HIGHLIGHTS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER

2020 - ISSUE 11
Special Topics: SPOTLIGHT ON
Johan Sverdrup: a Norwegian megaproject 7
JD Jones poised for explosive
Regional Focus: Karnataka 11 growth
Interview: IMI Regional President Mr Tarak Chhaya 15 With strong leadership, a clear strategy,
and the ability to quickly adapt to

Technical Insights: changing circumstances, JD Jones

is a real force in the manufacture
Compliant valve stem seals reduce emissions 13 and supply of fluid sealing products.
The product range – including gland
Could hydrogen be the ideal green fuel? 17 packings, seals, compression packings,
PFTE products, etc – finds widespread
Automation upgrade for Assam’s tea gardens 22 use in a diverse mix of industries
around the world. The company has

INDIA & MIDDLE EAST News throughout the Region: also forged win-win partnerships with
many leading valvemakers, as Valve
2, 6, 9, 10, 12, 16, 18, 20, 24 World India & Middle East discovered
when speaking recently to CEO
The insiders guide to flow control in India, Iran, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Azerbaijan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, UAE, Bangladesh Mr. Ashish Bajoria.
“When Covid-19 struck India in
February we of course complied fully
Specialist in : with the lockdown. But we did not
Multiport allow ourselves to be cowed down by
the situation, far from it. We continued
Ball Valves to support our clients to the very best
Distributors of our ability. Moreover, we used this
Wanted
period as the ideal opportunity to
brainstorm about new markets. I am
therefore delighted to say that since
Available at February 2020 we have in fact opened
JD CONTROLS
up four new product verticals.”
www.multiportballvalves.com Continued on page 4

NEWS NFC’s plans for a new facility at Kota by 2022

RIL - 1st Indian company to hit $200bn mcap A new facility of the city-based
Read more on page 2. Nuclear Fuel Complex, with a
capacity to produce 500 tonnes
Oil transfer facilities in W. Karun Cluster
of nuclear fuel bundles, will
Read more on page 6.
come up in Kota, Rajasthan, in
Engineers India wins order from GAIL July 2022. “We are planning to
Read more on page 8. produce nearly 500 tonnes of
fuel but we have made a provi-
Kuwait aims to double LNG capacity in ME sion wherein we can expand it
Read more on page 9.
in three years to produce 1000
Drones ‘key to safety in NPP inspections’ tonnes,” NFC chairman and chief
Read more on page 9. executive Dinesh Srivastava said.
In all 1,500 engineers, technical
Hydropower - multi-billion investment? people and workers will be
Read more on page 10. employed at NFC-Kota, and
approvals are expected soon
Floorplan now open for FCE 2021
Read more on page 12. from the union ministry of fi-
nance for this.
India, Nepal to expand energy cooperation Nuclear Fuel Complex is the only
Read more on page 12. place in the country where nu-
clear fuel bundles are produced
Contract for chlorine project in Jubail for supplying fuel to domestic
Read more on page 18.
nuclear power reactors. “At NFC
Hyderabad, we have already
demonstrated the capacity to
produce 1,500 tonnes of fuel
bundles in a year. but we pro-
duce only as per our require-
ment. However, in the next few
years, if need be, the capacity
will be increased to produce
2,000 fuel bundles a year,”
Srivastava said.
The fuel bundles production,
as needed now, is 1,200 tonnes
and is being supplied to nuclear
power reactors. The fuel bun-
dles, which will be produced at
NFC-Kota, will serve the needs
of the nuclear power reactors in
the vicinity and also elsewhere.
“We are absolutely comfortable
on our production and will
be able to supply whatever
demand will arise. Nuclear fuel
supply will never be a problem,”
Srivastava said.
“We have made huge progress
and there is very good physi-
cal progress. We expect that in
another three to four months
our civil work may be nearly
complete. We have been able
to able to spend nearly 35 per
cent of our budget on equip-
ment,” the chairman and chief
executive said.
As many as 30 engineers have
been placed at the site and are
working there.

valve-world-india.com
INDIA NEWS
IOC plans 17,825 cr
integration project
Oil marketing firm Indian Oil Corporation (IOC)
said that its board of directors has approved
the plan for implementation of a petrochemi-
cal and lube integration project at the
Gujarat refinery with an estimated cost of
Rs 17,825 crore.  says it completed the construction of
The project will not only increase the capac-
ity of the Gujarat refinery from 13.7 million
tonnes per annum to 18 million tonnes per
annum but also result in integration to pet-
rochemicals with the production of 500-kilo
tonnes per annum polypropylene.
Besides, production of lube oil base stock of
235-kilo tonnes per annum is also proposed,
said the state-owned company.
“The project will be a building block for the
production of niche chemicals in the future
with a potential to increase petrochemical
and speciality products integration index on
incremental crude oil throughput which will
enhance the corporate margins of Indian Oil,”
it said in a statement.
2 October/November 2020 Valve World India & Middle East
Construction starts at Barmer refinery and PC complex
After years of delays, construction of the
USD 6bn Barmer refinery and petrochemi-
cal complex is underway. Scheduled for
completion in 2022, the refinery will have
a 9 million tonne capacity, making it one
of the largest in India. Reporting on its
involvement in the project, Keller India
13,500 bored piles for the development of
the groundbreaking refinery.
Committed to the overall growth
of irrigation sector
The Water Resources Department is
committed to the comprehensive
development of the State’s irriga-
tion sector, said Water Resources
Department Minister Ramesh Jarki-
holi. In a booklet titled ‘Jala Yajna’
highlighting the department’s
achievements in the past year, the
minister said the department has
taken up several projects to ensure
effective utilization of resources
available in the state as well as
water allocated to the state in vari-
ous projects.
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yedi-
yurappa, who recently released the
booklet, appreciated the initiatives
taken by the Water Resources Min-
ister and the department in taking
up the projects and also ensuring
that irrigation projects in the State
It’s a vast, high-profile project and it’s one
that Keller has been proudly involved in
since winning a competitive tender in 2019
from public sector contractor Engineers
India. The project is being developed as
a joint venture between the Hindustan
Petroleum Corporation and the Govern-
ment of Rajasthan and will provide an
economic boost to the region, prioritising
local people for around 40,000 jobs.
RIL becomes 1st Indian
company to hit $200bn mcap
get the required approvals from the
Reliance Industries Ltd became India’s first company to cross
Central government.
USD 200bn in market value, with shares surging nearly 166%
“Jala Yajna” highlights the depart-
since mid-March, driven by its retail and telecom operations.
ments and the ministers’ efforts in
various projects, including the “Kalasa Shares of the Mukesh Ambani led company rose as much as
8.45% to a record Rs 2,343.90 during the day, before closing
Banduri” project. To enable the state
to take up the project and utilize its at Rs 2,314.65, up 7.10%, its highest single-day gain since 22
share of water, the Central govern- April. So far this year, RIL shares have gained 54.33%, beating
ment issued a gazette notification and benchmark indices.
the cabinet, too approved the project. RIL, India’s largest company, now has a market capitalization
The department is also taking of Rs 14.67 trillion, followed by Tata Consultancy Services (Rs
measures to expedite the imple- 8.75 trillion), HDFC Bank (Rs 6 trillion), Hindustan Unilever Ltd
mentation of the Yettinahole pro- (Rs 5.01 trillion), and Infosys (Rs 4 trillion).
ject to provide water to Kolar, Chik- Among global oil and gas companies, Saudi Aramco with a
kaballapur, Tumakuru, Ramanagar, market cap of USD 1.91trillion still retains the top spot, fol-
and Bengaluru Rural districts. The lowed by RIL. Among global stocks, Apple Inc. is the world’s
government released Rs 100 crore most-valued company with a market value of USD 2trillion,
to expedite the land acquisition
followed by Saudi Aramco with USD 1.91trillion, Amazon.com
process that was taken up earlier.
Inc (USD 1.58trillion), Microsoft Corp. (USD 1.53trillion), and
The first phase work will be com-
Alphabet Inc (USD 1.04trillion).
pleted by March 2021.
Wabag wins prestigious Global
Water Award
Va Tech Wabag has won the and built by a consortium The plant makes Chennai
prestigious Global Water comprising Wabag and IDE the first Indian city to reuse
Award for its 45 million litres Technologies for the Chennai more than 20% of its treated
a day tertiary treatment Metropolitan Water Supply wastewater.
reverse osmosis (TTRO) plant and Sewerage Board. “The project will boost Chen-
at Koyambedu in Chennai. “The project marks a deci- nai’s water resilience and sus-
The plant won the distinction sive step in the direction of tainability in the wake of the
award under the ‘wastewater municipal water recycling, city’s ongoing struggles with
project of the year’ category. thereby promoting an alter- drought and water scarcity.
The TTRO plant is one of the native and viable model for The treated water from the
largest and technologically urban water governance,” plant caters to water require-
most advanced water reuse the company said in a ments of the industrial hub in
plants in India designed statement. south Chennai,” said Wabag.
PM Modi dedicates three key projects
to the nation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dedicated
three key projects to the nation related to
the Petroleum sector in Bihar through video
conferencing. The projects include the Dur-
gapur-Banka section of the Paradip-Haldia-
Durgapur Pipeline Augmentation Project and
two LPG Bottling Plants. They have been
commissioned by Indian Oil and Hindustan
Petroleum Corporation Limited- HPCL, under
the aegis of the Ministry of Petroleum and
Natural Gas. Rs 131.75 crore to serve the districts of
The 193 km long Durgapur-Banka pipeline Bhagalpur, Banka, Jamui, Araria, Kishanganj,
section is a part of the Paradip-Haldia- and Katihar in Bihar, along with Godda,
Durgapur Pipeline Augmentation Project, for Deoghar, Dumka, Sahibganj, and Pakur district
which the foundation stone was laid by the in Jharkhand.
Prime Minister on 17th February 2019. Dur- HPCL’s LPG Bottling Plant has been con-
gapur-Banka section is the extension of the structed at Harsidhi in East Champaran
existing 679 km long Paradip-Haldia-Durgapur district at a cost of over Rs 136 crore. The
LPG pipeline to the new LPG bottling plant at bottling plant will cater to the LPG require-
Banka in Bihar. ment of East Champaran, West Champaran,
Indian Oil’s LPG Bottling Plant at Banka has Muzaffarpur, Siwan, Gopalganj, and Sitamarhi
been built at an investment of around districts of Bihar.
valve-world-india.com
 EDITORS PAGE / COLOPHON

INDIA & MIDDLE EAST

October/November edition – Issue 11

http://www.valve-world-india.com
This publication appears bi-monthly
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Valve World India & Middle East is the insider’s guide
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Positive spirit
produce our electricity, no pharmaceuticals revealed that his company has launched four
companies to deliver medicines, no refineries new product verticals since February 2020, as
to fuel our cars, planes, boats, etc. But you you can read on pages 4 and 5.
don’t need me to tell you that. Others I spoke to included Bell-O-Seal, who
I also enjoy learning and communicating discussed the 700 MWe Kakrapar Atomic
about valves because they are down-to-earth Power Plant 3 in Gujarat which is understood
products. Externally, the greater majority to be India’s biggest indigenously developed
consist of a robust metal body plus a lever or pressurized heavy water reactor, whilst later
handwheel. You turn the operator and internal in a free-flowing interview IMI’s Mr. Tarak
components will move to open or close the Chhaya explained his viewpoint that, to ensure
flow. There are no hidden secrets here! Yet corporate success, it is vital that all stakeholders
at the same time valves are built to tight should benefit from business decisions. (Please
tolerances to prevent internal and external turn to pages 8 and 15, respectively.)
leakages. So I take my hat off to the designers On the technical front, too, people were very
and manufacturers for making all that possible. willing to contribute to this issue. ESA member
It is this blend of understandable engineering Hans Dekker provided an article about
applied to products at the very foundation compliant valve stem seals (page 13) whilst
Dear readers, of our world that holds me captivated. But Karan Sotoodeh discussed valve experiences
there is an additional aspect that I find equally working with the Norwegian megaproject
It is with a sense of privilege that I write this, compelling: the positive spirit that exists Johan Sverdrup (page 7). Meanwhile, just a
my first editorial column for Valve World India & amongst the entire flow control community. short hop away from India, GESS’s Anita Nouri
Middle East journal. Since joining the staff back During my career I have spoken to thousands of discussed how ball and butterfly valves are
in June I have had the pleasure of speaking to professionals working with valves in one way or being used to turn landfill waste into valuable
several people from the Indian valve community another – valve manufacturers, users, specifiers, energy in the UAE (more on page 23).
and it is my sincere wish to meet up with many, buyers, etc - and to a man or woman they have And coming right back to my earlier statement
many more of you, be that by phone, e-mail, all been friendly and courteous, finding time in about valves being ‘down-to-earth’, there’s
face-to-face etc, in the coming months. busy schedules to explain the latest technical a super article on page 14 about gate
Let me be honest up front: my formal training advances, project requirements and case valves used for potable water distribution.
in the wonderful world of valves is practically histories. This openness definitely plays a major Uncomplicated they may be, but forethought
zero. However, as my valued colleague Ms Kay role in my editorial interest. is needed to ensure these valves will function
T. Creedon said in her kind introduction in the I am therefore delighted to say that I as expected during the long-term.
August/September issue I am very definitely received the same kindness when putting I therefore trust this issue will be as
passionate about valves. It has been my together this issue of Valve World India & informative and enjoyable to read as its
pleasure to have been writing and gleaning Middle East. First port of call was predecessors. If you have any thoughts,
knowledge about on/off, control, check, Mr. Ashish Bajoria, the CEO of fluid sealing observations, suggestions or complaints, then
safety, and pressure-relief devices for the products manufacturer JD Jones. Of course we I would be delighted to hear from you.
past twenty-five years for all the Valve World discussed the impact Covid-19 continues to
magazines published by our parent company. have around the globe, but Mr. Bajoria also With best regards,
Why such passion? Well, firstly valves are emphasized how JD Jones has seized this David Sear
fundamental to a modern society. Without period as the ideal opportunity to brainstorm Editor
valves there would be no power plants to about new markets. In fact, he candidly d.sear@kci-world.com
ADVERTISERS’
INDEX CONTENTS
Arflu Industrial Valves 16 India News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Ashwathi Controls 23
AUMA India 7
Spotlight: JD Jones poised for explosive growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Bray International 18 Regional News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Dip-Flon Engineering 9 Oil & Gas - Johan Sverdrup: a Norwegian megaproject . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Doruk Endustri Ltd 1 Power Generation: Kakrapar 3 critical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Emerson Automation Solutions 22
Flowchem Industries 1
Regional News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
India News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
FluoroSeal Inc. 16
FSK Flow Control Equipment 17 Karnataka: easy for industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
GM Engineering 19
Plants & Projects News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Horizon Polymer Engineering 1
HP Valves & Fittings 24 Compliant valve stem seals reduce emissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Integral Process Controls 11 Gate valves for potable water distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
JD Controls 1
Interview with Mr. Tarak Chhaya, IMI Critical Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . 15
JD Jones 9
People & Product News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Kingdom Flow Control 2
Liberty Valves 12 Alternative Power: could hydrogen be the ideal green fuel?. . . . . . . . . . 17
Meena Cast 21 Plants & Project News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Messe Düsseldorf 10 IVAMA column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Neles Finland 8
Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Overseas Engineering 2
Panam Engineers 14 India News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Petro Valves 23 Neles’ move to the next level. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Rotork 20 Automation upgrade for Assam’s tea gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
SMS TORK 13
Alternative Power: Turning landfill waste into valuable energy. . . . . . . . 23
Velan Valves India 15
Waldemar Pruss Armaturenfabrik 6 People & Product News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

valve-world-india.com Valve World India & Middle East October/November 2020 3

SPOTLIGHT

JD Jones poised
for explosive
growth
With strong leadership, a clear strategy, and the ability to quickly
adapt to changing circumstances, JD Jones is a real force in the
manufacture and supply of fluid sealing products. The product
range – including gland packings, seals, compression packings,
PFTE products, etc – finds widespread use in a diverse mix of
industries around the world. The company has also forged win-
win partnerships with many leading valvemakers, as Valve World
India & Middle East discovered when speaking recently to CEO
Mr. Ashish Bajoria.

