Heydar Aliyev Oil Refinery to implement green technologies to increase sulfur production capacity

MAIRE company has announced that NEXTCHEM (Sustainable Technology Solutions), through its subsidiary NextChem Tech, has been awarded by SOCAR two contracts to upgrade and expand the capacity of the Heydar Aliyev Oil Refinery (HAOR) industrial complex in Baku, Azerbaijan, Report informs referring to MAIRE website.

NextChem Tech will conduct a technological assessment and deliver a process design package to upgrade the existing sulphur recovery unit (SRU) with oxygen enriched air, a cost-effective and flexible solution for expanding the current sulphur production capacity. Additionally, NextChem Tech will provide the licensing and the process design package based on its proprietary NX SulphuRec technology for a new SRU and outstanding recovery efficiency.

NX SulphuRec is a comprehensive portfolio of proprietary sulphur recovery technologies, based on the integration of modified claus and tail gas treatment processes, which represent the most effective and widely used sulphur recovery configuration worldwide. These solutions are aimed at reducing the environmental impact of acid and sour gases produced during the refining process. MAIRE leverages on a leading position and a strong track record in this segment, having successfully applied this technology in hundreds of projects worldwide.

Alessandro Bernini, CEO of MAIRE, said: “These awards confirm the mutually beneficial relationship with SOCAR to develop Azerbaijan’s natural resources transformation activities. We are eager to further support the upgrade of the Baku HAOR complex with our technologies that ensure the highest environmental standards.”

The modified claus process typically begins with the combustion of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) to form sulfur dioxide (SO2) and water. This reaction is followed by a series of catalytic reactions where SO2 and H2S react to form elemental sulfur and water.

The tail gas treatment process follows the modified claus process and aims to treat the tail gas, which contains small amounts of unconverted H2S and SO2.

SOCAR's Heydar Aliyev Oil Refinery (HAOR) is currently implementing a large-scale modernization and reconstruction project. The capacity of the refinery is 6.5 million tons per year, and following the modernization and reconstruction, the plant will be designed to process all grades of oil from the Caspian region. The project is scheduled to be fully completed in 2027.