Chinese joint venture

The Fieldbus Foundation has announced that China's state-owned oil company, CNOOC (China National Offshore Oil Corporation), and Shell Petrochemicals Company Ltd, will use its technology, Foundation fieldbus, for automation of a new petrochemical complex. The project will be one of the largest Foundation fieldbus installations in the world, interconnecting more than 12,000 fieldbus devices.

Developed by a joint venture between leading Chinese industrial and business interests, including Shell Nanhai BV and CNOOC Petrochemicals Investment Ltd (CPIL), the CSPC Nanhai Petrochemical Project will be located in the Daya Bay Economic and Technical Development Zone, Huizhou, Guangdong Province, in China, approximately 80 kilometres northeast of Hong Kong. The facility will supply 2.3 million tonnes of petrochemicals annually.

Foundation fieldbus was specified as a key automation technology in specifications for the CSPC Nanhai petrochemical complex. Project requirements included online device diagnostics to assist in predictive maintenance, and real-time, full-integrated operating data to support plant optimisation strategies.

The main automation contractor for the project, Yokogawa Electric Corporation, will use the Foundation fieldbus-based solutions to optimise process performance and business results, and help the joint venture maintain a competitive edge in the growing Chinese petrochemical market. Yokogawa will deploy an integrated process control and manufacturing information system across the complex.

The CSPC Nanhai Petrochemical Project will comprise operating units producing 800 kt/year of ethylene, 240 kt/year of ethylene glycol (EG) 560 kt/year of styrene monomer/propylene oxide (SMPO), 250 kt/year of low density polyethylene, 200 kt/year of high density polyethylene, 240 kt/year of polypropylene, 135 kt/year of polyols, and 60 kt/year of mono propylene glycol (MPG). The complex is scheduled to begin operation in December 2005.