By David Sear

Talk to any entrepreneur nowadays and
the conversation almost invariably starts
with Covid-19. The pandemic has touched so
many lives and impacted so many businesses
that it cannot be ignored. Such was also the
case when Valve World India & Middle East
contacted Mr Ashish Bajoria for an update on
progress at JD Jones.
“When Covid-19 struck India in February
we of course complied fully with the lock-
down. But we did not allow ourselves to be
cowed down by the situation, far from it. It is
not in our DNA to accept defeat. We therefore
continued to support our clients to the very
best of our ability. Moreover, with many of
the team at home with time on their hands,
we used this period as the ideal opportunity
to brainstorm about new markets. We spent
our time very effectively, calling customers,
researching markets, and identifying prom-
ising new product verticals. I am therefore
delighted to say that since February 2020 we
have in fact opened up four new verticals.
From PTFE to graphite and from carbon fibre
to wire mesh jacketing, JD Jones is without
doubt an all-round materials professional.
These are: injection moulded PEEK compo-
nents; laminar seals for triple offset butterfly
valves & double offset butterfly valves; ser-
rated gaskets / kammprofile gaskets; and
finally PTFE membrane/diaphragms.”
In addition to identifying new product ver-
ticals, JD Jones invested strongly to ensure
the right customers would hear about the
enlarged portfolio. Mr Bajoria: “we stepped
up marketing efforts ten-fold, hiring new
people for the marketing department and
investing in digital campaigns. This has really
helped the business, further augmenting the
growth that has followed on from the capi-
tal investments made in 2019. This positive
approach means that JD Jones is now placed
to jump explosively.”
Asked to clarify expenditure in 2019,
Mr. Bajoria comments as follows: “We wanted
to expand capacity, invest in automation, and
also develop high-speed, efficient machinery.
Our goal was two-fold: to increase output
whilst further driving down the rejection
rate.”
Investments were made across all prod-
uct verticals. “For example, where graphite
rings are produced we now have automatic
graphite molding machines, the best qual-
ity braiding machines are in place to make
braided packings, and in the fluoropolymers
cell we have started investing heavily in PEEK
and other fluoropolymers. Other expendi-
ture include high-end 3D printers, injection
moulding units, automatic presses, graphite
cutters, etc,” states Mr Bajoria.
With the final machinery and equipment
currently being installed and commissioned,
JD Jones will soon benefit from a significantly
enlarged production capacity, says Mr Bajo-
ria. “Speaking about production I can tell you
that right now there is no dip in output vol-
ume at all. In fact, we are currently shipping
out more than our previous monthly average
in a peak year.”
Whatever the business climate, JD Jones
continues to offer a very flexible service to
all customers. “Some clients can be served
from stock whilst for others we make prod-
ucts to order,” explains Mr Bajoria. “This very
much depends on the unique requirements
of each individual purchaser. Some place
long-term contracts whereby we ship bulk
consignments each quarter, whilst for others
with more flexible needs we can guarantee
JD Jones has forged win-win partnerships with many leading valvemakers.
shipment within 24-48 hours. We are always
happy to oblige.”
Solutions provider
Today, JD Jones offers a vast range of seals
and packings which are used in widespread
applications across a myriad of industries.
Mr. Bajoria: “we have evolved into a sealing
company with a very comprehensive portfo-
lio. I believe we are the only company in the
world that manufactures such a wide range of
top quality sealing products under one roof.
We do not trade third-party sealing products
but have amassed manufacturing know-how
and applications expertise in all the products
we offer. This intrinsic knowledge underpins
our strategy to be a real ‘one-stop-shop’ solu-
tions provider for customers.”
Sealing products for valves continues to be
a core competence, stresses Mr Bajoria. “The
valve industry is very important to us, and
probably accounts for 40-50% of our busi-
ness. Our customer list includes many of the
world’s finest valve makers with top names
from the US, Europe, India, China, South-East
Asia, the Middle East, Singapore, etc. Impor-
tantly, such customers turn to JD Jones not
just for sealing products as such, but in addi-
tion for the extensive technical support that
the company can offer.”
Customers have a high regard for JD Jones’
in-house testing capabilities, adds Mr Bajoria.
“To conduct our own research and develop-
ment, as well as to assist valve makers in
complying with standards such as API 622,
we decided to establish our own test facil-
ity several years ago. Today this features a
high-pressure bunker, cryogenic systems and
three leak detectors. So far well over thirty
valve companies have shipped out valves,
entrusting us to run tests to identify the
optimum packing material for their valve
plus the intended application.”
Minimizing leakage rates from valves
involves much more than simply inserting
an off-the-shelf packing, explains Mr Bajo-
ria. “There are simply too many variables to
consider, in both the valve and the packing.
Therefore, here in our workshop we can treat
the valve as a constant and then focus all
our attention on the packing, making those
subtle yet important changes to the pack-
ing material, the way that material is put
together, the gland load, etc, until we find
the ultimate solution for the valve.”
Mr Bajoria further notes that all of JD
Jones’ emissions tests are run using helium,
which is of course a very permeable gas. “If
valves pass the tests we perform here at our
premises, we can be 99% confident that the
self-same valve and packing will also pass
tests performed by an independent test-
ing house as may be required by standards
authorities. That is because such tests are
normally conducted using methane which,
with a larger molecular structure, is less
likely to leak than helium.”
Once the in-house tests have been com-
pleted, JD Jones then carefully stores away
the valve should future tests be required.
Mr. Bajoria: “this industry is dynamic. National

4 October/November 2020 Valve World India & Middle East valve-world-india.com


and global standards can change quite regu-
larly whilst end users may impose additional
requirements. In such cases manufacturers
can request us to review the packing selec-
tion and retest the valve. We are always
happy to oblige.”
Investing in technology
With this comprehensive approach to the
market, featuring continuous research and
development, close cooperation with valve
makers, and the determination to investigate
the potential of new materials, JD Jones has
broken the mold for packing companies,
states Mr Bajoria. “The traditional way to
do business is to make a range of standard
packings and then to sit back and let the
customer make the selection. Such tradi-
tional models will soon be swept aside.
Increasingly we are seeing how buyers are
no longer basing procurement decisions on
JD Jones offers a vast range of seals and packings which are used in widespread applications across a myriad of industries.
valve-world-india.com
low cost prices but are looking for a packing
manufacturer like JD Jones that can deliver
services as well. We are a customer-centric
company, looking to build trust and prove
our strengths as a back-end partner. Our goal
is to operate as a boutique firm, providing
quality products and reliable solutions at
realistic prices.”
This strategy also keys into JD Jones’
decision to invest so heavily in production
automation during 2019. “If we were to rely
on cheap labour we would not survive. It is
as simple as that. Our vision is to focus on
technology, investing in automation and the
on-going training of our staff. This will deliver
the strong growth we want. Our approach is
scientific. Within each product vertical we
consider all the processes required to make
that product. Flow charts are drawn up so
that we can pinpoint areas for automation.
The cost is not the relevant factor here; rather
how we can evolve and grow to set ourselves
SPOTLIGHT
aside from competitors in low-cost countries.
Clients are very positive when they discover
just how automated our production lines are,
the degree to which we have expanded capac-
ity and the numerous product verticals we
have developed. This strategy has been a real
game-changer since 2018.”
Materials professionals
From PTFE to graphite and from carbon
fibre to wire mesh jacketing, JD Jones is
without doubt an all-round materials profes-
sional. Such wide knowledge has brought
additional benefits given the trend for even
more advanced sealing systems. “Many
packings are now being made from combina-
tions of various materials, such as a braided Mr. Ashish Bajoria is CEO at JD Jones.
packing with fluoropolymer parts,” says Mr
Bajoria. “To do this properly requires a deep
knowledge of all the constituent materials. In recalls positive feedback from an Italian
this respect as well, our expertise gives cus- customer who had placed a first-time order
tomers extra confidence.” for PTFE valve seats. “This customer gave
Exploring new materials and establishing us the opportunity to develop PTFE compo-
additional product verticals is very much part nents. After extensive research and testing
of JD Jones’ ongoing strategy, emphasizes Mr we shipped out the required seats, knowing
Bajoria. “As a team we are all determined full well that the client would subject them to
to serve customers to the very best of our very stringent testing. After a couple of weeks,
capabilities and to enhance or one-stop shop we received a reply: the client was amazed as
reputation. Sometimes new product verti- he had never seen such positive test results
cals follow naturally once we have identi- before! Simply put, our seats outperformed
fied new markets, at other times materials all other components they had previously
research projects may be initiated based on received from competitors. Overnight this
a customer suggestion. That is something company standardized on our product, which
that happens quite a lot. For example, our gave us a huge boost. Of course, it takes
fluoroplastics division has grown immensely expertise and good machinery to make a qual-
thanks to client input. Our close liaison with ity product, but more than that you have to
some of the global giants in the valve arena have the right attitude throughout the com-
has resulted in a multitude of components, pany. You need heart. That really helps the
such as valve seats, radial seals, special team to go forward even more. I reckon this
parts, chevron rings, etc. Along the way we sums up JD Jones very nicely; we are striving
have widened our expertise with materials for success and want to deliver optimum seal-
such as PFTE, PEEK, TFM, PTCFE, etc.” ing products and services to our customers.”
As an aside, Mr Bajoria stresses that fluo-
roplastics should not be seen as a uniform
group of materials which can be readily inter-
JD Jones’ Product Verticals
changed. “Each fluoroplastic requires its own
• Low-emission packing
know-how and in many cases is processed
using bespoke machinery. But this is where • Graphite sealing products
we excel; we go deeper into each product • Pressure seal gaskets
and each vertical, always investing, research- • Valve seats
ing, and developing. Customers know this. • Braided packing
We are now in a position of trust, receiving • Packings for piston valves
calls from customers asking us to provide • Specialized pressure seals
products not even I our catalogue! They have • Fluoroplastics (rods/bushes/
full confidence in our ability to develop a machined components)
product from scratch and know that we will • Chevron packing sets
not release it until we are 100% satisfied it • Custom-made sealing solutions
will perform as expected.” • Laminar seals
Whilst discussing the early years of JD
Jones’ fluoroplastics vertical, Mr Bajoria
Facts & Figures
Company: JD Jones
Office & manufacturing: Kolkata
Key products: compression packing, expanded PTFE products, industrial polymer
products, insulation, graphite sealing, speciality lubricants, low
emission packing
Industries served: breweries, cement plants, chemicals, fertilisers, food processing,
mining, refining, paint manufacture, petrochemicals, power plants,
pulp & paper, steel mills, sugar plants, valve manufacturers
Valve World India & Middle East October/November 2020 5
REGIONAL NEWS

Marafiq signs USD 201m contract to expand its IWTP
Marafiq (Power and Water Utility Company for
Jubail and Yanbu) officially signed the fourth
phase contract to expand its Industrial Waste-
water Treatment Plant No. 8 (IWTP8) in Jubail.
The project is expected to take 36 months and
will be implemented by the Saudi Electrical and
Mechanical Services Company. Marafiq is an
integrated utility service provider to industrial
cities within Saudi Arabia, which hosts some of
the world’s largest hydrocarbon conglomerates
in Yanbu and Jubail.
The President and CEO of Marafiq, Abdullah
Khalifa Al-Buainain, signed the contract worth
SABIC to expand
SAR 757,500,000 (USD 201M) with the Saudi capacity for NORYL
Electrical and Mechanical Services Company
to implement the fourth expansion works of
its Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant No.
SA9000
8. Al-Buainain further stated that Marafiq is SABIC intends to boost production capacity
for its specialty NORYL™ SA9000 resin to sup-
seeking to provide high-level services
port the rapid growth of high-performance
that meet the requirements of growth in
printed circuit boards (PCBs) used in 5G base
industrial projects in the Kingdom within
stations and high-speed servers. It is antici-
the framework of its 2030 Vision, adding that
pated that this latest expansion, which builds
this expansion will enable the plant to treat
on 2019 increases, will nearly double regional
industrial wastewater with a 125,000 cubic production in Asia and increase overall NORYL
meters/day of liquid waste in addition to its SA9000 resin production in Asia tenfold vs.
current capacity. 2018 levels.
The incremental gain in capacity will help to

Ganope raises production by 5% Oil transfer facilities in Western reduce global lead times for manufacturers
of high-performance copper-clad laminates

through new discoveries Karun Cluster launched
The first phase of the oil trans-
Ganoub El Wadi Petroleum Holding Company (Ganope) drilled seven explora-
fer chain of the West Karun
tion wells that resulted in two new discoveries in the Geisum and Tawila
fields with a daily delivery
fields, and the Petromeliha field in the Gulf of Suez, which increased produc-
capacity of 460,000 barrels of
tion rates by 5%, Alaa Al-Batal, Ganope’s Chairman stated.
heavy crude oil and 254,000
His remarks came during Ganope’s general assembly for fiscal year (FY) 2019/20,
barrels of light crude oil to
headed by the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Tarek El Molla. Al-
export terminals was officially
Batal stated that these discoveries have added 85 million barrels of extractable
launched recently.
reserves, while daily production rates reached 23,000 barrels of crude per day
The project of pipelines and
(bbl/d), 4,252 tons of butane, and 2,360 million cubic feet of natural gas (mmcf).
ancillary facilities for oil transfer
Additionally, the company has connected 153000 housing, commercial, and
in the West Karun fields cluster
industrial customers with natural gas in Upper Egypt, totaling the number of
was launched in the presence
subscribers to 1.3 million customers. Al-Batal noted that Ganope managed to
of Farrokh Alikhani, production
cut its expenses and rationalize spending through digital transformation and
deputy of the National Iranian
managed to cut costs by EGP 26M.
Oil Company (NIOC), Touraj
The company has also managed to complete the first phase of geophysical
Dehghani, CEO of the Petroleum
data collection of open areas in the Red Sea, placing the Red Sea on the
Engineering and Development
exploration and production (E&P) map by concluding three new agreements.
Company (PEDEC), and Jahangir
The company has also completed 50% of the first phase of the geophysical
Purhang, CEO of Arvandan Oil
data collection project in Upper Egypt.
and Gas Company.
The starting point of the trans-
mission route in this project is
the West Karun pumping sta-
tion and the middle point is the
Omidieh pumping station, and
Bahregan and Jask terminals are
located at the end of the trans-
mission chain.
It is important to note that more
than 90% of the manpower
employed in completing this pro-
ject was local forces from Khuz-
estan province, south-western Iran.
With the development of
Phase 2 of this project, which
is currently underway, capac-
ity will be created to transfer
more than one million barrels of
crude oil from the West Karun
cluster to export terminals.
(CCLs), which can provide them greater flex-
ibility to meet customer requests for quick
turnarounds. Additionally, it provides the
capability for future product development.
The expansion project is currently underway
in India, with completion expected by the end
of 2020.
NORYL SA9000 resin is an important compo-
nent in CCLs used worldwide in PCBs for the
5G infrastructure market, which is forecast to
register a 53% CAGR between 2020 and 2025,
as reported by Mordor Intelligence.
“SABIC continues to invest in specialized
materials that help advance global adoption
of 5G networking,” said Scott Fisher, business
director, Specialties, SABIC. “As the wireless
networking industry faces rising demand
for infrastructure with high expectations for
speed, bandwidth, and low latency, SABIC is
committed to delivering the unique material
solutions our customers need to help drive
this technology forward.”

Proserv boosts operations with new facilities

Proserv Controls has unveiled
two new cutting-edge facilities
in Mussafah, Abu Dhabi, and
Cumbernauld, near Glasgow,
Scotland as it seeks to drive
forwards its expanding service
support business.
Despite the on-going global
challenge of the Covid-19 pan-
demic, the Aberdeen-based firm
has proactively pursued the
establishment of the new sites
in recent months as it contin-
ues to win significant orders
amid the general slowdown.
Proserv Controls’ new facility
in Abu Dhabi is an upgrade on
its previous base in the city,
boasting a dedicated service
workshop of more than 1,000
sq m, 400 sq m of office
space, and encompassing a
total footprint of almost 3,000
sq m.
The Mussafah site delivers a
wide range of Proserv’s service
and production capabilities
including the build, repair,
and upgrade of all brands of
hydraulic control systems,
pressure testing facilities, as
well as the provision of the
firm’s bespoke AEGIS mainte-
nance optimisation solution
and remote asset monitoring.
Meanwhile, Proserv’s new
site in Cumbernauld, Scotland
represents the firm’s Service
Centre of Excellence for Meas-
urement and replaces its loca-
tion in Coatbridge. The facility
offers almost 800 sq m of
space, including a testing labo-
ratory, workshop, and office
provision. The base will be the
team’s global headquarters
for its growing activities, with
the capability to design, build,
and install independent fiscal
and custody transfer metering
systems.

WEF recognises Aramco’s leadership in 4IR

technologies
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has recognised
Aramco’s Khurais oil facility as a leader in the
adoption and integration of cutting-edge tech-
nologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR)
Khurais is the company’s second facility, after
Uthmaniyah Gas Plant, to be included in WEF’s
prestigious Global Lighthouse Network, a com-
munity of world-leading companies that have
succeeded in the adaptation of the Fourth Indus-
trial Revolution at scale. The goal of this com-
munity is to share and learn from best practices,
support new partnerships, and help other manu-
facturers deploy technology, adopt sustainable
solutions, and transform their workforces.
The Khurais oilfield has more than 40,000 sen-
sors covering more than 500 oil wells spread over
150km x 40km. This has enabled autonomous pro-
cess control, remote operation, and monitoring of
equipment and pipelines, resulting in maximising
oil well production, with at least 15% attributed to
smart well completion technology alone.
Khurais was one of 10 facilities added to the
Global Lighthouse network this year, taking the
total number to 54 worldwide. Uthmaniyah Gas
Plant was included in 2019, meaning Aramco is
one of only nine companies represented in the
WEF network by more than one facility, and the
only major energy company in the network.

