Licensing

urea technology
Providing integral innovative technologies
for reliable, cost-efficient urea plants
Content

1 About us 4

2 Urea licensing 5

3 A winning product from a winning player 7

4 Innovation 9

5 Safurex® stainless steel: resistant to corrosion 10

6 Stamicarbon’s urea processes 11

6.1 Synthesis 1: Avancore® urea process 14

6.2 Synthesis 2: Urea 2000plus™ Pool Condenser Concept 16

6.3 Synthesis 3: Urea 2000plus™ Pool Reactor Concept 18

6.4 Low-pressure recirculation section 19

6.5 Evaporation section 20

6.6 Waste-water treatment section 21

6.7 Finishing technology 1: Fluid-bed granulation 22

6.8 Finishing technology 2: Prilling 24

6.9 Finishing technology 3: Pastillation 25

6.10 Urea in solution for NOx reduction 27

7 UAN Process 28

8 Mega Plant Concept 30

9 Full life cycle support 32

9.1 Plant operation 33

9.2 Plant maintenance 33

9.3 Plant improvement and debottlenecking services 35

9.4 Equipment supply 36

9.5 Process control & optimization solutions 37

9.6 Plant staff training 38

Information sheets 39

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 1 About us
Stamicarbon, the licensing and IP center of Maire
Tecnimont, is the global market leader in the development
and licensing of urea technology and the supply of services
to its customers.
Stamicarbon’s solutions are the accumulation of generations
of high-quality research and in-depth knowledge of our
customers’ processes, requirements and operating practices.
Around the world, over 250 urea plants have used or are
currently using our technology. Our innovation is continuous:
working in close cooperation with research institutes,
suppliers to the urea business, and our licensees, we are
constantly developing new technologies and upgrading our
existing technologies. Stamicarbon’s head office is in Sittard,
The Netherlands. Our representative offices are in Beijing,
China and Moscow, Russia. The offices addresses can be
found on the attached sheet in the back cover.
Our expertise
Wherever our customers are based in the world, they can all
draw on Stamicarbon’s more than 60 years of experience in
the urea industry. We also work with a number of reputable
4 5
engineering, procurement and construction (EPC)
contractors, suppliers of specific products and critical
equipment and technology suppliers. Together, this network
offers the expertise that enables us to create the best
solution for your business. An overview of our contractors
and suppliers can be found on the attached sheet in the back
cover.
What we do
Our Full Life Cycle Services include:
• Licensing and process design of grass root urea plants
• Revamping existing urea plants
• Plant commissioning support
• Equipment procurement services
• Equipment supply
• Engineering services
• Trouble-shooting, both mechanical and operational
• Equipment and plant inspections
• Plant Staff Training
• Process control & optimization solutions
• Feasibility studies
Urea licensing
2
Our market-leading urea licensing expertise
includes the following elements:
Providing technology licenses for new
urea plants
Traditionally, many urea plants are built under LSTK (Lump
Sum Turn Key) conditions. In these cases, Stamicarbon
provides its urea license, process design and related
services through licensed contractors, who have been
carefully selected to ensure that they have the capability and
experience to implement large-scale ammonia/urea
projects. Their names can be found in the supplement at the
back of this brochure. Nowadays alternative contract models
become increasingly relevant in mitigating project costs and
risks. As a result, Stamicarbon has diversified its urea
licensing options, tailoring our services to the needs of
specific projects.
Process design package
Contractors or customers who obtain a license to apply the
Stamicarbon urea process are supplied with a
comprehensive process design package.
This generally includes:
• Process description
• Material balance, steam balance and cooling water
balance for different operating modes - all with
accompanying process flow diagrams
• Piping and instrumentation diagrams (PID’s)
• Equipment data sheets
• Instrument index, setting list and data sheets
• Data sheets for safety valves
• Logic diagrams and functional control diagrams
• General design and material specifications
• Operating manual
• Process Performance Guarantees.
Our comprehensive process design package enables an
experienced engineering contractor (who is ultimately
appointed by the customer) to:
- Carry out the basic & detailed engineering (E)
- Procure equipment and materials (P)
- Construct the plant (C).
Thanks to the expertise and capabilities of our licensed
contractors, customers’ projects will be executed both
professionally and competitively.
Project execution services
Stamicarbon can provide the following services at any point
during project implementation - either directly to the
customer or indirectly through a contractor:
• (Critical) equipment supply
• Equipment inspection services
• Basic Engineering Design Package (BEDP)
• Front-end Engineering Design (FEED)
• Contractor guidance and control
• HAZOP assistance
• Plant Operators Training, using state-of-the-art Operator
Training Simulator (OTS)
• (Pre-)Commissioning and Start-up support
• Plant simulation and optimization
• (Pre-)Commissioning and Start-up support
 3 A winning product from a winning player

