As part of the refinery at the Leuna site, TotalEnergies Raffinerie Mitteldeutschland GmbH (TRM) also operates a POX/methanol plant, which mainly produces methanol. As part of the modernization of the plant, which has been running since the late 1980s, three reactor units - each consisting of a reactor, sub-reactor and waste heat exchanger - were replaced. In December 2019, EDL Anlagenbau Gesellschaft mbH was awarded the contract by TRM for FEED and detail engineering for three lots as well as construction supervision and warehouse management. Previously, EDL had prepared a study on behalf of TRM to develop possible revamp scenarios.
"We are very satisfied with the retrofitting work and relied on EDL's many years of expertise in the field of plant modernization," says Jens Herrler, Project Manager at TRM.
Revamp of the POX/methanol plant
In January 2020, the extensive planning work for the modernization of 15 plant sections began. Due to the complexity of the work and the tight schedule, the project management decided to perform all engineering work on site in Leuna. Within a short period of time, the necessary infrastructure for up to 70 engineering jobs was set up in Leuna. Thus, distances to the operator and to the plant were cut short, because on-site surveys were required for planning - despite the existing laser scan.
In the end, over 500 pipelines in the pressure range from PN16 to PN100, around 500 tie-in points and more than 400 measuring points were re-designed in a very confined space. The detail engineering was handed over to TRM in April 2022.
When the shutdown of the POX/methanol plant began in 2022, most of the engineering team took over construction supervision tasks - an important step for EDL to guarantee the quality of the work and to ensure implementation according to the plan. Necessary adjustments could thus be made available to the installation companies quickly and effectively.
Revamp of the gasification reactors
The engineering work to modernize the POX/methanol plant started at the same time as the engineering work for the modification of the reactor section. As part of this measure, the existing reactors were to be replaced one after the other by new reactors based on SHELL design and with state-of-the-art technology. A new cooling system had to be designed and engineered for the reactor head cooling.
Due to the tight schedule, the first three reactors (train 1) were planned and retrofitted separately so that findings from installation and commissioning could be incorporated into the planning. Engineering for the last three reactors (train 2) began in October 2022 and was handed over to TRM on schedule and within budget after one year.
The last of the three reactor systems was completed on time at the end of June 2024 and put into operation.
Installation was challenging due to the very limited space on the one hand, and, on the other hand, because it had to be done while the adjacent reactors were in operation.
"It was an impressive performance by our engineering team in this demanding project. This was also reflected in the more than 900,000 accident-free working hours on the construction site," says Lutz Kretzschmar, Senior Construction Manager at EDL.
Warehousing
EDL was also commissioned by TRM to take over the entire warehouse and materials management for the project. For this purpose, the database-based material management system (MVS) developed by EDL was used. Coupled with the 3D planning software, needs-based procurement, delivery tracking and issue of the materials could be always ensured.
As part of the project, over 4,000 items were managed, ranging from machinery and equipment (reactors, pumps, lifting equipment, etc.) through piping and support materials to cables and instrumentation.
