Lycopodium - in conjunction with USA-based technology provider, C&I Engineering - provided the Engineering Design and Construction Management services for a new 7.4tpd hydrogen sulphide plant.
Lycopodium – in conjunction with USA-based technology provider, C&I Engineering – provided the Engineering Design and Construction Management services for a new 7.4tpd hydrogen sulphide plant at BHP’s Nickel West site in Kwinana, Western Australia.
Lycopodium’s role included engineering of the balance of the processes i.e. natural gas, cooling water, steam reticulation, condensate recovery, sulfur storage, hydrogen sulphide gas distribution as well as detailed engineering (mechanical, electrical, controls, civil and structural) and the layout of the core plant. Whilst piping on the plant was of relatively small diameters, it had to be steam jacketed in order to transport molten sulfur. As a result, the pipework required detailed design and review for thermal stresses.
Lycopodium was further involved in construction management, pre-commissioning and process commissioning assisted by C&I Engineering.
The key features of the new plant are:
- The plant design and operation is relatively simple and the operational attendance required to operate the plant is very low.
- The reliability of the plant is high enough so no storage vessel is required. This is beneficial in that the inventory of toxic gas is reduced.
- The quality of the gas is dependant only on the quality of the feed hydrogen and therefore there is no need for a gas washing plant. The conversion efficiency of the plant is at least97.5%.
- A natural gas-fired flare is utilised to combust hydrogen sulphide gas vented during gas cooler changes, as well as emergency discharges initiated from the Safety Instrumented System (SIS).
- Improved operator and maintenance access over the old plant.
- Lower maintenance requirements over the old plant.