Technology exchange Replacement of high-pressure urea equipment

In some cases, customers may require information
additional to that supplied in the process design package.
To meet this need, we provide customers with any additional
information or expertise they require, through training,
know-how exchanges and symposia, or other methods
agreed with our customers. In cases where our customers
need something completely new, we will work jointly with
them to develop the required adjustment.
Revamping existing urea plants
In a dynamic business environment, customers’ needs will
shift due to changing market conditions and governmental
regulations. Stamicarbon has developed several safe, cost-
effective and environmentally friendly revamp schemes to
enable urea producers to cope with these changes.
Depending on customer requirements, Stamicarbon can
develop a tailor-made solution based on proven technology
and the best engineering practices. We offer detailed plant-
performance studies to our customers to determine revamp
needs, plus a variety of revamp technologies, including
capacity expansion technologies, and services to ensure that
those needs are met.
When the high-pressure equipment comes to the end of its
life, there is a real opportunity to improve the efficiency and
capacity of a plant. Stamicarbon can provide solutions that
not only improve your high-pressure equipment, but also
require only minimum changes and minimum downtime in
your plant.
Experience us for yourself
Stamicarbon is the global market leader in the development
and licensing of urea products and technology. We invite
potential licensees to visit one of our plants so they can see
for themselves how we boost operational flexibility, reduce
maintenance requirements and increase on-stream times.
After the visit, we will work closely with you to assess your
needs and develop a customized proposal for your urea plant.

With a market share of over 50%, Stamicarbon is the
world’s leading player in the field of urea licensing.
This position is the result of our:
Extensive experience
Stamicarbon has over 60 years’ experience in licensing its
urea technology. In fact, we have licensed over 250 new urea
plants and have completed over 90 revamp projects in all
kind of urea plants. A complete list of references is available
in our Reference List brochure.
Leading innovations
Stamicarbon has been at the forefront of urea research and
innovation for over half a century. As a result, we have been
able to revolutionize the urea production process several
times.
experienced engineers, contractors and material and
equipment suppliers. In creating a new plant design, the
task force used the Urea 2000plus™ technology, Safurex®
material, Avancore® technology, fluid-bed granulation
technology, as well as their extensive experience, gained
from completing many successful plant revamps. As a result
of such work, plant investment costs were cut massively in
the past and will continue to be cut in the future.
Our competitive advantages include:
• Low plant height
• Low investment, operating and maintenance costs:
minimum cost of ownership
• Competitive energy consumption figures*
• Stochiometric raw-material consumption figures*
• Low emissions and effluents*

Low costs The typical consumption figures can be found in the

Our latest urea plants were designed by our task force of supplement at the back of this brochure.

