise production, while reducing operating costs and minimising safety and environmental risks.

Statoil and Emerson recently collaborated to apply Emerson’s Smart Wireless technology on two offshore platforms. They found that wireless measurement networks offer significant cost and weight savings in such applications.

“It’s exciting to work with customers as forward-thinking as Statoil,” said Steve Sonnenberg, president of Emerson Process Management. “We expect this new agreement to strengthen our existing relationship – and open the door to new opportunities for improved results.”

The five-year frame agreement covers process safety and automation systems, including engineering services, for new capital projects as well as upgrades to existing facilities, and includes the option to renew for two additional two-year terms. Emerson will continue to provide control valves, measurement instruments, asset management solutions, and related services to help Statoil optimise its operations.

Valves for Chinese nuclear plants

Emerson Process Management has been awarded two multi-million dollar purchase orders from Westinghouse Electric Company for critical control valves to be used in the first of two AP1000™ pressurised water reactors at both the Sanmen and Haiyang nuclear power plants in China.

Emerson’s Fisher® air-operated control valves will serve several functions related to operational safety in the nuclear containment area. As part of the safety-related system, the valves are engineered to comply with government requirements, including ASME Section III standards for components of nuclear facilities, and undergo rigorous qualification testing at the new Emerson Innovation Center in Marshalltown, (IO, US). The valves' actuators are sized in accordance with EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute) guidelines to ensure adequate operating margins that meet industry standards. To confirm they can operate after a seismic event, they are also designed and tested to survive 6g (6 times gravity) vibration loads in three axes.

In the passive residual heat removal system of the AP1000™ nuclear power plant, Emerson’s Fisher control valves will help achieve proper plant cooling during shutdown. Engineers at Emerson have developed a specially modified ball valve that fits into the limited space available while meeting three key requirements: highly efficient flow during shutdown to provide cooling through a natural convection process without the assistance of the reactor coolant pump; tight shut-off when the plant is in operation to maintain efficiency; and accurate throttling control for all flowing conditions. Extensive testing demonstrated to Westinghouse that the new valve design could meet all specified flow requirements.