6 October/November 2020 Valve World India & Middle East valve-world-india.com


Johan Sverdrup: a Norwegian megaproject
Karan Sotoodeh (Baker Hughes) will be present at the Valve World Conference 2020 in Düsseldorf to discuss a megaproject for one of the
Johan Sverdrup-platforms. Center stage are three 38” top entry actuated ball valves that are located on an oil export line. The project
entailed various design improvements that are relatively new in the offshore valve business.
By Lucien Joppen
First of all, Johan Sverdrup (see also box
text for Facts and figures) is one the most
significant offshore projects on the Norwe-
gian continental shelf. As for the valves that
are installed on the riser platform: these are
the largest, heaviest and most expensive
valves on the four platforms in the field.
“Each of them can have approximately
70 tonnes in weight, roughly 67 tonnes for
the valve and three for the actuator”, Karan
says. “The valves also have a one-and-a-
half-year delivery time which affects the
whole project delivery significantly. Bear in
mind that various parties were involved in
this project: Equinor as the end-user, Aker
Solutions Oslo and UK, the French valve
manufacturer Altifort FCT, as well as actua-
tor suppliers and casting, machining and
welding companies as subsuppliers. All
these companies are situated in Europe.
However, the topside was constructed in
South Korea. This meant that the valves had
to be shipped from Italy (casting, machin-
ing, welding) to France for assembly, coat-
ing, testing and packing, and then from
France to Korea for installation. After that,
the entire topside was transported to the
Johan Sverdrup-field” (see box text).
Focus on design
In his presentation at the Valve World
Conference 2020, Karan will focus on differ-
ent aspects of the valve design to reduce
the weight, space, wall thickness, reducing
operational issues, welding and material
selection.
“Equinor specifically requested for valves
that would be able to perform over 50
years, which exceeds the ‘normal’ life span
of 25-30 years”, Karan says. “Now, the cor-
rosiveness of the medium was not the issue
due to the characteristics of the oil that is
won on the Norwegian continental shelf.
However, this oil is waxy, which can lead
to complications when this wax accumu-
lates in the seat pockets of the valves. This
wax needs to be removed regularly, which
requires frequent opening and closing of
the valve that is situated directly behind
the pig launcher. This valve is scheduled to
open and close every week for a period of
50 years: approximately 2500 cycles in total.
Johan Sverdrup: facts and figures
Johan Sverdrup is the third-largest oil field in the
North Sea and lies 140 kilometres west
of Stavanger. With expected resources of
2,7 billion barrels of oil, the field is one of the
most important industrial projects in Norway for
the next 50 years.
Phase 1 of the field was opened in October 2019,
and phase 2 is scheduled to begin production in
the fourth quarter of 2022.
• Production start for phase 1: October 2019.
• Water depth: 110-120 meters
• Reservoir depth: about 1900 meters
• Expected production: 660,000 barrels a day
when production reaches plateau in phase 2.
• Total resources are estimated at 2,7 billion bar-
rels of oil equivalents, and the ambition is to extract more than 70 per cent of the reserves.
• When production is at plateau, it will make up 30 per cent of all Norwegian oil production
• Total production income over 50 years of NOK 1,430 billion
valve-world-india.com
OIL & GAS
20 20
Karan Sotoodeh is working at Baker Hughes
(in Norway, Oslo-area) as a Senior Lead Valve
and Actuator. Karan is well-known in the
global valve community, and he is a regular
contributor to Valve World magazine. He
also has served as a member of the Steer-
ing Committee for the 2016 and 2018 edition
of the Valve World Conference, and he has
spoken/presented at said conferences and
the Valve World Asia Confer-
ence 2015 and 2017.
Karan Sotoodeh will present
at the Valve World Conference
2020 at the Materials & Design technical
session, to be held on the second day of the
conference, December 2nd. This session will
take place from 13.20 to 15.00. Other pre-
I will talk about the design aspects during weld the valves to the pipeline. It was an senters at the technical session are Thomas
the conference that have been included to interesting and challenging job, considering Weisschuh (AS-Schneider), Fadila Khelfaoui
warrant this performance over time.” the different materials (carbon steel, duplex (Velan) and Leire Colomo (Ampo Poyam).
steel, Inconel 625) and the varying thickness
Double piston effect of the materials involved.”
Although the valve-actuator packages
weigh around 70 tons – a respectable weight
– the overall weight has been reduced by
roughly 10 tonnes via various engineering
design techniques which Karan will discuss
during his presentation at the conference.
“The other important design concept for
these valves is to have Double Block and
Bleed type 2 configuration as per API 6D
for providing better sealing and to protect
the operator in case of maintenance. The
double piston effect is only in effect for one
seat, not both seats. The end-user didn’t
want this for both seats as this would have
required the installation of a pressure relief
valve on the body.”
The other unique design improvement is
related to the actuator of the valve, which
is a double-acting hydraulic actuator with
applied passive fire protection in case of
fire. “In my presentation I will also go into
the material selection and the challenges to
hD/ŶĚŝĂŝƐƚŚĞ>ĞĂĚĞƌŝŶƚŚĞĨŝĞůĚŽĨůĞĐƚƌŝĐĐƚƵĂƚŽƌƐĂŶĚ
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ĚĂŵƉĞƌƐŝŶƚŚĞĐŽƵŶƚƌLJ͘ĞŝƚƉŽǁĞƌ͕ŶƵĐůĞĂƌ͕ǁĂƚĞƌ͕ƉĞƚƌŽůĞƵŵ͕
Gas pipeline
Oil pipeline
0 50km
Mongstad
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ĐĞŵĞŶƚŽƌƐƚĞĞů͕ĐŚĞŵŝĐĂůƐ͕ĨĞƌƚŝůŝnjĞƌ͕hD/ŶĚŝĂĂĐƚƵĂƚŽƌƐĂƌĞ
ĂƚǁŽƌŬďĞŚŝŶĚƚŚĞƐĐĞŶĞƐ͕ĐŽŶƚƌŽůůŝŶŐƐŽŵĞŽĨƚŚĞŵŽƐƚĐƌŝƚŝĐĂů
Norway
Kårstø
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Stavanger
The Johan Sverdrup field
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Valve World India & Middle East October/November 2020 7
POWER GENERATION

Kakrapar 3 critical; moment of pride for Bell-O-Seal

At 700 MWe, Kakrapar Atomic Power Plant 3 in Gujarat is understood to be India’s biggest indigenously developed pressurized heavy water
reactor (PHWR). When the facility attained first criticality in the month of July 2020 there was cause for celebration at Bell-O-Seal, for this
Udupi, Karnataka-based company supplied high-pressure bellow sealed isolation valves and three-valve manifolds to the project.
By David Sear

In a nuclear power plant, isolation valves
and three-valve manifolds are used to shut
off flow in high pressure heavy water instru-
ment lines. Previously, when such valves
were required for the Indian nuclear power
programme, they would have been imported
from European sources because of the need
for assured reliability and safety. However, in
recent years Indian Government and Nuclear
Power Corporation Of India Limited (NPCIL)
have been keen to develop such import sub-
stitutes through local vendors, the idea being
to retain the excellent quality matching with
international nuclear safety standards and
reliability whilst reducing the considerable
costs of the imported valves.
Enter M/s Bell O Seal Valves Private Lim-
ited which, having emerged as one of the
important vendors, was selected to work
on this program. Indeed, during a span of
about four to five years, the company has
developed a number of these valves and
other types of valves which have very suc-
cessfully been installed into the Indian
nuclear industry. Comments Mr. Ashok
Kumar (Director Technical): “it has always
been our endeavor to ensure that our
company will always be supporting our
The Kakrapar Atomic Power Plant has been fitted with isolation valves and three-valve manifolds
from Bell-O-Seal. Main image attribution: DAE (GODL-India), https://twitter.com/DAEIndia/
status/1285845442475913216
customers by supplying our quality and
custom-made products against their orders.
These valves were indigenously manufac-
tured for the first time in India by us for
such a huge capacity reactor. This is also in
line with the ‘Make in India’ campaign and
the notion to become ‘vocal for our local
products and make them global’ as
addressed by our Hon. Prime Minister.”
It is understood that these valves have been
designed and analyzed as per ASME -BPVC
Section III NB and undergone various stringent
tests starting from raw materials to finish
product. This process also involved developing
various sub-vendors to make quality products
matching to nuclear standards.
Further discussing the steps required
to successfully develop valves for nuclear
applications, Mr. Ashok Kumar comments:
“we developed new welding procedures and
qualified welders as per ASME sec IX, hydro
and pneumatic followed by helium leak test.
We also ran endurance tests at high pressure
and temperature, Cv tests, plus pre-seismic,
seismic and post-seismic tests. Our valves
successfully passed all the stringent tests and
their performance was on par if not better
than that of imported valves.”
The company is reportedly delighted to
have delivered the valves within a very short
span of time after getting the clearance for
the bulk manufacturing from concerned
authorities. “As we have supplied good
quality valves meeting with all stringent
requirements of the international codes and
standards, we are expecting good business in
this domain domestically and internationally.
You will also find our valves in the Rajasthan
Atomic Power Station (7 & 8), which incidentally
was the first facility in India to operate with
Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor technology,”
concludes Mr. Ashok Kumar.

Engineers India wins order from GAIL

Engineers India has won
Rs 448-crore order from GAIL
(India) for the execution of
the PDH/PP project at Usar,
Maharashtra.
Engineers India announced
the company will execute this
project as EPCM Consultancy
Services for 500 KTA PDH-PP
project. The project involves
setting up of PDH and PP
plant at Usar and pipeline Engineers India reported a 2019. Consolidated revenue
from Usar to Uran and storage 60.6% decline in consoli- from operations stood at Rs
facilities at Uran. The project dated net profit to Rs 49.50 474.50 crore in Q1 June 2020,
is to be completed within 48 crore in Q1 June 2020 from falling 36% from Rs 742.6
months. Rs 125.73 crore in Q1 June crore in Q1 June 2019.

R K Singh inaugurates PFC's 74 CSR

projects in Bihar
Union Power Minister R K Singh recently inaugu-
rated 74 projects in Bihar developed by Power
Finance Corporation (PFC) as part of its corpo-
rate social responsibility. "R K Singh, Minister of
State (Independent Charge) for Power, dedicated
various CSR projects and facilities developed by
Power Finance Corporation (PFC) to the people
of Arrah," PFC said in a statement.
The projects were inaugurated through video-confer-
Reliability (noun): encing by the minister in the presence of PFC Chair-
man and Managing Director R S Dhillon and PFC Direc-
tor (Commercial) P K Singh, local representatives, and
officers from the administration of Bihar and PFC.
Speaking on the occasion, Singh said, "I am
pleased to inaugurate PFC's 74 CSR projects that
will benefit various people of Bihiya, Piro, and
Jagdishpur blocks at Arrah District."
These projects include roads, chhath ghats, LED,
solar and high-mast lights, assembly platforms,
community centres, and bridges.
These projects have been built with a cost of
Rs 9 crore 67 lakhs.

the ability to consistently deliver

sustained performance, efficiency ADNOC: EPC awards in Abu Dhabi
and durability in industrial flow control ADNOC Onshore, a subsidiary
of the Abu Dhabi National Oil
applications through proven mission- Company (ADNOC), announced
critical technology and services. the award of two Engineering,
Procurement, and Construction
(EPC) contracts to upgrade
two Main Oil Lines (MOLs) and
crude receiving facilities at the
Reinventing reliability Jebel Dhanna Terminal in the
neles.com Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
The EPC contracts have a com-
bined value of around USD
245M (AED 899.9M) and were
Neles_Launch_ad_198X132_square_vertical.indd 1 03/09/2020 15:24:07
awarded to China Petroleum
Pipeline Engineering Company
Limited Abu Dhabi and Abu
Dhabi-based Target Engineer-
ing Construction Co. L.L.C.
The EPC contract awarded
to China Petroleum Pipeline
Engineering Company Lim-
ited – Abu Dhabi is valued at
approximately USD 135M (AED
496.8M) and the scope is to
replace the two MOLs which
transport ADNOC’s premium
grade Murban crude oil from
its oilfields at Bab (BAB), Bu
Hasa (BUH), North East Bab
(NEB), and South East (SE)
to Jebel Dhanna terminal,
increasing the capacity of the
pipelines by over 30%.
The contract is expected to be
completed in 30 months and
will see over 45% of the award
value flow back into the UAE’s
economy under ADNOC’s ICV
program.

8 October/November 2020 Valve World India & Middle East valve-world-india.com

 REGIONAL NEWS

ACWA Power signs financing agreements for Jubail-3A IWP

ACWA Power, a Saudi Arabian developer, inves-
tor, and operator of power generation and
desalinated water plants, has announced the
successful signing of senior financing agree-
ments for the USD 650M Jubail-3A IWP.
The project is the fourth seawater reverse
osmosis (SWRO) desalination project to be
awarded in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia over
the last 3 years, as part of the largest public-
private partnership (PPP) desalinated water
procurement program in the world.
The utility-scale project had been awarded to the
consortium led by ACWA Power, in association with
Gulf Investment Corporation (GIC) and Al Bawani
Water and Power Company (AWP), earlier this year
at a world-record tariff of c.41 US Cents per m3
for desalinated potable water. The water purchase
agreement was signed on the 21st of May 2020 by
the Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) in
its capacity as the off-taker of the project.
The transaction is financed through limited
recourse ring-fenced project financing with Al
Rajhi Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), Riyad
Bank, and Mizuho Bank being the initially man-
dated lead arrangers. Besides, Riyad Bank and
Bank AlJazira have already provided equity bridge
loans for the transaction earlier this month.

Kuwait aims to double the Middle East’s
LNG capacity
The Al-Zour terminal will mean Kuwait can
receive 22 million tons of LNG (about 31 billion
cubic metres) annually, which will almost double
the region’s capacity. The Middle East’s largest
import terminal for liquefied natural gas (LNG) is
scheduled to open in March 2021.
The Government is yet to decide whether it will
keep its floating storage and the re-gasification
unit, Golar Igloo, with a capacity of 5.8 million
tons per year, after the new terminal opens.
Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Co,
which is a unit of state energy firm Kuwait
Petroleum Corp, is responsible for selecting a
company to operate and maintain Al-Zour for
five years. It said it may decide in the coming
weeks.
South Korea’s Hyundai Engineering & Construction
Co and Korea Gas Corp won a USD 2.9bn contract
to build the terminal.
STATS upbeat on Middle East contract wins
UK-based pipeline technology specialist STATS is
expecting steady revenue growth for 2020 despite
the Covid-19 impact mainly due to its string of
contract wins in the core Middle East markets of
UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
The UK group’s milestone achievements in 2019
included completing a key project in Saudi
Arabia utilising the company’s patented BISEP
technology, establishing an operational facil-
ity in Muscat to support work with Petroleum
Development Oman, and successfully deliver-
ing a technically challenging large-diameter
isolation project in Qatar.
Despite the impact of low oil and COVID, STATS
said it was confident its 2020 performance and
activity levels would be broadly consistent with
those of 2019.
STATS said had generated revenues of GBP
39.1M (USD 51.5M) and Ebitda earnings of
GBP 5.6M (USD 7.3M) according to its annual
accounts as of December 31, 2019.
Based in Kintore, near Aberdeen, UK, STATS’
principal activity is the provision of pressurised
pipeline isolation, hot tapping and plugging
services to the global oil, gas, and petrochemi-
cal industries.
It had also completed subsea hot tapping work
scopes in the UAE and Egypt, and towards the
end of 2019, its Abu Dhabi branch moved to
new larger facilities.

Oman: PC complex Bidboland gas refining Drones ‘key to safety in nuclear

Lummus Technology announced that
it has been awarded a contract for
technology licensing, process design
package, training and advisory ser-
vices, and proprietary catalyst and
equipment supply by Duqm Refinery
and Petrochemical Industries Company
LLC (DRPIC), a joint venture between
OQ S.A.O.C (OQ) and Kuwait Petroleum
Europe B.V.
The contract is for the planned new
petrochemical complex in Oman with
multiple units, including the largest
natural gas to liquids unit licensed by
Lummus to Oman Oil Facilities Develop-
ment Company LLC a wholly-owned
subsidiary of OQ with a capacity of
48 MMSCMD. Other units include one
of the world’s largest ethylene units,
a butadiene extraction unit, and a
CDMtbe® unit.
Project named for
2020 World Award
The Persian Gulf Bidboland gas
refining project was announced
as one of the four finalists for
the mega project of the energy
sector of the 2020 World Award
for Large Projects and Mega
Projects.
According to the Persian
Gulf Petrochemical Industries
Company (PGPIC), the Persian
Gulf Bidboland gas refining pro-
ject, which was recently named
the country’s top project by the
Ninth National Project Manage-
ment Award of Iran, is among
the four finalists in the energy
mega project of the World Award
for Large and Mega Projects for
2020.
According to the selection of the
screeners of this international
competition, the megaprojects
were divided into two categories
of infrastructure and energy.
The winners of the IPMA World
Awards will be announced in
an official ceremony by end of
October.
The Bidboland Persian Gulf
megaproject, the largest gas
project in West Asia with an
investment of USD 3.4bn, is cur-
rently in operation and will be
officially inaugurated very soon.
power plant inspections’
Falcon Eye Drones (FEDS),
a provider of DT^3 (drone,
data, and digital trans-
formation) technology,
said that radiation-proof
drones will increase safety
and speed up inspection
at the Barakah Nuclear
Energy Plant in Abu Dhabi.
Rabih Bou Rashid, CEO
of FEDS, said that drones
can help ensure the gold
standards of safety and
reliability of the country’s
USD 32bn power plant,
which is expected to off-
set approximately 21 mil-
lion tonnes of greenhouse
gas emissions a year, or
equivalent to removing
3.2 million cars from the
country’s roads annually.
“The Barakah Nuclear
Energy Plant is a significant
step towards the UAE’s
vision to deliver a new
source of clean energy.
It is a pioneering project
that targets to deliver up
to a quarter of the nation’s
electricity needs, becoming
a true milestone for this
forward-thinking nation,”
said Bou Rashid.
Providing a clear insight
into how drone applica-
tions are now being utilised
in the nuclear industry
today, the CEO said that
drones play a vital role in
site condition monitoring
on nuclear sites across the
globe because of its wide
scope of advantages over
these ground-based tech-
nologies.
With the drones’ abil-
ity to inspect confined
spaces and areas beyond
the human’s line of sight,
FEDS said these unmanned
utility vehicles (UAVs) can
perform flawless assess-
ments and capture crucial
data in nuclear power
plants without putting the
workforce in harm’s way.

CHEVRON COMPRESSION PRESSURE

PACKING SET PACKING SEAL GASKET

LOW-EMISSION LAMINAR VALVE

PACKING SEAL SEAT

comments@jdjones.com

valve-world-india.com Valve World India & Middle East October/November 2020 9

 INDIA NEWS
Hydropower modernisation requires
multi-billion investment
A study conducted by Interna- Figure 1: Age of Global Hydropower Fleet
tional Hydropower Association 350
(IHA) for the Asian Infrastruc- 300
ture Investment Bank (AIIB)
250
has found that 66 hydropower
200
stations across 19 countries

are due for modernisation the
estimated investment value of
which is USD 13.7bn.
The study was done to assess
the scale of modernisation
needs across the region. IHA
has estimated that more than
a third of Asia’s capacity will
require or would have under-
gone modernisation by 2030.
The research, conducted over
eight months by IHA and AIIB,
found countries with the most
hydropower capacity in need of
modernisation and investiga-
tion include India and Turkey.
The modernization options
include retrofitting aging turbines
with the state of the art technol-
GW
150
100
50
0
< 10 10 - 2020 - 30 30 - 40 40 - 50 > 50
Years
Emerging Economies Developed Economies
ogy, digitalizing operation with encourage investment to avoid
installing new smart controls, having decommissioned aging
intelligent condition monitoring, power stations and losing reli-
and remote-operated systems. able, renewable power genera-
The research explains that the tion capacity.
decision to upgrade a plant will The study was completed in
often be influenced by a range March 2020 and also involved
of factors, including electricity a high-level cost benchmarking
prices and market design. It exercise to help inform under-
further noted the governments standing of investment cost
need to develop policies to ranges for modernisation.

