Raízen lets contract for Buenos Aires refinery

Raízen Argentina SA—a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell PLC and Cosan SA 50-50 joint venture Raízen Energia SA—has let a contract to Axens Group to supply technology licensing and equipment for a new unit to be installed at the operator’s 108,000-b/d refinery at Dock Sud in Avellaneda County, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina (OGJ Online, Apr. 24, 2018).

As part of the June contract, Axens will deliver a modular 10,200-b/sd FCC gasoline hydrodesulfurization unit outfitted with Prime-G+ process technology that will enable the refinery to upgrade the quality of its gasoline pool production to comply with more stringent Euro 5-quality fuel specifications in Argentina taking effect on Jan. 1, 2024, the service provider said.

Axens said its scope of delivery under the contract also will include supply of high-performance catalysts for the unit.

The service provider did not reveal a value of the contract or a definitive timeframe for the project’s scheduled completion.

The new modular FCC gasoline hydrodesulfurization unit is one of several projects included under Raízen Argentina’s $715-million investment program to modernize and expand operations at the Buenos Aires refinery during the 2020-23 period, according to a series of posts to the operator’s official social media accounts.

First announced in October 2020, the investment program will include works to increase the refinery's processing capacity, upgrade existing units and processes, as well as improve energy efficiency and environmental practices at the site, the government of Argentina said in an Oct. 13, 2020 release.

Earlier this year, Raízen Argentina—which under a licensing agreement continues to market Shell-branded fuels in the country—completed an $8-million investment at the refinery included as part of the 2020-23 investment plan with commissioning of a new plant that will produce 14,000 tonnes/year of aerosol propellant for domestic and export markets, the operator said in a post to its official LinkedIn account.

In a separate release on Mar. 29, the government of Argentina confirmed Raízen Argentina was advancing development of $71-million worth of new units for the refinery under the 2020-23 program, including construction of a new naphtha hydrotreater, diesel hydrotreater, hydrogen production plant, and water treatment plant.

The spending program also includes plans for installation of a new crude distillation column at the site, according to local media reports out of Argentina.