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State-of-the-art urea production technologies
Stamicarbon technologies offer customers a variety of ben-
efits, including:
Excellent performance
• Unparalleled synthesis efficiency with high conversion of
ammonia and carbon dioxide
• Low temperatures and pressures in the urea production
process
• Easiest operations
• High on-stream time and utilization rate
• Meeting all product quality standards
• Long turnaround intervals (3-4 years)
• Compliant with the most stringent environmental
requirements
Simplicity and reliability
• Minimum number of high-pressure equipment items and
piping
• The only urea process that requires only one single
recirculation stage
• Superior corrosion resistance of duplex stainless steels
used in plants
• Stable and easy to operate process
• Unbeaten lifetime of critical equipment
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Flexibility
• Single-train capacity allowing for up to 6000 mtpd
• Various synthesis choices: Avancore® or Urea 2000plus™
Process both featuring a pool condenser or a pool reactor
• Multiple finishing choices: Fluid-bed Granulation, Prilling
and Pastillation
• Urea Ammonium Nitrate (UAN) and Ad-Blue/SCR/
automotive grade urea solution technologies available as
an integrated, cost-efficient design
Sustainable technology
For Stamicarbon, sustainability is a precondition of
innovation, while Safety, Health, and Environment (SHE)
awareness is a key condition for sustainable licensing. This
focus ensures our technology is efficient, environmentally
friendly, reliable and above all, safe.
Collaboration
In order to create and improve innovative urea plants,
Stamicarbon collaborates with a number of suppliers of
critical equipment to ensure product quality. Stamicarbon is
also collaborating with all leading ammonia technology
suppliers. Further we co-develop new technologies with
strategic partners. The names of these companies can be
found in the supplement at the back of this brochure.
Global reach
With the experience of licensing in more than 80 countries,
we have the tools to meet your requirements - wherever in
the world you need us.
4 Innovation
At Stamicarbon, we recognize the power of innovation.
That’s why the professionals in our Technology Department
are always on the look-out for innovative ways to renew,
improve and add to the portfolio of products that we offer
our customers. We spend about 10% of our turnover on
developing breakthrough innovations. Working together with
R&D groups, universities, customers and suppliers, our
Technology Department creates technologies that optimize
the urea production process. This has resulted in a number
of developments that have improved the urea production
process.
These developments include:
• Passivation of urea synthesis by air
• CO2 stripping process
• Application of 25-22-2 steel
• N/C measurement system
• Non-destructive testing techniques
• Online Leak Detection System
• Waste-water treatment section
• UAN Process
• Urea 2000plus™ Pool Condenser Concept
• Safurex® duplex stainless steel material (together with
Sandvik Material Technology)
• Urea granulation technology (fluidized bed type)
• Siphon jet pumps
• Urea 2000plus™ Pool Reactor Concept
• Integrally geared CO2 compressors
• Mega Plant Concept (e.g. 6000 mtpd)
• Pastillation technology processing urea or UAS (together
with Sandvik Process Systems)
• Zero-emission technologies (featuring acid wash and/or
flare systems)
• RADAR level measurement in the high pressure reactor
and high pressure stripper (together with Vega)
• Avancore® urea process
 5 Safurex® duplex stainless steel:
resistant to corrosion
Stamicarbon has a long and distinguished track record in
developing superior, cutting-edge urea plant materials.
X2CrNiMoN 25-22-2
With the introduction of the high-pressure stripper in the
Stamicarbon urea process, a new stainless steel was
needed. Together with Sandvik, a Swedish stainless-steel
supplier, we developed the X2CrNiMoN 25-22-2 material in
the mid seventies. This in urea plants widely used austenitic
stainless steel, has superb corrosion resistant properties in
carbamate solutions; however still needs oxygen for
passivation.
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6 Stamicarbon’s urea processes
Safurex® At Stamicarbon, we are committed to the continuous overall design, piping and construction. The Urea 2000plus™
Despite the success of the 25-22-2 material, Stamicarbon innovation and development of our technologies so we can synthesis section incorporates either a high-pressure pool
continued the search for ways of developing even better provide our customers with the best urea production reactor, or a high-pressure pool condenser combined with a
materials. The ultimate breakthrough came in 1996 with the technology available. vertical reactor.
creation of a special duplex steel grade called Safurex®,
developed together with Sandvik Materials Technology. This One acknowledged breakthrough was our Urea 2000plus™ The following chart shows the development of the
innovative material is highly resistant to corrosion. It has technology - a major improvement on our well-known CO2 Stamicarbon urea process over the last decades and the
already been demonstrated that Safurex® allows for stripping process. Urea 2000plus™ is an innovative process consequences for the plant height.
drastically reduced oxygen intake (upto now 0.1% in CO2 that reduces the plant height considerably and simplifies its
supply).
