ANALYSING THE ECONOMICS OF ONSITE GAS PRODUCTION

The economics are the main driver for the choice of an onsite gas production over an over the road supply. These economics depend on following major factors.

•    Does the technology exist to have a local production of the required gas qualities and quantities
•    Can I reach the sufficient economies of scale to make the onsite plant economically viable
•    Am I going to load the installed equipment sufficiently to allow a decent economics
•    Do I have the required infrastructure & space to cater for the installation of an onsite production plant
•    Can I provide for the necessary utilities (e.g. electricity)  at an acceptable cost
•    What are my supply options during break down or maintenance 
•    Do I have the trained resources to operate and maintain an onsite plan

Messer can advise on the cost and the solutions to be able to answer the above questions. Download a leaflet or request a conversation with an expert

ADVICE & ENGINEERING OF  THE RIGHT SUPPLY CONCEPT

Once the supply solution has been worked out and the economics confirmed, it is time to engineer the onsite plant and backup solutions ,  make the installation and maintenance resources available and turn the project in reality.

AVAILABLE SOLUTIONS FOR THE DIFFERENT GASES

PRODUCTION OF OXYGEN, NITROGEN

There are basically two air separation methods cryogenic and non-cryogenic. The cryogenic equipment is capable of supplying higher purity levels, but have a higher investment cost. They are however the only solution for larger quantities.

CRYOGENIC AIR SEPARATION

In cryogenic air separation units, the gases present in the air are separated according to the low-temperature rectification principle, making use of the gases’ differing boiling temperatures. We distinguish between three types of equipment: 
• Multi-product high capacity air separation units with optional liquefaction
• CryoGAN nitrogen generators : optimized for nitrogen production
• CryoGOX oxygen generators : optimized for oxygen production

NON-CRYOGENIC AIR SEPARATION

Non-cryogenic air separation processes work on the pressure swing adsorption principle or are based on separation by means of semipermeable membranes. The following types of units are well established:

• Pressure swing adsorption (PSA)
• Vacuum pressure swing adsorption (VPSA)
• Membrane units

For more information about onsite production of air gases like oxygen and nitrogen, either download the leaflet and request a conversation with an expert (select one of the two buttons below)

HYDROGEN PRODUCTION – AS INDIVIDUAL AS ITS USERS

Messer offers a whole range of technologies for the production of hydrogen and Syngas, with the choice of the optimum process depending on several factors. These include the application, volume requirement and purity. The experts from Messer will be happy to advise you on this.

Steam reformers use natural gas as a feedstock and can be used for both small and large hydrogen units. With the so-called steam reforming process, the feedstock is mixed with process steam, heated to approximately 480°C and then split in the reformer using a nickel based catalyst. In the CO Shift Reactor, in which carbon monoxide (CO) reacts with H₂O to form H₂ and CO₂ (catalytic conversion), the hydrogen content in the reformed gas increases further.

Finally, the hydrogen is purified in a PSA unit. It leaves the PSA unit under 15 to 30 bar of pressure and with a purity of up to 99.9995%.
For companies that already have a hydrogen supply but require higher purities for downstream use, Messer can supply hydrogen PSA units as separate units. They receive the hydrogen-rich gas flow and convert it into high purity hydrogen (>99.999%).
For more information about onsite production of hydrogen, either download the leaflet and request a conversation with an expert (select one of the two buttons below)

GAS ONSITE  PRODUCTION – FULL SERVICE OR PURCHASE

Messer operates many onsite production plants and supplies this expertise to many satisfied customers. But the engineering department also supplies turnkey solutions for customers who want to purchase the equipment. 
If you would like to have more information on the options select one of the below buttons and get a conversation with a specialist.