NRL to set up its crude India tops up

01– 03 December oil import terminal at strategic reserves

2020
Düsseldorf, Germany
Paradip Port with cheaper crude
Activities for the development of the Crude
Oil Import facility of Assam-based Numali-
garh Refinery Limited (NRL) have started in
Paradip Port, Odisha. Landfilling activity will
Taking advantage of low prices in major oil-
producing centres in Saudi Arabia and UAE, India
has filled up its strategic crude oil reserves to
meet its energy needs in times of emergency
soon be started by Dredging Corporation of and saved a neat USD 685.11M in the process.
India (DCI) by way of dredging and reclaim. It bought crude oil at an average price of
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR AN A tripartite Memorandum of Understanding $19 per barrel to fill its reserves in April and
was entered into by NRL with Paradip Port
EVENT THAT REVOLVES ENTIRELY
May when prices reached an all-time low
Trust (PPT) and Dredging Corporation of India while the US oil touched negative price levels
(DCI) for reclamation of the 200 acres of land
AROUND INDUSTRIAL FITTINGS
in the futures market.
allotted to NRL for setting up its Crude Oil The state-funded reserves are meant to tide
import terminal (COIT) at Paradip Port.
AND VALVES, EVEN IN THESE
over short-term supply disruptions and will
An MoU was signed to this effect at Paradip. take care of India’s oil needs for 9.5 days.

TESTING TIMES?
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valveworldexpo.com
According to NRL, the terminal is being set
up as part of NRL’s integrated Refinery Expan-
sion project that is being implemented at an
estimated cost of more than Rs. 22,000 crore.
The mega project envisages amongst oth-
ers, the import of Crude Oil at Paradip port
and the laying of cross country pipeline from
Paradip to Numaligarh to transport the same.
Project activities have gathered pace after
receipt of Environmental Clearance during
July 2020.
NRL stated that DCI shall start the dredg-
ing activity from mid-November 2020 and is
expected to complete the reclamation work
within 7 months.
The country was already holding half of
its total 5.33 million tonnes of oil reserves
capacity when the government decided to
take advantage of the low crude prices.
India’s three petroleum reserve caverns at
Visakhapatnam (1.33MT), Mangaluru (1.5MT),
and Padur (2.5MT), managed by India Strategic
Petroleum Reserves Ltd (ISPRL), are now full.
Another 6.5MT facility is coming up at Padur in
Karnataka, and Chandikhole in Jajpur.
Work on two more facilities at Bikaner in
Rajasthan and Rajkot in Gujarat will be
initiated soon. When complete, these facili-
ties will hold enough oil to meet domestic
requirements for over a month.

ABB India awarded Green Factory

Entrance tickets available from
Building Certification
the summer through online ticket sales ABB India’s Nashik smart fac-
tory, in line with Industry 4.0
valveworldexpo.com/2130 standards, provides stimulus
to the Make in India initiative
by supplying power distribu-
tion products globally to over
120 countries and across sec-
Sponsored by: tors in India.
ABB India’s commitment
towards sustainability and
eco-efficiency has been recog-
nized with a gold certification
by the Indian Green Building
Council (IGBC) for its environ-
Messe Düsseldorf GmbH mentally friendly Nashik smart
P.O. Box 10 10 06 _ 40001 Düsseldorf _ Germany
factory in India. With this
Tel. + 49 211 4560 01 _ Fax + 49 211 4560 668
recognition, ABB India’s site
www.messe-duesseldorf.de becomes the first factory to be
certified as a Green Building
within the Nashik Industrial
Area, which houses approxi-
mately 10,000 factories across
various industries.
The factory has scored high on
multiple parameters including
rainwater harvesting which
helped save 565 m3 of rainwa-
ter per day, and reduction of natural light and efficient ventila-
indoor water usage by 47.8%. tion system, heat island effect on
The facility has achieved overall the roof, wastewater treatment
energy savings of 95.03% and through the sewage treatment
mitigated CO2 emission by up plant, employee collaboration
to 345 tons per year. Apart from areas, and gym and recreational
this, the natural topography & facilities were some of the
landscape, sensitivity for important factors that added to
differently-abled, usage of the factory’s overall rating.

10 October/November 2020 Valve World India & Middle East valve-world-india.com

vwe2002_BesucherAllg_136x396_INT.indd 1 02.09.20 10:48

Karnataka: easy for industry
Located in the south of India, Karnataka is surroun-
ded by the Arabian Sea on the west, Goa on the
northwest, Maharashtra on the north, Andhra Pra-
desh on the east, Tamil Nadu on the southeast, and
Kerala on the southwest.
At current prices, the Gross State Domestic Product
(GSDP) of Karnataka is estimated to reach Rs 18.06
trillion (US$ 258.37 billion) in 2020-21. The state’s per
capita GSDP was Rs 253,444 (US$ 3,595) in 2019-20.
The per capita GSDP increased at a CAGR of 11.70 per
cent between 2011-12 and 2019-20.
Karnataka has vibrant automobile, agro, aerospace,
textile and garment, biotech, and heavy enginee-
ring industries. The state has sector specific Special
Economic Zone (SEZs) for key industries such as IT,
biotechnology, and engineering, food processing and
aerospace.
Information Technology
Karnataka is the IT hub of India and home
to the fourth largest technology cluster in the
world. It has 23 operational IT/ ITeS SEZs, five
software technology parks and dedicated IT
investment regions. The state is India’s largest
software exporter with software and service
export totalling US$ 77.80 billion in 2018-19. The
ITEandC (Information Technology, Electronics
and Communication) department of the state
has established a new IoT policy within the
state with a view to attain a substantial market
share in India’s IoT market by 2020.
Power Generation
As of March 2020, the state had an installed
power generation capacity of 29,824.81 megawatt
(MW). Out of this, central utilities, private utili-
ties, and state utilities contributed 4,012.45 MW,
17,011.88 MW, and 8,800.49 MW, respectively. The
state has also invested heavily in solar power
centred on the Pavagada Solar Park.
The state aims at increasing the electricity
generation capacity of the state through renew-
able and non- renewable sources. The state
has set an aggressive target of increasing
generation capacity from state owned projects
by 3030 MW, increasing generation capacity
from solar projects by 3000 MW and increas-
ing generation capacity from renewable energy
sources other than solar projects by 2415 MW
within a span of three years from 2017-2020.
The state has also realized that as important
as increasing the generation capacity of electric-
ity is, the state also needs to strengthen its
distribution infrastructure. The state aims at
valve-world-india.com
REGIONAL FOCUS: KARNATAKA
Gulbarga
• •
Hubli-Dharwad
•
Mysuru
•
adding 70650 Ckt-kms of High Tension (HT) lines
and 36483 Ckt-kms of Low Tension (LT) lines by
2020.
Aerospace
Karnataka was the first state which came out
with an aerospace policy in the country. Karna-
taka Aerospace Policy has identified an invest-
ment potential of US$ 12.5 billion in this sector
during 2013–23 and plans to develop aerospace
clusters in different regions of the state. Karna-
taka government granted approval for invest-
ment of Rs 480 crore (US$ 68.67 million) to
Goodrich Aerospace Service Pvt Ltd to establish a
unit in Bengaluru.
Oil & gas
An oil refinery, Mangalore Refinery and
Petrochemicals Limited, is located in Mangalore.
Facilities include crude and vacuum distillation
units, hydrocracker units, soaker visbreak-
ers, platforming units, merox units, hydrogen
plants, a bitumen unit, a delayed coker unit,
PFCCU and CHTU units, a PP unit, a DHDTU
unit and a sulphur recovery unit. Further, one
of a number of ongoing projects includes
the setting up of a sea water desalination
plant near NMPT, Mangalore for the supply
of industrial quality water to the refinery to
meet process requirement. This reduces the
dependence on river water for the refinery
during the period when river water availability
is low. The operating capacity of the plant is
30 MLD.
Karnataka at a glance
• Capital: Bengaluru
• Area: 192,000 km2
State Languages: Kannada, Tulu,
Kodava, Hindi and English
• Population: 61 million (2011)
• Major cities: Bengaluru, Hubli-Dhar-
wad, Mysuru, Kalaburagi
Bengaluru
•
Tourism
Karnataka boasts of a diverse flora and fauna
and a 320 km natural coastline, which makes it a
nature tourist's paradise.
Business incentives
Karnataka offers a wide range of fiscal and policy
incentives for businesses. Through the ESDM Policy
2013, the Government of Karnataka planned to
facilitate, promote and develop the ESDM sector in
Karnataka and make the state a preferred destina-
tion for investment in this sector. In September
2017, the government of Karnataka passed the
‘Karnataka Electric Vehicle and Energy Storage
Policy 2017’. Electric Vehicles manufacturing in
Karnataka is expected to attract investment worth
US$ 4.82 billion and create 55,000 jobs.
The ‘ebiz Karnataka’ platform lists the following
reasons to invest in the state: State's GDP growth
at 7%, attracts 4th highest FDI in india, largest bio-
diversity in the country, most globalized state with
highest degree of openness to export trade, 4th
largest global tech cluster – MIT, 4th largest skilled
workforce, 90,000 acres of land bank available, pio-
neer in introducing policies, best labour relations
in the country, Bengaluru ranked Best place to live
and work for expats in India.
Sources:
Wikipedia
IBEF – India Brand Equity Foundation
Karnataka Government
Ebiz Karnataka
Valve World India & Middle East October/November 2020 11
PLANTS & PROJECTS NEWS
Floorplan now open for FCE 2021 – India’s only valve event!
Following on from the successes of the
2017 and 2019 Flow Control Exchange India
events, the organizers are delighted to
confirm that the next show will be held in
Mumbai, from 25-26 November 2021.
“Plans are already well underway for FCE
2021 which will be returning to the Bombay
Convention & Exhibition Centre Goregaon
(East),” says an upbeat Ms. Kay T. Creedon.
“The event will again be based around a
unique combination of a technical conference
and an exhibition, with practical workshops,
technical seminars, master classes, valve
courses, end user forums, etc. Exhibitors and
attendees alike tell me how well this free-
flowing format works in generating valuable
contacts and promoting knowledge transfer.”
Italy’s Snam eyes
investments in
Indian gas pipelines
Italy’s Snam, the operator of Europe’s larg-
est natural gas transmission network, is
eyeing investment opportunities in the
Indian gas pipeline business and has roped
in GAIL’s former chairman B C Tripathi as its
adviser.
Snam top executives have held discussions
with the oil minister, officials, regulator and
industry executives in India to understand
the investment opportunities and regula-
tory landscape, people familiar with the
matter said. The discussions have ranged
over several topics including hydrogen fuel,
gas storage, and small-scale liquefaction
technologies but the big thrust has been on
pursuing investment opportunities in the
gas pipeline business, they said.
Snam didn’t comment on whether it was
considering investing in Indian gas pipe-
lines. “We look forward to opening soon
our office in India to enhance the dialogue
and cooperation with Indian partners that
we have developed over the past couple of
years,” Snam said in an emailed response
that: “For the time being we decline to
comment further on specific projects until
there are concrete developments.”
Last month, Snam, in consortium with five
international investment funds, acquired
a 49% stake in ADNOC Gas Pipelines in the
UAE for USD 10.1bn.
12 October/November 2020 Valve World India & Middle East
FCE enjoys patronage from a wide audi-
ence, including manufacturers, dis-
tributors, EPCs, end users and service
companies. “We sincerely appreciate the
support and encouragement we have
received from throughout the flow con-
trol sector in India,” notes Ms. Creedon.
“We look forward to working together
again to create another really top-quality
show.”
With the floorplan now open (please see
india.flowcontrolexchange.com) Ms. Kay
T. Creedon is on hand to discuss stand
bookings with regular exhibitors and
newcomers alike. She can be reached
on: +91 771 8018 424 / +31 575 585 268 /
k.creedon@kci-world.com).
Oman enters urea deal with Ameropa
Ameropa, a Swiss-based international
agri-business trader, and OQ Trading Lim-
ited (OQT), the trading arm of Oman’s
global integrated energy company OQ,
have entered 3-year granular urea off-take
agreement.
The urea is from the Oman-India Fertilizer
Company’s (Omifco) fertilizer project at
Sur Industrial Estate.
Ameropa’s first vessel, MV Sagar Kanta
completed loading recently with 49,500
metric tonnes of granular urea and it’s
already on its way to Brazil. This ground-
breaking deal with OQT, which is being
supported by Omifco further solidifies
Ameropa’s role as the leading urea trad-
ing company in the world and helps it
GE to scale up power stability through 2 new agreements
With the growing electricity demand, espe-
cially to meet the requirements during peak
summer, the Government of Iraq is accelerat-
ing its focus on strengthening the nation’s
power infrastructure through two new agree-
ments signed with GE.
A long-term partner committed to meeting the
future electricity needs of the nation, GE signed
the agreements, valued at over USD 1.2bn, with
the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity to execute the
L&T Construction to execute a hydro-electric project in Assam
The Heavy Civil Infrastructure state of Assam for Assam Power
Business of L&T Construction Generation Corporation Limited.
has started mobilising resources The project involves Engineer-
and is all set to execute a ing, Procurement, Construction,
hydro-electric project in the and Commissioning of Project
gain additional market share in strategic
regions, the statement said.
The Omifco plant was built in 2005, estab-
lished as the result of an initiative by
Oman and India, to construct, own and
operate a modern world scale two-train
ammonia-urea fertiliser manufactur-
ing plant at the Sur Industrial Estate in
Oman. Omifco is owned 50% by Oman Oil
Company (OQ), 25% by Indian Farmers
Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO), and
25% by Krishak Bharati Cooperative Lim-
ited (KRIBHCO). The plant can produce 2 x
1,750 metric tonnes/day of ammonia and
2 x 2,530 metric tonnes/day of granular
urea from 2 urea plants. Annual granular
urea exports are about 2 million mts.
power sector projects that will secure reliable
power supply across the country.
Infrastructure, Civil, and Hydro-
mechanical Works.
The scope involves the construc-
tion of all components of 120MW
Lower Kopili Hydro-electric
India, Nepal to expand energy cooperation
The atmosphere of mistrust between
India and Nepal over border issues has
not impacted energy sector coopera-
tion between the two countries as both
have decided to explore the possibility of
another petroleum pipeline to feed the
growing fuel demand in the Himalayan
nation.
The existing Motihari-Amlekhgunj petro-
leum products pipeline has become the
lifeline for Nepal for meeting its energy
needs. The two sides are now exploring
whether state-owned Indian Oil Corpora-
tion could look at another product pipeline
running into the northern and eastern
parts of the country.
The discussion on extending the network
of the petroleum pipeline and setting up
new pipelines was discussed during the
meeting of a joint working group early this
month. The meeting organised through
Tender floated for
Koramangala &
Challaghatta Valley
project
The Minor Irrigation & Ground Water Devel-
opment, Karnataka, has invited bids for
works under Koramangala and Challaghatta
Valley Project.
The scope of work includes survey, inves-
tigation, design, supply, installation, test-
ing, etc for second stage lifting/pumping
secondary treated water from available
sources to various ridge points to fill addi-
tional 174 tanks in Kolar district & Chinta-
manitaluka of Chikkaballapura district in
Karnataka under ongoing Koramangala and
Challaghatta Valley (K & C Valley) Project.
The work also includes commissioning,
comprising headworks, construction of
intake channels, jack well cum pump
houses. Power supply including terminal
bays, laying of transmission lines, rising
mains, delivery chambers, gravity mains,
and the nala trimming works, construction
of submersible piped causeway, road cross-
ing by trenchless method, tank improve-
ments works, SCADA, land acquisition, etc
and other components including operation
and maintenance for five years after suc-
cessful commissioning of work on turnkey
basis.
The estimated value of the work is
Rs 352.03 crore with a completion period
of 24 months.
Accordingly, GE Gas Power will undertake con-
tracts valued at USD 500M for the upgrade and
maintenance of key power plants in the coun-
try, which are mission-critical to sustain the
power supply of over 6,000 MW and scale up
operational efficiency. Further, GE’s Grid Solu-
tions, having secured a contract valued at USD
727M in a landmark agreement, will reinforce
Iraq’s transmission network and interconnec-
tion with the electricity grid of Jordan.
Project viz Roads, 65 mtr High
Concrete Gravity Dam, Power
Intakes, Surface Powerhouse,
and a 3.6 km long Head Race
Tunnel.
video conferencing was attended by top
government officials from the Indian side
including representatives from IndianOil,
GAIL, and HPCL.
The Nepalese side was represented by the
Ministries of Finance and Foreign Affairs of
Nepal and Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC).
valve-world-india.com