Safurex® offers numerous significant benefits, including:
• Lower emissions
• Lower corrosion rates, leading to longer lifetimes
• No risk for active corrosion
• No stress corrosion cracking
• No risk for condensation corrosion
• No risk for crevice corrosion
• Better mechanical properties, allowing for smaller wall
thickness and piping
• Improved fatigue properties
• Improved weld ability
What’s more, Safurex® requires a lower investment than
traditional materials and offers you a nearly maintenance-
free urea plant with a significant longer lifetime than any
other commercially available urea process.
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 Our latest development is the Avancore® urea process, which
further enhances our proven Urea 2000plus™ technology. In
the plant height chart the Avancore® technology is shown in
a configuration for large capacities plants with a pool
reactor and vertical high-pressure reactor.It reduces the
required plant height to just 25m.
The Avancore Urea process
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This obviously has brought down investment costs
considerably. However the Avancore® process is also
available with only a pool reactor for urea plants up-to
medium capacities. Customers can now choose among
basic synthesis concepts that use either Avancore® or the
Urea 2000plus™ technology.
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6.1 Synthesis 1: Avancore® Urea Process
The Avancore® urea process is a new urea synthesis concept
that incorporates all the benefits of Stamicarbon’s earlier
proven innovations. The Avancore® urea process combines
the advantages of Urea 2000plus™ technology, Safurex® and
experiences gained from revamp projects.
Urea 2000plus ™
The Urea 2000plus™ technology already provided the
technological advantage of improving heat transfer in the
condensing part of the urea synthesis, achieved by the
application of pool condensation, and increasing the available
temperature difference over the condenser by combining
carbamate condensation and urea reaction in one vessel.
Safurex®
Safurex® material has demonstrated best corrosion
resistance (no active corrosion, no stress corrosion cracking,
no condensation corrosion and no crevice corrosion). The
ammonia emissions are also kept to an absolute minimum.
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Features Avancore®
• No high-pressure scrubber
• Pool condensation
• All gravity flow
• Low elevation
• Best corrosion resistance
• Minimum ammonia emissions
• Low maintenance synthesis
• Lower investment
Revamp experiences
Experiences gained in revamp projects have also led to the
incorporation of the following innovations into the Avancore®
urea process:
Low elevation lay-out of the synthesis section
While the urea synthesis loop still relies on gravity flow, thus
offering maximum reliability, the equipment elevation has
been reduced, allowing for lower investment.
Reduced-pressure inert washing system
The vapor leaving the urea synthesis section is treated in a
scrubber operating at a reduced pressure, with the
carbamate solution coming from the downstream low-
pressure recirculation section as absorbent. As a result, no
additional water needs to be recycled to the synthesis
section, meaning that the urea reaction is therefore not
affected.
The Avancore® urea process works as follows:
Ammonia and carbon dioxide are introduced to the high-
pressure synthesis using a high-pressure ammonia pump
and a carbon-dioxide compressor. The ammonia, as well as
the carbamate solution from the downstream recirculation
section, enters the pool reactor. The major part of the carbon
dioxide enters the synthesis through the high-pressure
stripper counter-current to the urea/carbamate solution
leaving the reactor. On the shell side, the high-pressure
stripper is heated with steam. The off-gas of the high-
pressure stripper, containing the carbon dioxide, together
with the ammonia and carbon dioxide resulting from
dissociated carbamate, is fed into the pool reactor. The minor
part of the carbon dioxide entering the synthesis as a feed
enters the vertical reactor at the bottom in order to produce
sufficient heat for the endothermic urea reaction. In the pool
reactor, ammonia and carbon dioxide are condensed to form
carbamate and a substantial part of the conversion to urea is
already established here. The heat released by condensation
and subsequent formation of carbamate is used to produce
re-usable low-pressure steam. Downstream from the pool
reactor, the urea-carbamate liquid enters the vertical reactor
located at ground level. Here, the final part of the urea
conversion takes place. The urea solution then leaves the top
of the reactor, all by gravity flow (via an overflow funnel)
before being introduced into the high-pressure stripper.
Gases leaving the vertical reactor are combined with the
gases leaving the pool reactor and are fed into the scrubber
operating at a reduced pressure. Here, the gases are
washed with the carbamate solution from the low-pressure
recirculation stage. The enriched carbamate solution is then
fed into the pool reactor. This enriched carbamate flow
contains no more water than in earlier generations of
Stamicarbon CO2 -stripping plants, meaning that the
conversions in the synthesis section are as high as ever.
Inert gases leaving the scrubber at reduced pressure
containing some ammonia and carbon dioxide are then
released into the atmosphere after treatment in a low
pressure absorber.
