The Egyptian Refining Company (ERC) is the newest operating refinery in Egypt. It is a fourth-generation technology Refinery, located in Mostorod, Cairo, Egypt. ERC is designed for processing of about 4.28 MM Ton/year of Atmospheric Residue which is imported from the neighboring Cairo Oil Refining Company (CORC) to produce valuable clean fuel products. ERC Refinery has initial start-up early 2019 with all units coming on stream in October-2019.
EPROM has been managing the ERC refinery under operation and maintenance management contract exceeding targeted KPIs that includes operations management, maintenance management, technical services, engineering services, and HSEQ management.
EPROM started supporting ERC refinery since its early project phases of engineering, construction, and commissioning with highly qualified multidisciplinary resources. During the refinery commissioning and initial start-up, EPROM played important roles for the safe start-up of the plant, demonstrating the industry best practices and experiences, and overcoming all challenges. Since the refinery initial start-up, EPROM sustained the refinery unit’s operation and management (O&M) within the safe design operating window, achieving the targeted production, while achieving the main refinery KPIs.
EPROM is providing the ERC refinery with cost and time effective maintenance programs serving the refinery process units and utilities, maintaining the refinery reliability, and maximizing the onstream factor. In addition, EPROM has accomplished successful refinery General Refinery Turn Around (GRTA) on June-2021 including equipment maintenance activities, and catalyst skimming activities.
Through the refinery operating period, EPROM managed to safely implement the ERC refinery operation at 102% of the designed capacity utilizing the current existing facilities, optimization of ERC refinery steam system operation, optimization of ERC refinery flaring system, enhancing of the performance of the ERC refinery equipment, engineering modifications and support for ERC refinery to enhance its productivity, reliability and safety along with operation enhancements, applying maintenance programs to sustain refinery reliability and maximizing the onstream factor, and finally optimizing production flexibility for profit margin maximization.
The ERC refinery consists of several refinery process units that include Vacuum Distillation Unit (VDU), which is to process 81,500 BPSD of AR (Atmospheric Residue) which is imported from CORC Refinery. Also, Hydrocracker Unit (HCU), which is licensed by Axens – France and designed to process 40,800 BPSD of heavy gasoil producing premium grade fuels. In addition, Delayed Coker (DCU), DCU unit is licensed by Bechtel – USA and designed to process 25,000 BPSD of Vacuum Residue producing valuable distillate products and Petroleum Coke. Naphtha Hydrotreating (NHT), which is licensed by Axens – France and designed to process 20,300 BPSD of sour Naphtha producing the required sweet Naphtha for reforming process. Naphtha Reformer/CCR (REF-CCR), which is licensed by Axens – France and designed to process 14,300 BPSD of heavy Naphtha producing high Octane Number Reformate. Diesel Hydrotreating (DHT), which is licensed by Axens – France and designed to process 32,100 BPSD of Light Vacuum Gasoil and Light Coker Gasoil producing EURO-V Diesel. Hydrogen Production Unit (HPU), which is licensed by Kinetics Technology (KT) – Italy and designed to produce the hydrogen demand for the Hydro-processing units. De-Ethanizer Unit (DEU), which is designed to produce LPG product which meets the required specifications while achieving overall propane (C3) recovery more than 75% with maximum heat integration. Sour Water Stripping (SWS), which is designed to remove Hydrogen Sulfide and Ammonia from the sour water stream collected from process units. Amine Treatment & Regeneration (ARU), which is designed to remove Hydrogen Sulfide from saturated sour off gas and sour LPG and to supply the lean amine to various amine absorbers in other units. Sulphur Recovery and Tail Gas Treating (SRU/TGTU), which are licensed by Kinetics Technology (KT) – Italy and designed to recover Sulphur from Amine Acid Gas and Sour Water Stripper Acid Gas producing high purity solid Sulphur > 99.9% on dry basis (with the shape of pastilles or granules) with recovery efficiency > 99.9% and the SO2 emission in the Incinerator flue gas < 150 mg/Nm³. The company produces high grade products such as EURO-V Diesel, Jet Fuel, Reformate, Naphtha, LPG, Coke, and Sulfur.
