Zhejiang Petroleum & Chemical Co. Ltd. (ZPC) has let a contract to ABB Ltd. to supply technology for an upgrade supporting digitalization of a chemical production unit at the operator’s 40-million tonne/year (tpy) integrated refining and petrochemical complex at the Zhoushan Green Petrochemical Base on Yushan Island, Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China.
As part of the order, ABB will deliver its ProcessMaster FEP600 electromagnetic flowmeters with Ethernet-Advanced Physical Layer (Ethernet-APL) connectivity for installation at the complex’s 450,000-tpy adipic acid production plant, the service provider said on July 2.
Once online, ABB said the two-wire Ethernet-APL-enabled instrumentation—which combines power and communications on a single cable while enabling safe installations and transmission distances of up to 1,000 m.—will provide high-speed, real-time transmission of field data to support plant monitoring, diagnostics, and operations.
Incorporating perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) lining technology to improve corrosion resistance and maintain measurement accuracy in demanding chemical service, the electromagnetic flowmeters specifically will measure high-temperature, corrosive acidic process streams.
Adipic acid produced at ZPC’s complex is used as a feedstock in the manufacturing of nylon 66, engineering plastics, and polyurethane.
This latest award from ZPC follows ABB's previous supply of Ethernet-APL-enabled VortexMaster and SwirlMaster flowmeters to ZPC as well as its majority owner Rongsheng Petrochemical Co. Ltd.’s petrochemical and chemical fiber production operations in Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, the service provider confirmed.
Rongsheng Petrochemical holds a 51% interest in ZPC alongside partners Juhua Investment Co. Ltd. (20%), Tongkun Investment Co. Ltd. (20%), and Saudi Aramco (10%).
Neither ZPC nor ABB revealed a definitive timeframe for commissioning of the adipic acid plant’s digitalization project or startup of the ProcessMaster FEP600 electromagnetic flowmeters.