Compliant valve stem seals reduce emissions
Refineries and chemical processing plants, valve manufacturers, seal manufacturers, valve repair companies and outage service com-
panies have a vested interest in ensuring that valves operate within emissions-compliance levels. Careful consideration from each of
these parties is required to deliver successful, emissions-compliant valve performance.
By Hans Dekker, Chesterton International and ESA-member. Original article created by Chris Boss, Garlock Sealing Technologies.
Valve seal performance is an important issue
with today’s restrictions on emissions of volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) from valves. Refineries
and chemical processing plants, valve manufactur-
ers, seal manufacturers, valve repair companies
and outage service companies have a vested inter-
est in ensuring that valves operate within emis-
sions-compliance levels. Careful consideration from
each of these parties is required to deliver success-
ful, emissions-compliant valve performance.
The goal for seal manufacturers is to develop seal-
ing products that ensure emissions compliance over
a multiple year time span. The same seals must also
deliver proven fire safety, temperature and pressure
capability, corrosion resistance, chemical compatibil-
ity, chemical purity, and endurance through a high
number of actuation cycles. Sometimes additional
requirements are placed with regards to vacuum
performance, oxygen service and others.
Some seal tests with regards to fugitive emis-
sions exist. Germany has their VDI2440 require-
ments that include a test for valve seals. In the
new revision of VDI2440 this will be changed
however, and the ISO 15848-1 tests will be incor-
porated in the standard as a requirement for
fugitive emissions performance on valves.
Graphite foil-based seal materials
In 2011, the 2nd Edition of American Petroleum
Institute (API) 622 Specification “Type Testing of
Process Valve Packing for Fugitive Emissions” was
published. This specification prescribes nine tests
focusing on the material requirements and mini-
mum performance levels for valve stem packing
used in VOC valve service. Of these nine tests,
perhaps the most notable is the emissions test.
One unique aspect of this emissions test is that
to eliminate the influence of a particular valve
on the test results, the API 622 emissions test is
performed using a standardized test fixture.
Typically, graphite foil-based seal materials
are used to meet emissions compliance sealing
requirements and high-temperature fire safety
requirements. However, not all graphite foil mate-
rials perform at an acceptable level. According
to API-requirements, in VOC valve service, one
should specify sealing materials for which suc-
cessful API 622 test reports from a third-party
testing laboratory can be provided. Ensuring the
performance and longevity in standardized tests
is critical when evaluating and specifying a seal-
ing material. However, these tests are not the only
factor that will determine the performance at the
same level in a valve in plant service.
Valve testing & design
For valve manufacturers, API 624, International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) 15848 and
other specifications have established performance
requirements for the entire valve/packing combi-
nation in VOC service. Successful performance in
an API 607 fire safety test is another requirement
that is common for valves and sealing materials
used in VOC services. A valve should be chosen
based on documented successful performance in
similar qualification testing. While some manu-
facturers have their own design requirements
for specialized valves, some industry standards
provide recommendations or guidelines for valve
design. The European Sealing Association gives
some guidelines for the selection and design of
valve stem packings in their “Compression Pack-
ing – Technical Manual 4th Edition” (available from
www.europeansealing.com).
valve-world-india.com
EMISSION CONTROL
“bottomed out” at the top of the stuffing box. This prior to putting the valve in service. The pack-
valve was planned to be kept in service by sealant ing may be provided as an engineered set. This
injection as packing replacement was not an option. could require using a bushing to take up excess
This is an extreme example, but any of these space inside the stuffing box. Too many rings of
conditions make part replacement necessary. A packing can be counterproductive in emission
valve may have to be replaced because it was not service. They can prevent the proper compres-
designed for emission service. The packing loading is sion and consolidation of the packing set and
typically high, and valve parts could be overstressed will unnecessarily increase friction for actuation.
and deformed. A high-quality emission valve will Following the torque specifications for the
withstand the required load and should be used gland fasteners is essential. Torque wrenches
where emission restrictions have been tightened. must be used to ensure that the proper loading
An example of a valve that should be replaced.
is applied to the packing. This includes using
Seal installation a high-quality lubricant. All fastener hardware
The United States Manufacturers Standardi- should be lubricated with an oil/graphite mix-
zation Society (MSS) of the Valve and Fittings The most important - and unfortunately often ture, an anti-seize compound or another appro-
Industry has written MSS SP 120, which is a overlooked - consideration is to simply follow priate thread lubricant. Do not apply the lubri-
recommended standard practice for the design the manufacturer’s specifications for installation. cant to the packing or the valve stem. Consult
of rising stem steel valves. It gives recommen- Low-emissions packing may require special steps the packing manufacturer for guidelines regard-
dations specifically addressing the design and in terms of consolidation of the packing inside the ing the lubrication of packing materials.
condition of the packing gland and stem in the stuffing box. Placing all the packing rings in the To conclude, effective sealing cannot be achieved
seal area, including dimensions and tolerances; stuffing box and then tightening the assembly in solely with the selection of a high-performance
stem straightness and cylindricity; clearances at one step with the gland may not guarantee low sealing product. The fitted equipment also needs
the top and bottom of the packing gland; stem emissions levels. to be in a condition that allows the seal to contain
and bore finishes; and other considerations. The There also might be requirements to actuate emissions to a strict level. The focus must be not
API also publishes several specifications that call the valve and to re-check the gland nut torque just on the seal, but on the entire sealing system.
out design requirements for various valve types.
These often include recommendations for packing
dimensions, surface finishes and other require-
ments related to the packing gland of a valve.
These tests and design requirements provide a
base for qualifying products used in VOC service.
But other factors influence whether a valve will
provide emissions compliant performance in the
plant long after the initial product design capabili-
ties have been proven by testing. The condition
of the valve over time, the proper installation of
the seal, and the proper maintenance of the valve
and the seal will determine whether emissions
compliance can be maintained for the long term.
Used valve condition
When servicing a used valve, it must return
to the same functionality as a new valve. This
includes the stem and bore surface condition,
straightness of the stem, the condition of the
gland follower, and the gland bolts/nuts condi-
tion. The valve should be able to be activated
without binding. For the repacking step, the
following guide should be followed:
• The gland yoke should not be bent.
• Hard, flat washers should be used on the
top of the gland yoke to prevent galling of
the yoke and the nuts.
• The gland follower should be cleaned with
a wire brush to ensure that there is no
corrosion, paint or other debris that could
contact the stuffing box bore and cause
resistance to movement or transmission of
compressive load.
• Bolts or studs should be replaced if they are
corroded, stretched, nicked, cross threaded,
excessively worn or otherwise damaged in a
manner that would affect the transmission of
compressive load. Bolts or studs should be
cleaned with a wire brush to remove debris.
• The nuts should have threads in good
condition, clean and free of corrosion.
• The nuts should turn freely over the bolts
or studs over their entire length of travel.
• Flat washers should be clean and free of
any galling on their contact surfaces.
The image shows an example of a valve that
should be replaced. The gland yoke is bent and
there are no flat washers. Also, the swing bolts and
nuts are corroded, and the gland follower is likely
Valve World India & Middle East October/November 2020 13
WATER & WASTEWATER

Gate valves for potable water distribution

The most common type of in-line valve
used in a water distribution system is the
gate valve, which may also be referred to
as a water service valve. The foremost gate
valve type is one with a non-rising stem,
a valve in which the stem does not rise as
the valve is operated. This valve is reason-
ably dependable, has an almost unblocked
waterway when open, is very economical in
smaller sizes, and can be installed under-
ground with a minimum cost.
A gate valve is not used for throttling flow
or for frequent operation. Either will cause
excessive wear on the seating edges of the
discs and guides. Irregular operation may
cause the valve to freeze in one position or
become difficult to operate. Where the water
carries small amounts of sand or silt, the
valve seats may fill with deposited material
unless operated at regular intervals to keep
the valve seat clear. These are mostly resilient
seated gate valves. They are low in head loss
and offer minimum internal restriction due to
full diameter passage when fully open.
For 12-inch and smaller lines, gate valves
are the most common type of valve used
in underground applications in water infra-
structure. Gate valves come in many different
sizes depending on the water lines they are
being installed in. Gate valves are available
with bell, spigot, flanged, mechanical joint or
slip-on ends. The most often-used types are
those with flanged and spigot ends. The gate
valve’s desirable position is either fully open
When installed in buried applications, spigot-end gate valves are operated using an extension
spindle and t-key arrangement.
or closed. It is used to isolate the water flow
in the water supply line. The valve wrench
or key is used through the valve box shaft to
turn the valve on and off.
Easy to operate
Spigot-end gate valves are commonly used
for buried installations. The valve shall be
supplied with a watertight gland to have 100
per cent water tightness between the neck of
the valve body and the PVC pipe. Ideally this
type of installation is used for depths of up
to 1.5 metres. If greater depths are required,
then a standard valve chamber which con-
sists of concrete block shall be constructed.
The valve must be wrapped properly using
moulding putty and self-adhesive bituminous
wrap as per manufacturer / authority recom-
mendations.
Spigot-end gate valves are operated using
an extension spindle and t-key arrangement.
The very important advantage is easy instal-
lation in a new line or if replacement of an
existing, old valve is needed. These spigot-
end valves are very easy to operate with less
About the Author
Naveen Goveas works
as key account
manager for Potable
Water Division at
Dutco Tennant LLC
in Dubai. He holds
a Mechanical Engi-
neering (Bachelors)
from MIT Manipal
and has ample experience with valves.
Mr. Goveas has worked in sectors like
HVAC, portable water, and firefighting.
He has also worked at various levels
as a product engineer and as an area
sales manager since his graduation in
2003, including working at the valve
manufacturing companies ECONOSTO
MIDEAST B.V and RAPIDROP LLC. He can
be reached at goveas24@gmail.com.
torque. Flanged gate valves are mostly used
as wash-out valves on pipelines up to 450mm
diameter. However, they can be also used as
line valves when they are installed inside a
concreate chamber. Valves shall be supplied
with stem cap for valves installed under-
ground and with a hand wheel for valves
installed above ground.

IOC clears plan for integration project

Oil marketing firm Indian Oil Corporation (IOC)
said that its board of directors has approved
the plan for implementation of a petrochemical
and lube integration project at the Gujarat refin-
ery with an estimated cost of Rs 17,825 crore.
The project will not only increase the capacity
of the Gujarat refinery from 13.7 million tonnes
per annum to 18million tonnes per annum but
also result in integration to petrochemicals with
the production of 500-kilo tonnes per annum
polypropylene.
Besides, production of lube oil base
stock of 235-kilo tonnes per annum is
also proposed, said the state-owned
company.
“The project will be a building block for the pro-
duction of niche chemicals in the future with a
potential to increase petrochemical and special-
ity products integration index on incremental
crude oil throughput which will enhance the
corporate margins of Indian Oil,” it said in a
statement.

MRPL plans bioethanol production unit

Mangalore Refinery and Pet-
rochemicals Limited (MRPL) is
planning to install a second-
generation (2G) ethanol facil-
ity in the State of Karnataka,
India.
MRPL has awarded LanzaTech
(Skokie, Ill.) the contract to
commence the basic engineer-
ing for an integrated process-
ing facility to convert locally
available agricultural residues
to approximately 16,000 metric
tons (5.3M gallons) per year
(m.t./yr) of fuel-grade ethanol.
To convert the solid biomass
wastes to gases, LanzaTech
will deploy commercially
proven gasification technology
from Ankur Scientific, a waste
to energy company that spe-
cializes in distributed produc-
tion, based in Vadodara, India.
The resulting carbon-rich gas
will then be converted to etha-
nol using LanzaTech’s commer-
cially proven gas fermentation
platform. The integrated tech-
nology will have the flexibility
to process a wide range of
biomass feedstocks enabling
rapid replication at other loca-
tions.
A by-product of the project will
be nutrient-rich biochar. This
will be used as a sustainable
and low carbon source of ferti-
lizer for the local community.
The Indian government is
encouraging the production of
cellulosic ethanol from agri-
cultural wastes and residues
that would otherwise be burnt
on the fields and create harm-
ful pollution. Not only does
conversion to ethanol create a
new source of income for local
farmers, but it is also in line
with the government’s biofu-
els roadmap to increase the
production of 2G, non-food or
feed-based ethanol across the
country to meet its 20% etha-
nol blending mandate by 2030.

Mitsui, Nisso invest in BIL

Mitsui & Co., Ltd. and Nippon Soda Co., Ltd.
have acquired majority shares in Bharat Insecti-
cide Limited (BIL, Head Office: Delhi), an Indian
agrochemical company, through the special
purpose company co-founded by Nisso and
Mitsui.
India is the fifth largest market in the
world for agrochemical products. Population
growth, especially in developing countries,
has proven to be a key driver of growth
in the agricultural inputs market (which
includes agrochemicals, fertilizers, seeds,
etc.,), and it is forecast that the Indian
market will continue benefitting from this
trend in the future. BIL started its operations
in 1977 and has steadily developed its pres-
ence in the Indian market along with Bharat
Rasayan Limited (BRL, Head Office: Delhi),
which is a Bharat group company and the
producer of active ingredients for agrochemi-
cals, through the development of new prod-
ucts based on the prompt gathering of infor-
mation about market needs, the supply of
competitive and high-quality agrochemicals,
and by providing careful technologies and
services to farmers.

14 October/November 2020 Valve World India & Middle East valve-world-india.com


An advocate for diversity and inclusion
The role of Regional President for a global manufacturing organization surely carries an incredible burden of responsibility. Be that as it
may, Mr. Tarak Chhaya was totally at ease when recently discussing his work for IMI Critical Engineering’s Middle East, Africa & India
region. From his office, he explained his viewpoint that, to ensure corporate success, it is vital that all stakeholders should benefit from
business decisions. And, almost in passing, why he is equally passionate about the provision of education for under-privileged children.
By David Sear
With manufacturing facilities in 16 countries
and a staff of over 3,000 professionals across a
range of disciplines, IMI Critical Engineering (a
division of IMI plc) provides critical flow control
solutions to the energy and process industries.
At the heart of the division’s portfolio are flow
control devices – control, isolation and safety
valves, as well as actuators – which are designed,
manufactured and installed in new plant builds.
Plant lifecycle service support is provided to ensure
that customers benefit from efficient maintenance,
speedy issue resolution and plant optimisation.
“Our products are at the heart of complex
energy and production processes. They control
the flow of steam, gas and liquids in harsh envi-
ronments and are designed to withstand temper-
ature and pressure extremes, as well as intensely
abrasive or corrosive cyclical operations,”
explained Regional President Mr. Chhaya. “It is
our engineering expertise that sets us apart. We
combine technical knowledge, engineering design
capability, application experience and innovative
custom-designed products to deliver safe, reli-
able and durable solutions.”
Mr. Chhaya joined IMI Critical Engineering
in 2016, progressing from President of India to
become the MEAI (Middle East, Africa & India)
Regional President in March 2020. “IMI Critical
Engineering has both a regional structure and
a functional structure. There are five separate
regions, for the Americas, Asia Pacific and MEAI, as
well as two regions within Europe,” he noted.
As such, Mr. Chhaya bears the complete
responsibility for both manufacturing and com-
mercial activities within his region, as well as
for example leveraging the Indian supply chain
for all IMI Critical Engineering divisional business
units. His primary target, however, is to grow the
business across Middle East, Africa and India.
This, he explained, is best achieved by working
closely with customers and helping them solve
their key problems. “Taking the time to talk to
customers, to understand their key problems and
to come up with solutions to their challenges is
second nature to us. Additionally, I am charged
with expanding our coverage, developing local-
ised manufacturing capabilities and developing
our reach through our in-house teams as well as
the extensive agent network.”
A pre-requisite for his role is therefore a com-
prehensive understanding of the market. Equally
important, he indicated, is the ability and willing-
ness to achieve consensus with a multitude of
internal and external stakeholders. “In my busi-
ness career but also my personal life, I always
strive to respect diversity and ensure inclusion
for all. That is the key to taking the right deci-
sions for business and personal growth.”
A true altruist
An issue close to Mr. Chhaya’s heart is
improving opportunities for under-priv-
ileged children. “IMI Critical Engineering
recognizes its social responsibilities and
engages with NGOs to support worthy
causes. Every year as part of IMI Way Day
we support various social activities across
the regional & global locations. Indeed it
is my personal goal, when I leave the cor-
porate environment, to seek NGO support
and establish a school in rural India.”
valve-world-india.com
INTERVIEW
solutions to support customers in resolving their example many countries are posting growth
real challenges. This is in line with IMI’s purpose rates of three to four per cent. We plan to dou-
of providing ‘Breakthrough engineering for a better ble that figure by expanding our customer reach
world’. To give just one example, we now provide across the region for all our product lines. But as
high-performing severe service turbine bypass stated our prime focus is and always will be our
valves Very high cycling gas fired power plants. customer. I am confident we will continue to be
These support renewable energy development by preferred partners to our regional customers as
picking up the slack in wind of solar power availa- we know how to work with them to provide last-
bility. They also improve plants’ overall operational ing solutions to their important problems.”
efficiencies, ultimately resulting in providing elec-
tricity to so many people in various parts of world,
that could have not been possible otherwise. The
provision of power fundamentally changes society
and opportunities in heath & education” Severe service valves
Mr. Chhaya also touched on extra customer IMI Critical Engineering India manufac-
challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. tures a number of valves for severe ser-
Mr. Tarak Chhaya is IMI Critical Enginee- “Take the availability of expert resources on- vice applications for power, petrochemi-
ring’s Regional President for the Middle East, site, which is becoming a crucial issue, as cal and oil & gas customers such as:
Africa & India region.
regards both customer resources and vendor • High-pressure and low-pressure
resources. With our global network of Valve turbine bypass valves
In some business sectors, global companies Doctors™, application experts and the strong • Boiler feed recirculation valves
tailor their product offerings based on geogra- field-service team, we are increasingly rolling out • Auxiliary pressure reduction systems
phies. Not so at IMI Critical Engineering, noted digital tools to work with customers and to help • Anti-surge valves
Mr. Chhaya. “Our mission is to solve severe them manage their assets efficiently.” • Globe valves required for various
service applications in demanding sectors such Asked about the future, Mr. Chhaya confi- control applications
as power, oil & gas, nuclear, marine, petro- dently replied that there is a huge potential for
chemicals, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food etc. IMI Critical Engineering. “In the MEAI region for
Wherever they may be located, our customers
are therefore all interested in the best-available
technologies and require products that meet
global standards. That is why we provide a con-
sistent, high level of service around the world.”
Such ‘equality of service’ is mirrored in IMI
Critical Engineering’s approach to manufacturing.
Mr. Chhaya: “Take our world-class manufacturing
facility in India for valves and spare parts which
is absolutely the equal of any other IMI facility.
Hence this facility is leveraged not just to provide
solutions to MEAI customers but indeed to other
global customers. Similarly, other global manu-
facturing locations are also supplying to our MEAI
customers based on specific applications, market
segments and customer requirements.”
Mr. Chhaya further hinted that production may
be ramped up in India. “As you may know the
Indian Government has a ‘Make in India’ strat-
egy so there is a logic to expand our capabilities
here for domestic and overseas customers alike.
Elsewhere, in line with localisation needs, we
will be establishing localised manufacturing and
assembly support, agent networks and field ser-
vice support to meet expanding market require-
ments in Africa, Saudi Arabia and India.”
Moving forwards
Over the years IMI Critical Engineering has
established a strong, regional installed base in
power and oil & gas segments. Without doubt
these areas will continue to be important ele-
ments of IMI’s business moving forward but
other segments may be added in response
to industrial and societal changes, noted Mr.
Chhaya. “With a continuous shift in market
demand and advances in global technology, we
have seen faster growth in renewable energy
and gas-based power segments, for example.”
The recent acquisition of IMI PBM in the
USA has also opened up a new avenue for IMI
Critical, continued Mr. Chhaya, citing how IMI
PBM have significantly widened IMI’s appeal in
growth markets such as pharmaceuticals, food
and beverage and chemicals.
“Whatever the marker segment, we in the IMI
Critical Engineering division are always developing
Valve World India & Middle East October/November 2020 15
PEOPLE & PRODUCT NEWS

SAUTER valve and Astec: 55 not out!

