Barge-Mounted Ammonia Production Plant Designed By Gotaverken And Haldor Topsoe

Together with the Danish engineering company Haldor Topsoe A/S, Gotaverken has carried out detailed project work for a floating ammonia production plant.

This plant can utilize deposits of natural gas which would not otherwise be economical to exploit, and can be located in the vicinity of areas needing nitrogen fertilizers produced from ammonia.

Project work has advanced so far that the building of an ammonia production plant could be started at Gotaverken about one year after the order was received.

The two companies involved are also cooperating on projects for other types of production plant vessels.

The ammonia production plant in question has a capacity of 1,000 tons/24 hours, that is to say it is typical in size for a modern, land-based ammonia production plant. It is built on a barge with main dimensions of approximately 381 feet by 243 feet, subdivided into three sections for the processing plant, storage facilities and living quarters. The barge is anchored by means of a single point mooring system above a source of gas in the bottom of the sea.

The design and general arrangement of the barge has been made up by Gotaverken, while the processing plant has been designed by Haldor Topsoe A/S.

This plant follows the same principles as those used in a landbased installation, but has been modified to a certain extent in order to make it suitable for installation on a barge. For example, the overall height of the production plant is being kept to a minimum, free liquid surfaces are being decreased, etc.

The processing installation itself is built into the center section of the barge, most of the components being on the upper deck, with certain units such as auxiliary equipment on the 'tween deck and lower deck.

The production plant is selfsupporting concerning steam and electric power, and only seawater and air are used in the process apart from natural gas.

Four tanks are built into the rear section of the barge for storage of the ammonia at atmospheric pressure and at a temperature of — 33°C. Apart from the design of its hull, this section of the barge corresponds to that of a medium-sized ship f o r the transport of gas.

The project assumes that ammonia transport vessels of 10,000- 20,000 deadweight tons will load up with ammonia at the floating production plant about every other week.

The third module of the barge includes living quarters and service facilities. In one deckhouse there are single cabins, each with a shower and toilet, for about 70 people, as well as canteens, dayrooms and other recreational facilities.

In the rear of the barge, there is an electrically powered steering propeller. This is used to keep the barge in its desired position so as to facilitate the mooring alongside of the ammonia vessels.

Onboard the barge, there are also workshops, storage tanks for diesel oil, fresh water, helicopter fuel, etc., two cranes for the loading of supplies, stocks of chemicals, extensive flreflghting equipment, lifesaving equipment, etc.

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