Optional is a flash at a reduced pressure of the liquid leaving
the high-pressure stripper, after which the resulting vapor is
mixed with the vapor leaving the urea synthesis and the
carbamate solution coming from the downstream low-
pressure recirculation section. Additional carbamate
condensation in this mixture is done at the shell side of the
first stage evaporator. This option allows for a decreased
high-pressure steam consumption in the high-pressure
stripper, while low-pressure steam consumption is
decreased due to the carbamate condensation supplying
heat to the first stage evaporator.
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 6.2 Synthesis 2: Urea 2000plus™ Pool Condenser Concept
The Urea 2000plus™ Pool Condenser process
works as follows:
Ammonia and carbon dioxide are introduced to the high-
pressure synthesis using a high-pressure ammonia pump
and a carbon dioxide compressor. The ammonia then drives
an ejector, which conveys a carbamate solution into the pool
condenser. In the high-pressure stripper, the carbon dioxide,
entering the synthesis as a feed, flows counter-current to
the urea solution leaving the reactor.
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On the shell side, the high-pressure stripper is heated with
steam. The off-gas of the high-pressure stripper, containing
the carbon dioxide, together with the dissociated carbamate,
is then fed into the pool condenser. In the pool condenser,
ammonia and carbon dioxide are condensed to form
carbamate, and a substantial part of the conversion to urea
is already established here. The heat released by
condensation and subsequent formation of carbamate is
used to produce re-usable low-pressure steam.
After the pool condenser, the remaining gases and a urea-
carbamate liquid enter the vertical reactor. Here, the final
part of the urea conversion takes place. The urea solution
then leaves the top of the reactor (via an overflow funnel)
before being introduced into the high-pressure stripper.
Ammonia and carbon dioxide conversions in the synthesis
section of a Stamicarbon carbon dioxide stripping plant are
high, reducing the need for a medium pressure stage to
recycle any unconverted ammonia and carbon dioxide. As a
result, the Stamicarbon CO2 stripping process is the only
commercial available process that does not require a
medium-pressure recirculation stage downstream from the
high-pressure stripper. Gases leaving the reactor are fed
into the high-pressure scrubber. Here, the gases are washed
with the carbamate solution from the low-pressure
recirculation stage. The enriched carbamate solution is then
fed into the high-pressure ejector and, subsequently, to the
pool condenser. Inert gases, containing some ammonia and
carbon dioxide, are then released into the 4-bar absorber.
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 6.3 Synthesis 3: Urea 2000plus™ Pool Reactor Concept
The Urea 2000plus™ Pool Reactor process works
as follows:
Unlike the Pool Condenser concept, the Pool Reactor
concept combines the condenser and reactor within a single
pool reactor. This is achieved by enlarging the horizontal
condenser so as to incorporate additional reactor volume.
As a result, it becomes possible to achieve sufficiently high
residence times, eliminating the need for a separate vertical
reactor, while creating the conditions that will allow the
reaction to reach its optimum condition. The high-pressure
18
scrubbing operation can also be simplified in the Pool
Reactor concept by placing the scrubber sphere above the
pool reactor and adding the ammonia to the synthesis via
this scrubber. This ensures that no separate heat-
exchanging section in this scrubbing operation is required.
In the Pool Reactor concept, carbamate from the low-
pressure recirculation section flows together with the
absorbed gases and the ammonia via a sparger into the pool
reactor. As the static liquid height ensures gravity flow, no
high-pressure ejector is needed.
6.4 Low-pressure recirculation section
This stage recovers the ammonia and carbon dioxide still
present in the urea solution coming from the high-pressure
stripper. Thanks to the low ammonia and carbon dioxide
concentrations in the stripped urea solutions, the
Stamicarbon CO2 stripping process is the only process that
requires just one single low-pressure recirculation stage.
Coming out of the stripper, the urea solution is fed into the
dissociation heater, where most of the ammonia and carbon
dioxide are removed. The heat required for this heater is
derived from the condensation of the low-pressure steam
produced in the urea synthesis. The ammonia and carbon
dioxide are then fed into the low-pressure carbamate
condenser, where they are condensed. Because the ratio
between ammonia and carbon dioxide in the recovered Before entering the urea solution tank, part of the water
gases is optimal, the quantity of water needed to dilute the present in the urea solution is evaporated by further pre-
resultant ammonium carbamate solution can be kept to a flashing in two steps (atmospheric and sub-atmospheric).
minimum, maximizing conversion figures for the urea plant. The vent gas from the recirculation stage is practically free
The resultant carbamate solution is fed, via a high-pressure from ammonia because it is scrubbed in an atmospheric
carbamate pump, back to the synthesis as a scrubbing agent absorber.
in the high-pressure scrubber.
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 6.5 Evaporation section