actuator range on
your smartphone
SAUTER is launching a new mobile app
that can be used to search for valves
and actuators at any time, online or
offline. The free app is impressively
convenient and very efficient: Intuitive
operation makes it easier to search for
individual products and combine them.
This reduces time-consuming, repeated
searches for offers.
SAUTER’s range of actuators comprises
more than a hundred products, and
there are almost 450 HVAC valves on
offer. The new mobile app will make it
easier to find the right parts and the
ideal valve/actuator combinations. With
the launch of CASE ValveDim, SAUTER’s
entire product range can be accessed
from anywhere via mobile phone.
The range of suitable valves can be
found instantly by filtering features
such as valve type, connection type, or
nominal diameter. The selection can be
narrowed down even more by specify-
ing the heat exchanger capacity, flow
rate, or differential pressure.
The most suitable actuator can be found
by selecting the power supply and the
control signal. This makes it easy to
focus on the most suitable product.
Each part can be saved in a personal
favorites list so that it is always avail-
able without needing to search again.
Further product information and docu-
mentation can be accessed directly
from the SAUTER product website.
Since its inception in 1965, Astec has
gone on to serve the oil & gas, refin-
ment tube fittings such as needle, ball,
gauge, manifold, DBB & mono-flange
the supply of metal-to-metal and soft-
seated double block & bleed valves
ing, petrochemical, thermal-gas nucle-
ar power plants, chemical, shipbuilding
valves as well as integrated assemblies
such as sampling systems and skids.
as well as signing a three-year rate
contract with ADNOC for the supply of
and CNG sectors. Today the company Astec is very much looking forward mono-flanges. Moreover, the Kuwait
is active in over 40 countries and has to the future, says Dr. Kiranbir Singh National Petroleum Company (KNPC/
achieved over a million installations. Kohli. “For example, recent milestones KOC) has certified us as the trusted
This staggering figure includes prod- include signing a five-year rate contract partner for the supply of instrumenta-
ucts from its standard range of instru- with Occidental Petroleum Oman for tion manifolds & needle valves.”
Former IOC Chairman joins RIL Hygienic actuator for
as Group President rotary valves
Former Indian Oil Corp (IOC) chairman Bürkert has released
Sanjiv Singh has joined Reliance Indus- a stainless steel hy-
tries Ltd as Group President for billion- gienic rotary actuator
aire Mukesh Ambani-run firm’s oil-to- for automated con-
chemicals business. trol of hygienic ap-
A communication by RIL Executive Di- plications with ball
rector Hital R Meswani to the company and butterfly valves.
employees said Singh, who superan- The Type 2053 actua-
nuated from India’s largest oil firm tor features ISO 5211
on June 30, will be a member of the mounting, meaning it
oil-to-chemicals (O2C) business leader- can be retrofitted to
ship team. virtually all brands of
RIL’s O2C business consists of the group’s called Reliance O2C Ltd, for a possible the rotary valve and
twin oil refineries at Jamnagar in Gujarat, sale of a 20% interest to Saudi Aramco can be specified with
petrochemical plants, 51% of fuel re- for an asking of USD 15bn. an integrated rotary applications, includ- sectors as well as ap-
tail and aviation fuel venture, and bulk The firm had earlier this year hired for- valve positioner. ing dairies, brewer- plications demanding
wholesale marketing businesses. mer IOC chairman Sarthak Behuria, 68, The Type 2053 launch ies, and distilleries. hygiene and frequent
It does not include the firm’s upstream as a senior advisor to help shape the opens the hygienic Manufactured from washdown. Available
oil and gas exploration assets that in- firm’s fuel retail business. actuator market for Type 304 stainless in sizes P0, P1, and
clude 66.6% interest in the eastern off- “Sanjiv will lead and drive the Group Bürkert, which will steel, the actuator P2, the actuator is
shore KG-D6 block. manufacturing services (GMS) organisa- supply OEMs and will also be presented compatible with any
RIL is in the process of carving out tion which is the backbone of our oil-to- end-users primarily to the pharmaceutical variety of ball or but-
the O2C business into a separate unit, chemicals business,” Meswani wrote. for food & beverage and water treatment terfly rotary valves.

I N D U ST R I A L VA LV E S M A N U FA C T U R E R

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DUAL EXPANDING PLUG RISING STEM BALL

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16 October/November 2020 Valve World India & Middle East valve-world-india.com


Could hydrogen be the ideal green fuel?
In Europe for one, there is increasing interest in renewable sources of power. Hydrogen is coming more and more into the spotlight as a
viable energy source, as has been reported in sister magazine Valve World. This overview article highlights three separate initiatives to
produce and distribute hydrogen.
Hydrogen from Portugal
Portugal hopes to establish itself as a major
exporter of green hydrogen energy. The planned
Sines Hydrogen Plant will put the country on track
to produce and distribute 175,000 tons of hydro-
gen per year across central and northern Europe.
At a cost of 3.5 billion euros, the annual
capacity of the mega-project is predicted at
200,000 tons of hydrogen by 2025, with that
number doubling to 465,000 tons by 2030.
Located on the southwestern Portuguese coast,
the planned site for the Sines Hydrogen Plant is
strategically situated next to the Port of Sines,
the largest artificial port in the country, along
with the Sines Refinery, one of the largest oil
refineries in Europe. The location offers access
to Portugal’s main infrastructure for energy
exports, underlining the ultimate goal of the
new hydrogen facility: to establish the country
as a key supplier in Europe’s emerging green
energy market.
According to Jornal Económico, construction
will start in 2021. The JE report quoted João
Pedro Matos Fernandes, Minister for the Environ-
ment and Climate Action, who highlighted in a
recent address to Portuguese Parliament that
investment in Sines is backed by the EU through
2030, supported “by European funds and financ-
ing from the European Investment Bank.”
European cooperation and interest in Sines
extends beyond Investment Bank funding. Led
by the Portuguese and Dutch governments,
a small consortium of participating countries
have begun preparations for an associated pro-
ject related to the main timeline of hydrogen
production at Sines. Their collaboration, dubbed
“Green Flamingo,” aims to produce hydrogen
via solar energy, a technique already underway
in the Netherlands. Production in the Green Fla-
mingo project would mark the first completed
stage of hydrogen production at Sines. Accord-
ing to ECO, the joint Portuguese-Dutch hydro-
gen project would install a green hydrogen
production unit in Sines, “powered by solar
energy of one gigawatt, which corresponds to
the energy consumed by one million homes.”
The investment is estimated at 600 million
euros. Following the completion of the Green
Flamingo project in 2025, further work would
take place to complete the main hydrogen
production facility, ultimately doubling Sines
production by 2030.
valve-world-india.com
Hydrogenious’s ReleaseBox, the unit that releases the hydrogen from the LOHC.
H2FUTURE in Austria
The world’s largest pilot plant for the CO2-
neutral production of hydrogen successfully
commenced operation in November 2019 at the
voestalpine site in Linz (Austria). As part of the
EU-funded H2FUTURE project, various compa-
nies and organisations (Verbund, Siemens, TNO,
voestalpine, K1-MET, APG) are researching the
industrial production of green hydrogen to ulti-
mately replace fossil fuels in steel production.
Global climate goals aim to almost com-
pletely eliminate CO2 emissions by 2050, state
voestalpine. This poses challenges for industrial
enterprises and energy suppliers, and demands
new technological solutions in both sectors. In
this context, CO2-neutral ‘green’ hydrogen is
regarded as the most promising future option
for facilitating the energy transition. The world’s
largest and most advanced electrolyser has
commenced production of green hydrogen at
the voestalpine premises in Linz. The new plant
has a capacity of over 6 megawatts, and is cur-
rently regarded as the most effective and state-
of-the-art facility of its type. The core of the
new plant is a highly dynamic proton exchange
membrane electrolyser with a capacity of 6 Mw.
The plant produces 1,200m3 of hydrogen per
hour. It will be used to test whether the tech-
nology deployed to produce green hydrogen
is suitable for industrial use. Furthermore, the
project, which receives EUR 18 million in EU
funding, will investigate the potential to pro-
vide network services, and potentially compen-
sate for fluctuations in the power grid.
LOHC, Germany
Hydrogen has evolved from a dark horse to one
of the shining stars in the energy transition both
from a government policy perspective and private
sector initiatives. So writes Valve World editor
Lucien Joppen following an interview with Ger-
man-based Hydrogenious, a young ‘upstart’ that
is trying to bring the hydrogen market to a higher
level. The company has developed a technology -
LOHC- which binds hydrogen to a liquid carrier to
enable more efficient storage and transport.
Since its inception in 2013, Hydrogenious has
managed to prove readiness of LOHC-technology.
“We are ready to scale up our LOHC technology
to make the global hydrogen infrastructure a
reality, together with our investors AP-Ventures,
Royal Vopak, Mitsubishi Corporation, Covestro,
Winkelmann Group and Hyundai Motor Company
as high-class strategic shareholders,” says CEO
Daniel Teichmann.
The LOHC-principle is not new. The technology,
involving chemically binding hydrogen to a liquid
carrier, has been around for almost three dec-
ades. However, there was simply no demand
for the use of this technology in hydrogen
Valve World India & Middle East
ALTERNATIVE POWER
logistics because there was no large-volume
demand for hydrogen as an energy carrier. “Like-
wise, a suitable carrier material was not at hand.
To be commercially feasible, such a carrier has to
be available, low-cost and safe - and at the same
time, it has to have physiochemical properties,
which allow an economically and technologically
practical use.”
Identifying benzyl- and dibenzyltoluene as a
carrier material was the breakthrough Teichmann
and his colleagues were searching for. “This
toluene-based chemical ticks all the boxes,”
Teichmann says. “It is hardly flammable and
non-explosive. Furthermore, it remains in a use-
able and convenient liquid state through a broad
temperature range of -39 °C to 390 °C. The tech-
nology enables safe and efficient hydrogen stor-
age and transport at ambient conditions in the
existing fuel infrastructure possible, all of this on
a global scale.”
Valves for LOHC
Depending on size complexity and project
scope, the number and type of valves in LOHC
vary. In the Storage and Release System, there
at least one pneumatically actuated control
valve to regulate hydrogen flow. Also, there are
multiple pneumatic actuated isolation valves
to control process media flow (LOHC, Hydrogen,
Utilities), multiple manual valves for manual
operation tasks (e.g. sample taking, equipment
isolation during maintenance, blocking off of
pressure gauges, etc.), and multiple pres-
sure relief valves for process safety. Currently
selected valves are ‘off the shelf’ items. Which
materials are suited for valves that are used in
LOHC systems? Currently, all valves are made of
stainless steel (316SS). For sole LOHC service,
carbon steel valves are also suitable provided
hydrogen can be excluded. Sealing materials
are selected independent of the operating and
design temperature and are either fluorinated
polymers, metallic or graphite. As for the pres-
sure classes, valves currently selected are PN60
or lower. Design temperatures can go up to
350°C. Highest requirements are for valves that
provide a safety functionality, and that see a
mixture out of LOHC and hydrogen at elevated
temperatures and pressures. In hydrogen
service, the allowable leakage rate at higher
operating pressures plays a vital role in the
selection of the right valves.
October/November 2020 17
PLANTS & PROJECTS NEWS

Gate valves for Goreh-Jask Pipeline built in Iran SWCC signs MoU for
For the first time in the Iranian oil
industry, construction of 42-inch
Referring to the Minister of Petrole-
um’s emphasis on localization and
transformation in
gate valves compatible with sour
fluids is on the agenda of domestic
increasing the production capacity
of items in the country, he contin-
water desalination
companies, and now the process ued: “The Petroleum Engineering Saudi Arabia’s Saline Water Conversion Cor-
of manufacturing these valves to and Development Company have poration (SWCC) has announced a research
be used in the pipeline to transfer informed all its consultants and cooperation memorandum of understand-
crude oil from Goreh to Jask is contractors the ban on foreign pur- ing (MoU) with an American company.
underway. chases of goods that can be manu- The US-based firm is specialized in design-
According to Petroleum Engineer- factured in the country.” ing and manufacturing energy recovery
ing and Development Company The PEDEC CEO said for the first equipment, as well as offering innovative
(PEDEC), Touraj Dehghani, CEO of time in the country, 42-inch sour solutions for the desalination sector.
the company, during a visit to the fluid compatible gate valves (NACE) SWCC’s goal is to benefit from a modern
construction process of 42-inch have manufactured domestically by device to recover energy in the desalina-
gate valves (Metro Conduit) in the valves of the gate, control, and the Goreh-Jask national project and domestic companies while many tion process by reverse osmosis in desali-
Goreh-Jask project in Arak Machin- emergency shut-off valves types efforts are being made to procure of the types procured domestically nation plants. The device could conceivably
ery Complex, said 83 42-inch gate worth about EUR 9M are used in the items domestically. were previously imported. reduce energy use by more than 50%, raise
the degree of brine concentration to 15%,
and increase the production of desalinated
Manikaran Power signs MoU with KEPCO KPS water by 20%.
The memorandum coincides with SWCC’s
Manikaran Power Ltd announced that it has know-how towards acquiring and reviving 52,000 Megawatt in Korea and an overseas
decision to shift to the second stage of the
signed a Memorandum of Understanding stressed assets in the power sector,” the com- O&M portfolio of about 6,000 MW.
application of the zero-return technique in
(MoU) with South Korean KEPCO KPS to acquire panies said in a joint statement. The firm also provides commissioning & over-
and operate stressed power plants in India. KEPCO KPS provides Operation & Maintenance hauling services, power plant diagnosis, life- desalination plants.
“Both the companies have agreed to con- (O&M) services of thermal, nuclear, and hydro time management, and performance-enhanc- During the second phase, the firm will
tribute their respective skills, resources, and energy projects with an existing portfolio of ing services to energy facilities globally. focus on reducing the operational and
capital costs of the zero-return technique;
increasing the concentration of brine; and
INPEX, JOGMEC eye LNG-to-power projects in Bay of Bengal reducing the cost of producing desalinated
water from seawater.
Japan’s oil and gas exploration company, INPEX, is looking at opportuni- assistance to secure energy supply, recently amended its rules to allow The MoU not only backs innovation in
ties for LNG-to-power projects in the Bay of Bengal region, with small- the financing of LNG reloading and import terminals outside Japan, by desalination, but it also creates construc-
scale distribution capabilities, together with other Japanese private Japanese firms. tive cooperation relations with global
companies, based on the results of a study conducted by researchers at It also comes amid several small-scale LNG developments that have
partners. The company will start applying
JOGMEC, or Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp. spanned waters from the Bay of Bengal, covering mainly Myanmar and
the energy recovery device to zero-brine
INPEX’s interest in the region comes after JOGMEC, the state-run organi- Bangladesh, all the way to the Philippines in Southeast Asia, in what is
technology.
zation that provides Japanese oil companies with financial and technical becoming a competitive market.

BCI, Nasser Al Hajri sign contract

for chlorine project
Basic Chemical Industries Co.
(BCI) signed a final contract
with Nasser Saeed Al Hajri
& Partners Contracting Co.
for the construction of its
chlorine derivatives plant in
Jubail Industrial City, BCI said
in a bourse statement.
“All equipment was deliv-
ered, and the project will
be completed by the end of
June 2021,” the statement
added, noting there is a
change in the project imple-
mentation costs to be
valued at SAR 685M instead and technical designs on the required for the project and
of SAR 520M. COVID-19 pandemic. the increase in the construc-
The project, which is 55% The project’s cost was tion cost of the project, as a
complete, missed the set increased to SAR 295M from result of higher cost and the
deadline due to a delay in SAR 290M (as per the letter of difference of some measure-
finalizing the engineering intent), due to adding facilities ments and engineering details.

ANDRITZ receives a contract from JSW Energy

HIGH PERFORMANCE (Kutehr) Ltd
FLOW CONTROL ANDRITZ announced it has received a
contract from Indian independent power
producer JSW Energy (Kutehr) Limited to sup-
ply electromechanical equipment for Kutehr
Bray provides high performance flow control solutions hydroelectric power plant of 240 Megawatt
to handle your most challenging applications. capacity.
The plant is located on the river Ravi in the
To learn more about our complete portfolio Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh and is
expected to generate around 955 Gigawatt Hour
of valves, actuators and controls,
of power to around 4.6 million households.
visit us online at BRAY.COM The contract will include design, manufactur-
ing, support, transport, erection, testing and near Bhopal in MP and Prithla near Faridabad
commissioning of three Francis turbine gen- in Haryana.
erators with a capacity of 80 MW each. It will ANDRITZ said it has consolidated its position
be executed by ANDRITZ`s Indian subsidiary in the hydropower market in India by securing
with its manufacturing facilities in Mandideep this project.

