"Howden has designedcompressors that go beyondall known engineering specs",

Marc van Heyningen,Managing Director of Fluor NL

Building the world’s biggestreciprocating compressor

Whitepaper

KNPC Refinery

Kuwait National Petroleum Company:

KNPC currently owns and operates threerefineries in the State of Kuwait; Mina AlAhmadi (MAA), Mina Abdullah (MAB) andShuaiba (SHU) refineries, all located alongthe coastal zone south of Kuwait City, andwithin approximately ten kilometers fromeach other. As part of the Clean FuelsProject, KNPC plans the retirement of theprocessing facilities at Shuaiba Refinery,and a major upgrade/expansion of theMAA and MAB refineries to integrateKNPC’s Refining System into one RefiningComplex with Full Conversion operationwith the highest Light Ends ProductsYields and nil Fuel Oil production.

www.howden.com

Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) is integrating and upgradingtwo of its existing refineries. For the modernized refinery complex HowdenThomassen Compressors (HTC) has been awarded by the engineering firmFluor to build the largest API reciprocating compressors ever constructedfor the oil, gas, refining and (petro)chemical industry.

The first Thomassen C-85 reciprocating compressor with eight cylinders and a capacity of16.6 MW was delivered within the challenging one-year deadline. The compressor is one ina series of six, the last of which will be delivered six months later than the first. The buildingof these compressors are a key milestone for a new generation of compressors that notonly comply, but exceed the current API 618 (American Petroleum Institute) specificationsand Shell DEPs (Design Engineering Practices).

Howden took the initiative to opt for six compressors with eight cylinders each instead ofthe initial seven compressors requested for KNPC. This was with the full backing ofcontractor Fluor.

Marc van Heyningen, Managing Director of Fluor NL:"Howden go further than just supplying the standard regulation compressor models. Theyhave developed compressors beyond all known engineering specs. It has been atremendous undertaking. We are very excited about the complex mega equipmentdelivered by Howden. Their top notch expertise and the fact that the equipment is Madein Holland is something to be proud of."

Out-of-the-box thinkingBefore arriving at the choice of six rather than seven compressors, various options with sixand seven compressors and six to eight cylinders were examined by Howden and Fluor interms of their feasibility and suitability for the project.

Niek Albers, Manager of Technology HTC explains why the final decision of opting for sixcompressors with eight cylinders was taken: "Although a combination of six reciprocatingcompressors with this capacity had never been realized, Howden already had the design foran eight-cylinder compressor frame on paper, and we had experience in integrating largernumbers of parallel compressors. The creation of the frame for an eight-cylindercompressor is an innovation that began some time ago at Howden. Making the final choiceto go with six compressors with eight cylinders was based on attempting to achieve thehighest efficiency and greatest flexibility in regulating capacity."

Robust choices

Niek also outlines the robust and thoroughplanning that went into this highly complexproject: "Since the C-85 compressor witheight cylinders had never previously beenbuilt, we made detailed calculations priorto the award of the project by Fluor. Forthese compressors, specific attention wasplaced on the preliminary phase,investigating aspects such as torsionalvibrations and pulsations. This enabledHowden, in collaboration with Fluor, toidentify the critical issues early on and comeup with concrete solutions; guaranteeingthe reliability of the compression system.

That reliability is an absolute prerequisite fora project where system downtime can costmillionsof dollars. This preliminarythoroughness and collaboration with Fluormeant we could make robust choicesconcerning the design, such as theoptimum load per machine, and creating aflexible but easily adjustable capacity foreach of the different compressors." Giventhe considerable number of possiblecombinations of operating compressors,regulating the capacity is a complex matter.In theory there are around ten thousandpossible combinations to regulate capacity:all five machines in operation (with onemachine on standby) can be adjusted toloads of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% or 100%.

Reliability is an absoluteprerequisite for a projectwhere system downtimecan cost millions of dollars

Integrated compression system

The scale of the compression system isunprecedented. The six compressorstogether are responsible for compressinghydrogen for virtually all of the hydrogensuppliers and consumers within the refinery.There are now no longer any physicalbarriers separating the many hydrogenconsumers within the facility. Thecompressors receive hydrogen from theworld’s largest hydrogen production facilityas well as recovered hydrogen from theproduction units. In the world’s largestsingle hydrogen compression facility, thehydrogen is compressed for use as makeuphydrogen for various desulphurization,hydrocracking and hydrotreating units.

Henk Hoven, Managing Director ofHowden Thomassen Compressors:"It is technically an excellent product madeby an outstanding team. Fluor was verymuch a part of the design and buildingprocess in which we were engaged. Also,they brought in knowledge about theintegration of the compressors into therefinery processes. We were able to jointlycreate an integrated system with an optimalperformance which is more than the sum ofits parts. It will result in a smaller footprintand in significantly lower procurement,installation and maintenance costs forKNPC and Fluor. Only through ongoinginnovation in compression engineering,system integration and areas of application,together with our customers, can weguarantee the best possible solution timeand again."

For further information:Howden Thomassen Compressors

New Build Sales

Tel: +31 26 497 5200

Fax: +31 26 497 5201

Email: Thomassen.nb@howden.com

Web: www.howden.com/htc

Building the world’s biggestreciprocating compressor

www.howden.com ©Howden Group Limited. All rights reserved. 2016.Howden and the flying H logo are registered trade marks belonging to Howden Group Limited.

Fluor:Fluor is one of the world’s leading, stock-listed companies for engineering,procurement, construction, maintenanceand project management. Fluor has beenactive in the Netherlands for over 55 yearsand combines international strength withlocal focus for customers all over the world.Since its foundation in the Netherlands,Fluor has carried out projects in Europe,the Middle East and Africa. Moreover, FluorNL is an established name in the energyand chemicals markets of these regions.

Howden:Howden Thomassen Compressors is oneof the world's leading manufacturers ofreciprocating compressors. With over acentury of experience in compressionsolutions, we supply to major refineries,leading oil and gas industries, petrochemicalcompanies and other industrialorganizations. We have developed severalhighly innovative solutions for customersfocused on optimizing the availability,reliability and total costs of ownership oftheir compressors.

• Howden Thomassen Compressors is wellknown for the manufacturing of heavy dutyThomassen reciprocating compressors andauxiliary systems compliant to API618, aswell as the supply of multistage turbocompressors, re-aeros and retrofitscompliant to API 617.

• Our field and support services includethe installing and commissioning of newequipment the servicing of both Howden’sinstalled base and of non-Howdenequipment. These services are supportedby a 2nd and 3rd Line Technical SupportTeam and a Service Repair Shop in our'Centre of Excellence' in The Netherlands.

• Our services are complemented by ourcompressor operation training coursesoffered in Rheden, the Netherlands, andalso on customer sites.

Optional caption