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Jul 11, 2023

MAN Energy Solutions to supply compressor trains for Air Products blue ammonia and hydrogen plant

Air Products and Chemical has awarded MAN Energy Solutions an order for six air-compressor trains for use in an air-separation unit in its Clean Energy Complex in Darrow, Louisiana . The complex will

Air Products and Chemical has awarded MAN Energy Solutions an order for six air-compressor trains for use in an air-separation unit in its Clean Energy Complex in Darrow, Louisiana . The complex will produce more than 750 million standard cubic feet of blue hydrogen daily for Air Products’ customers, which will be transported along a 700+-mile pipeline on the US Gulf Coast, as well as blue ammonia for global hydrogen markets such as the transportation and mobility sectors.

The facility will also capture and permanently store about 95% of its CO2 emissions—more than 5 million tons per year—equivalent to the annual CO2 emissions from more than 1 million passenger cars.

MAN’s air-compressor trains will be deployed at the core of Air Products’ air-separation unit where air will be separated into its primary constituents of oxygen and nitrogen. Both gases are needed for the production of hydrogen and ammonia.

Air Products’ Clean Energy Complex is expected to commence commercial operation in 2026. For MAN Energy Solutions, the installation will add to an already extensive list of air-compressor train references with more than 250 air-separation facilities with MAN compressor technology currently in commercial operation globally.

MAN Energy Solutions’ scope of work for Air Products’ blue hydrogen energy complex comprises two main air-compressor trains, each equipped with a single shaft compressor type, RIKT 160-3. It further includes two booster air-compressor trains—each with an integrally geared compressor type, RG 63-6—as well as two gaseous nitrogen compressor trains—each with an integrally geared compressor type, RG 45-5. All of the trains will be electrically driven.

MAN ES integrally geared compressor.

The main air-compressor trains—the largest in MAN’s RIKT (radial isothermal compact air compressor) portfolio—have three centrifugal stages and deliver more than 600,000 Nm3/h of air. The booster compressors are integrally geared types and have six (air) and five (nitrogen) stages, all with external intercoolers.

MAN RIKT compressor train

The technical features of MAN air-compressor trains make them ideal for air-separation applications; they help operators achieve maximum performance while reducing energy consumption and minimizing environmental impact.

We are able to provide two different types of compressor to meet the customer’s needs. The RIKT compressors feature an innovative impeller design that increases energy efficiency while reducing wear and tear on the unit. This design improves the compressor’s overall performance and extends its service life, leading to greater reliability and lower maintenance costs, combined with a very compact design and small footprint. In contrast, the RG compressors are ideal for reaching different high-pressure demands by using different shaft speeds in order to run each impeller within the optimum efficiency point. In this way, energy consumption can be reduced while reaching maximum capacity.

Posted on 09 July 2023 in Ammonia, Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), Hydrogen, Hydrogen Production, Market Background | Permalink | Comments (0)