18 October/November 2020 Valve World India & Middle East valve-world-india.com

IVAMA COLUMN
IVAMA Association celebrates
its first anniversary
It is our great pleasure to inform that
IVAMA Association is turning one year on
October 3, 2020 and thanks to all members
who made it a great success. We are happy
to share the good progress, our associa-
tion has made since launch on October 3,
2019 in Mumbai. We started with an initial
membership of eleven at the time of launch
and have already reached a milestone of
fifty members in less than one year. We
now represent the major portion of valves
and actuators industry in India and have
truly become voice of our industry. We
believe that with increased strength, IVAMA
Association would be able to represent its
members more effectively and will play
an important role in propelling valves and
actuators manufactured in India to a higher
level globally.
Need and benefit of such a body become
even more critical in the uncertain times of
COVID-19, which has deeply impacted the
whole value chain of valves and actuators
industry. IVAMA Association has been shar-
ing information and good practices with its
members, so that any adverse impact is
minimized.
In its first year, IVAMA Association has been
able to achieve the following:
1. Conducted three CEOs meet to discuss
the issues facing our industry. Conducted
four Webinars on topical issues.
2. Providing monthly market report.
3. Providing regular information on tenders.
4. Became a member of BIS to involve
our industry at large in the standards
activities.
5. Became a member of FICCI-CMSME and
CII-ASCON so that those IVAMA Associa-
tion members, who are not members
of these organizations, also benefit by
becoming a part of larger fraternity.
6. Coordinated with member companies to
file RoDTEP applications with EEPC, so
that export benefits could continue for
valve-world-india.com
IVAMA has already reached a milestone of fifty members in less than one year.
our members of our industry after expiry
of MEIS scheme.
7. One of the objectives of IVAMA Associa-
tion is training and we are happy to
share with you about commencement of
a 14-session technical webinar covering
various aspects of valves and actuators
We now represent the major portion of valves
and actuators industry in India and have truly
become voice of our industry.
design, selection and technology. It is
well received in the industry.
Strength of an association is based on
the active involvement of its members and
though many of us are competitors, we are
happy to see the bonding and willingness
to help others. We now plan to increase
our interaction with end-customers, EPCs,
consultants and inspection agencies to
address issues of mutual interest. We have
got some suggestions in this regard during
our last CEOs meet and we invite further
suggestions to pursue these in coming
period.
Membership is available to valve and actua-
tor manufacturers, supply chain companies
and engineering back offices. Interested
companies may register for membership by
logging on the website (https://ivama.in/
member-registration).
R Muruganantham,
Director General, IVAMA
Association, Admin@ivama.in,
+91 9841289271.
Valve World India & Middle East
CALENDAR
2 – 3 November 2020
Fugitive Emissions Summit China
2020
The event aims to bring together a community of
end users, EPC’s, distributors, manufacturers, and
suppliers for an exciting conference and exhibition
that will help address the ever-changing world of
fugitive emissions regulations and control. There
will be a strong emphasis on LDAR programs and
how all industries affected by current regulations
can interpret and meet the regulations whether it be
downstream or upstream.
Location: Shanghai Marriott Hotel Parkview,
Shanghai, China
Contact: Laura WANG
Phone: +86-21-6351 9609*610
Fax: +86-21-6351 9607
Email: h.wang@kci-world.com
Url: http://www.china.fugitive-emissions-summit.com
1 – 3 December 2020
Valve World Conference & Expo 2020
20 20
Be a part the worlds’ premier valve event and
network with the leading minds driving ahead
innovation and excellence in the fields of valve
manufacture, use and maintenance. Valve World
is a dynamic and interactive event with a strong
focus on personal interaction. The high-quality
conference has an emphasis on practical, applicable
knowledge sharing. Not only will you gain knowledge
and improve your skills, you’ll also expand your
professional network for years to come.
Location: Messe Düsseldorf, Germany
Email: l.joppen@kci-world.com
Url: http://www.valveworldexpo.com/
9 – 10 December 2020
FUGITIVE EMISSIONS SUMMIT
AMERICAS 2020
Connecting America’s Fugitive Emissions Community
Location: Pasadena, Texas, USA
Contact: Stephanie Matas
Phone: +1-416-361-7030
Email: s.matas@kci-world.com
Url: americas.fugitive-emissions-summit.com
18 – 19 February 2021
MAP JAPAN 2021
The Managing Aging Plants Conference & Expo Japan
2021 is a place for obtaining useful knowledge for the
extension of plant life, by knowing the importance of
aging plant maintenance and management, risks that
can occur in obsolete plants, diagnostic methods, IoT,
smart maintenance, etc.
Location: Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center –
Hamamatsuchokan
Email: k.ichikawa@kci-world.com
Url: https://www.managingagingplants.com/
map-japan-2021/
Disclaimer
The rapid spread of the corona virus has affected
trade fairs in many parts of the world. Events known
to have been postponed or cancelled have been
adjusted in or removed from VWI&ME’s Calendar;
however, readers are strongly urged to seek local and
timely advice before planning attendance at any of
the shows listed above or on our on-line calendar.
October/November 2020 19
INDIA NEWS

GAIL wins the
leader award
GAIL India Ltd has won the leader award in
mega large business process sector category
in the 11th edition of Frost & Sullivan and
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)
Sustainability 4.0 Awards 2020.
The award recognises corporates in sustain-
able development practices that provide a
measurable and verifiable framework for
sustainability.
“The award is essentially a result of eco-
conscious development GAIL has been
pursuing for the past 36 years,” said GAIL
Chairman and Managing Director Manoj Jain.
Frost & Sullivan and TERI Award Assessment
is an in-depth and comprehensive assess-
ment based on a well-defined framework
covering all critical areas of sustainability.
NTPC invites EOI from Energy Intensive Industries
In a key initiative to promote
Make in India and give a boost
to the Government’s vision of
Atmanirbhar Bharat, NTPC Ltd
has invited Expression of Inter-
est (EoI) from Energy Intensive
Industries for setting up manu-
facturing units within its plant
premises.
NTPC has invited the EOI from
MSMEs and Indian Companies
for setting up energy-intensive
manufacturing plants such as
Bulk Chemicals - Ammonia,
Urea, ChlorAlkali, Gypsum and
Gypsum products, Geopolymer,
Cooling & Heating Solutions,
Aluminum, mineral processing
(ceramics, tiles, pottery, brick,
glass, etc.), metallurgical and
metal industries (foundries,
forging, alloys, heat treatment,
steel rerolling, etc.) in the
Industrial parks to be devel-
oped on a pilot basis in the
NTPC Thermal Power plants at
Solapur (Maharashtra), Kudgi
(Karnataka) and Gadarwara
(Madhya Pradesh).
These industrial parks will be
subjected to requisite approvals
from respective State and Cen-
tral Government. NTPC will pro-
cess these approvals based on
responses received in the EOI.
The initiative will create indus-
trial parks within the power
plants which, besides offer-
ing the unique advantage of
reliable electricity supply at
competitive prices, will provide
a slew of other benefits of
readily available infrastructural
services like adequate water
supply, accessibility through
road and rail network, robust
connectivity with internet lease
lines, accessibility to the town-
ship, medical facilities and
local market along with various
testing facilities which will be
co-opted on need basis.

MIT ADT University unveils
organic waste
converter plant
MIT Art, Design, and Technol-
ogy University unveils a fully
automatic organic waste con-
verter plant (OWS). The plant
was inaugurated by Prof, Dr.
Mangesh Karad, Executive
President, MIT ADT University,
and Dr. Ashwini Pethe, Prin-
cipal, MIT School of Architec-
ture. The plant can convert
about 1250 kg of organic
waste every day into high-
grade manure.
Speaking on the occasion,
Dr. Mangesh Karad congratu-
lated Mr. Rajkumar Jain, Gen-
eral Manager Campus, MIT
ADTU, and his team, and said
the initiative to install the
plant will make a green and
carbon-neutral campus and
also to achieve sustainable
development goals. Initially,
the manure produced at the
plant will be used in the gar-
den of the university and the
excess produce will be ben-
efited to the farmer.
Further Dr. Mangesh Karad
stated, creating waste into
wealth is the vision for the
carbon-neutral and green
campus. MIT ADTU is the first
university in the MIT group
to install a machine that
takes food scraps and turns
them into the organic waste
compost. The fully automatic
organic waste decomposer
with a waste capacity of
1250 kg per day can produce
300 kg of organic compost
without any chemical treat-
ment. Converts meal waste
to compost, reducing campus
waste pollution without emit-
ting foul smell. The compost
will be used to fertilize
the green areas around the
University.
USTDA supports India’s refinery carbon capture project
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency announced that it is
providing grant funding to Indian Oil Corporation Limited as it
evaluates carbon capture utilization and storage technologies
to reduce emissions at its Koyali refinery in Gujarat.
“This project is an ideal example of the groundbreaking work
USTDA supports and makes possible,” said Todd Abrajano, Chief
Operating Officer and Head of Agency. “This innovative solution the
first of its kind in India is how we are showing American technol-
ogy will make a meaningful impact on India’s refinery operations.”
USTDA’s funding will support IndianOil’s evaluation of technologies sustainable technologies. IndianOil is at the forefront of innova-
to capture and utilize carbon dioxide produced during refinery tion, and our cooperation with USTDA will help us become a
operations, presenting a novel and cost-effective environmental leader in the utilization of carbon capture technologies.”
strategy that can be expanded to other refineries in India. USTDA’s support of this project aligns with key energy priorities
According to Dr. SSV Ramakumar, IndianOil Board member and of the Administration, including the Asia Enhancing Develop-
Director (Research & Development), “This project are consistent ment and Growth through Energy program and the U.S.-India
with our vision to provide superior quality products using Strategic Energy Partnership.
India - Arab energy partnership growing
As much as 53% of India’s oil imports and ventures in refineries and building of strate- “The key elements of our economic engage-
41% of gas imports now come from the Arab gic oil reserves,” Bhattacharyya told mem- ment are characterised by energy security,
region which is vital for India’s energy secu- bers of the Federation of Indian Chambers food security, human resource exchanges,
rity, according to Sanjay Bhattacharyya, Sec- of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in New growing trade, and investment relations,
retary in the Ministry of External Affairs, MEA. Delhi, said a Wam news agency report. and strong connectivity. It is multi-faceted
“The nature of the energy partnership He said: “India has stakes in oil blocks and extensive but the potential is bigger,”
has evolved from mere hydrocarbon ties in the UAE, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, and said Bhattacharyya, who looks after the Gulf
between buyer and seller to participation in South Sudan. We are also embarking on a and overseas Indian affairs, among other
upstream and downstream projects, joint partnership in renewables. charges, in the MEA.

CGD sector to record

For over 60 years our customers have
relied on Rotork for innovative and
reliable flow control solutions.
volume growth
Keeping the World Flowing
Rotork products and services help companies
in the oil & gas, water & wastewater, power,
of 10% CAGR
for Future Generations marine, mining, chemical, pharmaceutical and
food industries around the world. The City Gas Distribution (CGD) sector in India
is set to register a Compounded Annual Growth
Rate (CAGR) of 10% over the next decade
Rotork’s Lifetime Management through 2030 thanks to the government’s efforts
service programme:
Improving
to improve the share of natural gas in India’s
• Health Check - Field based asset check primary energy mix to 15% from 6% currently.
• Planned Maintenance - Regular With the 10th round of CGD bidding, 70% of the

efficiency & •
maintenance services
Enhance Warranty - Condition based
monitoring and inspection
country’s population and 50% of the total area
has been covered under the city gas network.
The report covers the growth registered by three

minimising • Predictive Maintenance - Individually

tailored reliability contract
main players – Indraprastha Gas (IGL), Mahanagar
Gas (MGL), and Gujarat Gas. IGL incorporated a strong
22% addition taking the total number of consumers

downtime to 1.4 million during FY20. In comparison, Mahanagar

Gas added 100,000 consumers taking the total to
1.26 million households. Gujarat Gas also added
93,000 households taking the total to 1.4 million.
It’s in our DNA The report said Gujarat Gas has set up 52 net
new CNG stations, near IGL’s number of 55, while
Mahanagar Gas added just 20 CNG stations in FY20.
In terms of pipeline infrastructure, Gujarat Gas
remains ahead of the other two with a total net-
work of 24,300 km, while IGL has a total network of
T +44 (0)1225 733 200 E information@rotork.com W rotork.com 14,605 km and Mahanagar Gas’ 5,630 km.

20 October/November 2020 Valve World India & Middle East valve-world-india.com


Neles’ move to the next level
The partial demerger of Metso has spawned two independent companies: Metso Outotec and Neles. The latter company has taken the
established brand name, which dates back to the mid-1950s. Valve World India & Middle East spoke with CEO Olli Isotalo about Neles and
the company’s trajectory in the near future.
By Lucien Joppen
Mr. Isotalo, the partial
demerger of Metso was
recently completed.
From now on, Metso
Outotec and Neles will
independently move their
businesses forward. What
prompted this move?
“Metso’s valve business - Metso
Flow Control - has had a strong
customer base and market position
in several process industries. Over
the years, the company has devel-
oped a proven operational and
financial track record to enhance
its independent growth. While
Metso has been a good home for
the valves business, the flow con-
trol division had limited synergies
with the Minerals business.”
What are the implications
for Neles?
“Under dedicated management
and with a clear, independent
strategy building on our unique
strengths, we can now take Neles
“What really sets us apart, is the never-
walk-away mentality of our people”
to the next level as a focused flow
control company. Neles will have
the means to continue delivering
even more intelligent, reliable solu-
tions to serve our customer’s needs
while fully utilizing its growth
potential. Neles has a clear ambi-
tion going forward: we envision
to become a leading diversified
valve and valve automation com-
pany, reinventing reliability in flow
control. Our mission is to provide
market-leading expertise, products
and services to add the most value
to customers. In some way, our
strategy can be described as an
evolution rather than revolution,
with redefined focus on innovation
and leveraging our service capabili-
ties. We will continue broadening
our offering and reach, developing
our multichannel Service and Main-
tenance, Repairs and Operations-
driven business (MRO) supported
by digitalization, and further
develop our valve controls and
actuators business. Coming back to
our customer promise, Reinventing
reliability. In practice this would
mean that we develop more reli-
able, higher quality products and
also in our services and expertise.”
What will your customers
notice from the demerger?
“Being close to our customers
and serving them throughout their
investment and operations lifecycle
is Neles’ priority. Our customers will
experience the same high-quality of
products, services and know-how
they have come to rely on. Coming
from outside Neles, I soon under-
stood the company culture of Neles.
I can say that we have a culture
valve-world-india.com
of ensuring customer success and
getting things done. These are ele-
ments that our customers’ value
and we are very proud of. What will
be new, however, is that we will
have even better agility to serve
our customers. And the new Neles-
brand and identity, of course.”
How will Neles and
its brand distinguish
itself from its direct
competitors?
“Today, Neles is among the Top 10
in valve and valve automation. In
valve automation alone, we are in
Top 5 or higher in some applications,
such as positioners in certain geo-
graphical markets. We have a unique
combination of mission-critical prod-
uct offering and world-class brand
recognition for our products, strong
application know-how, frontrunner
position in services and MRO, as
well as truly global delivery capabili-
ties. But what really sets us apart,
is the never-walk-away mentality of
our people. It means we will work
together to make sure we’ll find the
right solution for our customers,
even when it’s hard. This is also the
feedback we get from our customer
surveys.”
Given the present
situation in oil, gas and
petrochemicals, will Neles
step up its efforts to
focus on other markets?
“Neles serves diverse industries
which have different drivers and
are in different cycles. For example,
pulp and paper project momen-
tum is healthy, and we have been
active in developing/packaging our
solutions to support the renewal
in pulp, paper and bioproducts.
We are evaluating opportunities to
expand also to newer markets for
Neles such as mining and metals,
to balance industry cycles.”
Where do you see room for
improvement within Neles?
Of course, there is always room for
improvement. This is how companies
evolve over the years. There’s always
room to improve supply chains or avail-
ability of products and services. Today,
we have well-established manufactur-
ing bases and Technology Centers in
Finland, Germany, the United States,
China and India, complemented by
smaller assembly operations in strategic
locations. We also have service centres
in around 40 countries. To make sure
we can be even more flexible in meet-
ing our customer’s needs, we keep on
developing our service and supply capa-
bilities as well our as our global network
of partners and distributors.”
In terms of geographical
markets, Neles is strongly
represented in the
Americas and Europe. Will
the company increasingly
focus on APAC, given the
expected economic growth
and subsequent demand
for resources and energy?
“During the past years, we have
been and are investing in developing
our footprint in APAC. For example, we
recently launched a new Valve Technol-
ogy Center in Jiaxing, China. This new
facility will further improve our service
and delivery capabilities globally but
also allow us to be closer to our cus-
tomers and installed base in China.”
Neles aims to grow
via acquisitions. Does
the company look for
geographical expansion,
or does it aim for
acquisitions of companies
that have products or
expertise that are not
currently in its portfolio?
“We are looking into both types
of opportunities, complementary
product offering or presence in an
industry or a geographical area. But
we are not excluding more bolt-on
acquisitions with specific technolo-
gies, or even larger moves if all fits.”
Since VWI&ME last spoke
to Metso for the 2019
Spotlight two new valve
manufacturing sites
have been opened in
Ambernath and Dombivl.
Have there been any
important developments
at these sites?
“We have further developed the
acquired units close to Mumbai to
follow our global set up for health
and safety operations as well as
operative systems and processes
and R&D practices. During 2019, we
increased capacity in both factories
by 20-30 % to meet the demand
both in India and global markets. At
the moment, we are gearing up the
capacity after restrictions caused by
the COVID-19 pandemic in the Mum-
bai region. Integration of know-how is
crucial, and we have worked hard to
utilize our global team and capabili-
ties in full. This includes also knowl-
edge transfers and training programs.
For example, many India-based valve
engineers have been trained in our
European technology hubs.”
What can you say about
your expansion plans
for India?
“My R&D colleagues have been
focusing on introducing new products
under the Neles brand for India and
the global markets. First products were
launched already in the Spring of 2019.
Our new offering, Easyflow by Neles,
covers the majority of products manu-
factured in India, including actuators,
limit switches, valves and pneumat-
ics products. We’ve also introduced
Neles N1 scotch and yoke actuator
during 2019 as competitive solution
for high torque applications. We have
now almost 5000 product types avail-
able from Mumbai factories fulfilling
key standards such as API 6, CE etc
and used in chemical, pharmaceuti-
cal, oil and gas as well as pulp and
paper process industries. We’ve also
added twelve more direct channel
partners to better serve customers in
industries such as power, chemicals,
pharmaceuticals or water. This allows
us to improve availability for new ter-
ritories, applications and customers.
Additionally, we plan to build a new
technology hub into the Ambernath
technology center. There’s big potential
plus capability and skills available in
India to ramp up local development as
planned in the coming years.”
In 2019 Metso's stated
aim was to be a top
three player in the
Indian valve business.
Has that target been
achieved?
“We were indeed among the three
main players in India for valves,
actuators and positioners in 2019.
The Metso Valves business grew
significantly from 2018, more than
40 %. Today, we are fully equipped
to serve industries with a compre-
hensive offering for many process
industry applications. Moreover we
Valve World India & Middle East
INTERVIEW
Meet Olli Isotalo
Olli Isotalo
(1959, Finnish
nationality,
M.Sc. in Engi-
neering) has
over three decades of experience
in various management positions
in the engineering industry. For
the past 25 years, he has been
leading businesses in an inter-
national environment and been
involved or directly responsible
for numerous change processes,
turnarounds, acquisitions and
integration processes.
have a full-scale service operation
in place in India, with Neles’ expert
services used by customers through-
out India to ensure the best oper-
ability and reliability of their valve
installed base. Neles is a front runner
in many digital services to its cus-
tomers: Metso Valves was one of the
very first valve suppliers to introduce
a digital positioner for diagnostic
and accuracy improvements in early
90’s. Since then we have introduced
many types of digital positioners for
various customer applications and
are currently launching the third
generation digital positioner family,
called the NDX. Metso positioners
are the only products currently avail-
able for process industry customers
whereby control parameters are
collected online and stored on the
device itself. This info can be used
for further improvements in process
control. Our Expertune PlantTriage
solution allows process control opti-
malization as well as easy location of
any malfunctioning control loops.”
October/November 2020 21
AUTOMATION

Assam’s tea gardens & industrial customers upgrade

to first of its kind ABB digital gas control systems
ABB’s SCADA-based solution monitors and II. An ERP solution integrated with SCADA shall
controls gas flow across tea estates and select also ensure accurate billing for AGCL without
industrial customers, across six districts of need for physical data collections over vast
upper Assam. The project was awarded by remotely located areas.
Assam Gas Company Limited (AGCL) and will One of the major hurdles of this project was
be undertaken in two phases to cover 399 tea communication across the remote areas where
estates and six large industrial customers. As AGCL customers were located. The data col-
the state utility works towards building a sus- lected from each of the tea estates needed to be
tainable gas distribution system, one of the transferred over a wireless General Packet Radio
major issues AGCL faced with was the optimi- Services (GPRS) network to the central monitor-
zation of gas flow along its extensive pipeline ing location. This required a lot of bandwidth
network ensuring gas availability per pre- and thus restricted data flow. ABB engineers
defined limit even to the last-mile consumer. collaborated with a telecom service provider to
ABB was able to customize and deliver a develop a novel APN-based (access point name)
state-of-the-art SCADA and telecom solution for ABB’s SCADA-based solution monitors and controls gas flow across tea estates and select indus- GPRS solution, to improve the network connec-
AGCL covering 74 tea estates and six big indus- trial customers, across six districts of upper Assam. Illustratory image, courtesy of Ppmaker2007, tion at scattered locations, which enabled the
trial consumers in the first phase of the pro- Dreamstime. tea estates to transfer data over the wireless
ject. This solution comprises of three pressure network. The team was able to set up the wire-
regulating stations, one bi-directional metering distribution of gas particularly in CGD network, distribution of natural gas supply across its less communication network for AGCL on sched-
station along AGCL’s pipeline. ABB’s control sys- as the first few centers of the AGCL distribution customers including tea estates spread across ule, to allow secure, real-time data acquisition
tem helps AGCL to regulate the gas flow accord- network would end up utilizing more gas and six districts of upper Assam area. through SMS, email, mobility and data access.
ing to the requirements of each tea estate. exhausting their quota beyond the pre-defined The SCADAvantage™ system facilitates ABB’s SCADA technology plays a significant
ABB’s pressure regulation (metering, filtration limit, while users at the end of the pipeline advanced control and real-time monitoring role in city gas distribution (CGD) networks,
and pressure-let-down) skids, ultrasonic-based would not receive the required gas supply for of gas flow from a remotely located control helping utilities to detect gas leakages and
metering module solution and the advanced their tea estates. Additionally, manual collec- room. It is a high-quality solution that enables pressure issues that could lead to accidents,
control system, ensure gas distribution to the tion of gas consumption reading from bigger safe and reliable management of distributed environmental hazards and revenue loss. It
last mile connection while maintaining the opti- industrial consumers and each tea estates, assets. On the completion of Phase I, ABB has also enables modernization of the manage-
mum pressure along the length of the pipeline. which are not located in industrial parks rather been awarded with additional contract for ment of gas transmission, distribution and
AGCL, a government of Assam undertaking, in interior areas always remain a mammoth 325 locations by Assam Gas Company Ltd.in scheduling. ABB’s leading SCADA technology is
transports natural gas to a large network and task. AGCL thus needed a modern digital solu- a competitive bidding process, to be carried well-positioned to be an enabler of moderni-
one of their biggest challenges was uneven tion to monitor, control and manage uniform out over the next four years as part of Phase zation for gas distributors across the world.

ADNOC Distribution joins key UAE suppliers

Operating an industrial plant is The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC)
and it’s subsidiary responsible for the operation
complex. There are constant
and maintenance of the Barakah Nuclear Energy
pressures to meet production goals
Plant, Nawah Energy Company (Nawah), have
while properly maintaining critical marked a key milestone in their joint efforts to
assets, like valves. There must be a develop the UAE’s nuclear energy supply chain
simpler way to predictively identify with the qualification of ADNOC Distribution as
and correct valve issues without the first local supplier of petroleum products.
overwhelming your workforce. ADNOC Distribution joins 73 local companies that
ENEC’s Business and Industrial Development
ADNOC Distribution is the first company in
the UAE to supply petroleum products for the
Barakah Plant, after being qualified on the
NASL within the highest safety-related cat-
egory ‘Q Class’. The qualification requires the
ability to adhere to the ‘nuclear grade’ NQA-1
standard, developed and maintained by the
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
(ASME).
These recent achievements are the result of

YOU CAN DO THAT

Team and the Nawah Quality Assurance team
have qualified to supply high-quality products for
the Barakah plant. These products include lubri-
cating oil, engine coolant and anti-rust, grease,
and fuels, which will be used across a range of
applications including the lubrication and fuelling
of engines and various industrial equipment.
Nawah and ENEC’s ongoing efforts to support the
development and growth of a local supply chain
that can meet operational service, spare parts,
and consumable requirements for the safe,
secure, and efficient operation and maintenance
of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant for at least
the next 60 years.

Emerson: pneumatic valve system with

Leverage OEM expertise to supplement your workforce with a scalable, remote monitoring service that can
help you keep critical valves performing to optimize your process. Emerson's Valve Condition Monitoring
program pairs your team with Emerson experts who utilize advanced analytics to interpret data from your equipment
wireless connectivity
and provide actionable insights. Data-driven recommendations enable you to deploy a more predictive maintenance
approach to minimize cost and process variability while improving plant reliability and safety. To learn more, go to Emerson has introduced a wireless automatic
Emerson.com/ValveConditionMonitoring recovery module (ARM) for its AVENTICS™ G3
electronic fieldbus platform that makes it easy
for technicians to perform pneumatic valve
system commissioning and diagnostics from a
mobile phone, tablet, or laptop computer.
The new wireless ARM module and AVENTICS G3
The Emerson logo is a trademark and a service mark of Emerson Electric Co. © 2019 Emerson Electric Co. fieldbus platform are ideal for pneumatic valve
system applications in the automotive, food and
beverage, tire, packaging, and metalworking
industries.
The wireless ARM module provides easy access to
the AVENTICS G3 fieldbus platform’s diagnostic and
commissioning capabilities via an internal Wi-Fi
access point and mobile website even when the
valve system is located inside a machine or on a
ceiling. It offers the visual benefits of a hard-wired
human machine interface (HMI) at a lower cost and
with higher flexibility. The wireless ARM module
generates error notification for alarms, voltage lev-
els, short circuits, module errors, open load errors,
and distribution errors to reduce system downtime.

22 October/November 2020 Valve World India & Middle East valve-world-india.com

 ALTERNATIVE POWER

Turning landfill waste into valuable energy

Landfill, the oldest and most widely used form of waste disposal, has been brought into the 21st Century by Dubai-based GESS. By recove-
ring methane from landfill sites, their gas-to-energy technology can both reduce harmful gas emissions and create electrical power.
By David Sear

In 2011, the Dubai Municipality awarded
sustainable project developer Green Energy
Solutions & Sustainability (GESS) a design,
build and operating contract to capture
methane gas from the Al Qusais Landfill.
The first project of its kind in the region,
GESS’s waste-to-energy facility helps to
reduce harmful methane emissions
while generating power for on-site and
municipal use.
Comments GESS’s CEO/Business Develop-
ment Director Mrs Anita Nouri: “we work in
cooperation with Dubai Municipality who
owns and operates the Al Qusais Landfill,
which is the largest MSW landfill in Dubai
receiving over 7,000 tons of waste per day.
Our system captures the gas which is about
55% methane, a greenhouse gas that is 28
times more harmful than CO2. By flaring the
captured landfill gas we are reducing the
impact of methane to the atmosphere ena-
bling the project to be registered with the
UNFCCC* under the Kyoto Protocol as a large-
scale CDM*. We are reducing over 300,000
tons of CO2 per year and sell our credits to
Norway under a signed Emission Reduction
Purchase Agreement.”
Mrs Nouri adds that all municipal waste
landfills need to be degassed, and that this
is indeed mandatory in some areas such as
Europe. “Landfills are the biggest emitters of
methane from a human source to the atmos-
phere and are a major cause of global warm-
ing. In a perfect world the degassing system
would be designed and engineered in parallel
with the development of the landfill. In real-
ity this is far from the rule especially in this
part of the world. Any landfill that has at least
one million tons of waste can and should be
degassed and the captured gas subsequently
utilized for power.”
Photo showing just one of the manifolds before it was put inside the gas collection house. The
Al Qusais Landfill site has ten gas collection stations with manifolds that enable gas flows to be
monitored and regulated.
Viable technology
Mrs Nouri sees a promising future for land-
fill gas capture and utilization. “GESS has
amply demonstrated the viability of gas cap-
ture, having designed, engineered and built
the Al Qusais Landfill gas flaring and power
generation project. The system installed and
the units have been in operation for the past
eight years. We certainly have plans to roll
out this technology. GESS is targeting landfills
in the region and are in discussion to expand
throughout the region.”
In terms of technology, Mrs Nouri indicates
that valves are of course to be found in land-
fill gas capture systems. “It is ‘all about the
such careful regulation. “It is important
to regulate the flow which is why we are
monitoring the methane levels. If you put too
much suction pressure from the plant the
methane numbers can go down; not enough
pressure and the numbers go too high. Regu-
lation and monitoring are therefore key. So,
we have installed ball valves that have a port
for measuring, whilst larger butterfly valves
are used to control the flow according to the
readings we get. Landfills are living organisms
and you need to monitor the wells and the
flow of the gas.”
About GESS
Green Energy Solutions & Sustainability
LLC (GESS) is a project developer and
fully integrated service provider of
“Green Energy Solutions”. The company
is committed to the development of
clean and sustainable energy strategies
with a primary focus on waste manage-
ment in the MENA region specifically
flow’. The pipes installed are HDPE and the landfill gas project development.
valves that connect the pipes to the mani- GESS is based in Dubai, UAE.
folds, for monitoring the gas, for regulation Info: http://www.gess-uae.com/
of the gas flow, are all stainless steel with
NBR sealing. Stainless steel is required given
that landfill gas is classified as a sour gas and
would quickly corrode other metals. During
eight years of operation we have not had a Valve Insights
single problem with any of the installed base Ball valves: facilitate monitoring
of valves, so the additional cost for stainless Butterfly valves: for flow control
steel is money well spent.” Actuation: manual operation
Mrs Nouri further noted that landfill gas does Materials: NBR and stainless
not require high-pressure valves. Moreover, all steel (due to corro-
valves are operated manually; automation is sivity of landfill gas)
not needed. As a final thought, Mrs Nouri
touched on why the flow of landfill gas needs

* UNFCCC = United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

CDM = Clean Development Mechanism

Manali Petro to invest

150 crore
Manali Petrochemicals (Manali Petro) received
the board’s approval to increase the capac-
ity of Propylene Glycol (PG) from the existing
22,000 TPA (tonnes per annum) to 70,000 TPA by
addition of 48,000 TPA, at an estimated cost of
about Rs 150 crore. The project will be imple-
mented in two phases.
In the first phase, 24,000 TPA would be added at
a cost of around Rs 60 crore, to be met through
internal resources. Subject to receipt of regulatory
approvals, the project is expected to be completed
in 18-21 months. It may be noted that MPL is the
only domestic manufacturer of PG which is widely
used in pharmaceutical/Food & Flavours and also
for industrial applications. Subject to market condi-
tions, the present capacity is utilised by MPL in full.
The entire project will be handled in-house by
redesigning the current facilities to ensure cost-
effectiveness and the most prudent budgetary
practices, said the company.
On completion of the project, the company, the
only domestic manufacturer of the product,
will meet a substantial part of the country’s
annual demand of about 100,000 MT of PG. Cur-
rently, a significant quantum is imported, which
accounts for more than 75% of the entire coun-
try’s demand for PG. The substitution of imports
will save significant import bills and will also
propel India towards self-sufficiency in PG pro-
duction capability, said the company.

valve-world-india.com Valve World India & Middle East October/November 2020 23

PEOPLE & PRODUCT NEWS

Rotork supplies 250+ Bechtel appoints Justin Siberell as Region President

Bechtel announced the
electric actuators to appointment of Justin Siberell
as president for Europe and
the Middle East the Middle East region.
In his new role, Siberell will
be responsible for overseeing
the company’s relations in the
region, supporting Bechtel’s
four business units as they
deliver projects and pursue new
opportunities. He will be based
in the company’s London office.
Siberell joins Bechtel after a
distinguished 27-year career
in the U.S. Foreign Service,
most recently as the U.S.
Ambassador to the Kingdom
of Bahrain. From 2012 to 2017,
Siberell held key roles in the
U.S. State Department’s Bureau
of Counterterrorism, including
heading the bureau as Acting
Coordinator for Counterter-
rorism. He also served in the
State Department’s Execu-
tive Secretariat, the Bureau
for Near Eastern Affairs, and
on the staff of the National
Security Council at the White
House. Siberell’s career
included postings as a mem-
ber of U.S. diplomatic missions
in the United Arab Emirates,
Iraq, Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan,
and Panama.
Siberell holds a Bachelor of
Arts degree in History from
the University of California at
Berkeley and is a graduate of
the U.S. State Department’s
Arabic Language Field School in
Tunis, Tunisia.

Bidirectional knife-gate valves from Expert

Rotork has supplied over 250 IQ3 intelligent elec-
tric actuators with IW quarter-turn gearboxes,
five GP heavy-duty scotch yoke pneumatic actua-
tors, and five SI electro-hydraulic actuators for
use at an oil production site in the Middle East.
The actuators will be installed on a remote
header application at one of the world’s largest
exporter of crude oil and condensates. The actu-
ators will be used to control the flow of crude oil
from remote header manifolds to nearby refiner-
ies for further processing.
Rotork’s IQ3 multi-turn actuator allows for
unparalleled data analysis of a valve’s condi-
tion and operational status delivered through
an intuitive user interface and advanced dual-
stacked display. In this application, the IQ3s
have been installed with IW quarter-turn worm
gearboxes which enable them to reach a torque
output range of up to 826,888 Nm (609,881 lbf.
ft). The gearboxes include low lead angle gearing
designed to be inherently self-locking.
The Rotork GP pneumatic quarter-turn actuator is
designed to provide a rotary movement for either
on/off or modulating duty. Featuring corrosion-
resistant cylinders, the GP can deliver an output
torque of up to 600,000 Nm (442,500 lbf.ft).
The SI range of intelligent self-contained electro-
hydraulic actuators offers a unique and reliable
solution for electric fail-safe and both two posi-
tions and positioning control.
Expert Valve & Equipment Pvt Ltd has environment friendly and comply with health
recently added DN450 bidirectional knife-gate and safety requirements too.
valves to its range. With a two-piece body Expert, founded in 1981 and located in Bela-
construction, these valves are capable of a gavi, Karnataka, India has grown to become a
tight shut off thanks to the soft-seat design trusted partner and OEM supplier of industrial
and can facilitate flow in either direction as valves for leading companies in India, Russia,
applications may demand. The compact and Europe, Middle East and Africa. The portfolio
robust design is offered in a variety of mate- currently includes Gate, Globe & Check valves,
rials of construction and actuation options, Knife-gate valves, Bellow seal valves, Forged
which makes the valve ideal for demanding steel valves, Butterfly valves, Wafer Check
applications like slurry, wastewater and so valves & Non-Slam Check Valves. To find
on. Apart from complete quality assurance more details about Expert’s product offerings,
and superior workmanship, these valves are please visit: www.expertvalves.com.
DOMO: PEEK solution to replace PAI Bilfinger signs
DOMO Chemicals has expanded its
THERMEC™ range of enhanced poly- digitalization contract
mers, with the introduction of a cost-
efficient product based on polyether with Saudi Tabreed
ether ketone (PEEK), blended with a
Babcock Borsig Service Arabia Ltd. has signed its first
solid polymeric lubricant. The new
digitalization contract with Saudi Tabreed Operations
solution, which is now available in 200C°, and resistance to high load-
& Maintenance Company. This is the first digitaliza-
India, has been specially developed bearing conditions, is required. Fur-
tion awarding secured by Bilfinger Middle East for the
to replace polyamide-imides (PAI), thermore, it grants a lower density of
region. Saudi Tabreed, a highly experienced district
without impacting performance. 1.32g/cm3, compared to a PAI solution
cooling scheme operator in the Kingdom of Saudi
THERMEC™ K is an innovative of 1.42g/cm3.
Arabia with its headquarters based in Khobar, Eastern
experimental product that has been In addition to offering comparable
Province, operates as a subsidiary of Saudi Tabreed, a
developed at DOMO’s Mumbai-based tribological properties to PAI, THER-
closed joint-stock company between Tabreed & Vision
laboratory in India, a huge market for MEC™ K can be processed using a
Invest Company. With a world’s largest cooling port-
friction and wear-resistant materials. standard injection moulding pro-
folio of about one million refrigeration tons, Tabreed
The solution is suitable for numer- cedure. This means that the use of
owns, operates (other private, government, semi-
ous industrial applications, includ- complex cold injection moulding
government and private entities) 83 plants across the
ing bushings & bearings, aerospace equipment followed by a lengthy
GCC (KSA, UAE, QATAR, Bahrain & Oman).
parts, pump & valve components, steam curing process is unnecessary.
Through the support of Bilfinger Digital Next, a cor-
medical instrument parts, and food THERMEC™ K offers a wide range
porate startup of the leading industrial service pro-
processing machinery components. of material property benefits that
vider Bilfinger, Babcock Borsig Service Arabia Ltd. had
DOMO’s Mumbai team has shown range from exceptional properties
implemented a pilot project in Q4 2019 at a plant
that THERMEC™ K is suitable for at elevated temperatures, chemi- operated by Saudi Tabreed in Riyadh to evaluate the
numerous applications, especially cal resistance, mechanical strength, Energy Optimization possibilities using the BCAP
when low wear, low coefficient of strong wear and fatigue resistance, (Bilfinger Connected Asset Performance) platform.
friction at temperatures of up to and dielectric strength.

24 October/November 2020 Valve World India & Middle East valve-world-india.com