Before the entire urea production process is complete, the
urea solution present in the urea solution tank must be
concentrated. The urea solution is therefore sent to an
evaporation section. The topology of this evaporation section
depends on the applied finishing section (prilling,
granulation or pastillation). Depending on the requirements
of the finishing section, the evaporation section may, for
example, consist of two consecutive evaporators, where the
water in the urea solution is evaporated under vacuum
conditions. The remaining urea melt has a urea
concentration varying from 96 to 99.7wt%, depending on the
requirements of the downstream finishing section.
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6.6 Waste-water treatment section
The process condensate coming from the evaporation
section, together with other process effluents such as
sealing water from stuffing boxes, contains ammonia and
urea. All of the process condensate is collected in the
ammonia water tank. From this tank, the water is fed to the
top part of the desorber. In the top part of the desorber, the
bulk of ammonia and carbon dioxide are stripped off from
the water phase by using the off-gas from the bottom part of
the desorber as a stripping agent. The descending effluent
still contains urea and some ammonia. To remove this urea,
this effluent is then fed to the hydrolyzer. The hydrolyzer is a
liquid-filled column. In the hydrolyzer, the urea, at elevated
pressure and temperature, is dissociated into ammonia and
carbon dioxide by the application of heat (steam) and
retention time. The process condensate feed is kept in
counter-current contact with the steam in order to obtain
extremely low urea content in the hydrolyzer effluent. The
remaining ammonia and carbon dioxide in the effluent of the
hydrolyzer are stripped off with steam at a reduced pressure
in the bottom part of the desorber. The off-gases leaving the
top part of the desorber are recycled to the synthesis section
after being condensed in the reflux condenser. The purity of
the remaining water satisfies requirements for boiler feed
water make-up or cooling water make-up - which means
that Stamicarbon urea plants do not produce a waste-water
stream.
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 6.7 Finishing technology 1: Fluid-bed Granulation
Today, the most commonly used finishing technology is
fluid-bed granulation, which was commercialized by
Stamicarbon in response to changing market needs. In less
than 10 years after its introduction, Stamicarbon’s fluid-bed
granulation technology has been licensed over 15 times for
commercial scale plants, including capacities exceeding
3500 mtpd. The plants using this technology are operating at
or above their original design capacity, producing superior
products complying with all required product quality
standards. Nowadays the Stamicarbon market share
reaches over 30%.
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Stamicarbon’s fluid-bed granulation technology
offers:
• Large reductions in formaldehyde content compared to
other fluid-bed granulation technologies
• Unprecedented uninterrupted run times, which can
exceed 100 days before washing of the granulator is
required
• Excellent product quality (spherical, with a smooth
surface)
• More stable operation conditions in a wide operating
window
• Low urea dust formation, resulting in a lower wet recycle
• Low opacity at outlet granulation vent stack
• Substantial savings on operational costs when compared
to other fluid-bed granulation technologies
• Excellent surface properties for downstream coating (for
specialty fertilizers)
Film spraying:
The key of the success of the Stamicarbon urea granulation
technology is the film spraying characteristic of the nozzles.
This way of spraying not only requires a minimum amount of
formaldehyde, but also reduces the amount of dust formed
compared to other fluid-bed granulation technologies.
Principles of Stamicarbon’s fluid-bed granulation
process:
A urea melt stream with a urea concentration of 98.5wt% is
introduced into the fluid-bed granulator through the
injection headers, which are connected to the urea melt line
and the secondary air system. Each injection header
comprises vertically placed risers fitted with spray nozzles
that create a liquid film that subsequently is distributed onto
the seed particles in the fluidized bed. The secondary air,
required to transport the granules through the urea melt
film, is provided by a secondary air fan. Urea formaldehyde
is added to the urea melt as a granulation additive and anti-
caking agent. It also improves the granule crushing
strength. The granulator is divided into a granulation section
and a cooling section. In both sections, fluidization air is
evenly distributed to fluidize and cool the granules. Seed
(recycled) material is introduced into the first chamber of
the granulation section.
The urea melt is then distributed over this seed material. As
the granules move through the granulation section, their
size steadily increases by layering until they reach the
required granule diameter. Fluidization air and secondary air
are exhausted from the top of the granulator by means of an
off-gas fan downstream the granulator scrubber. In the
scrubber, the air is washed with diluted urea solution, and
the cleaned air is exhausted into the atmosphere. Part of the
scrubbing solution is recycled to the scrubber. A purge
stream is also pumped to the urea-dissolving vessel and
recycled to the urea melt plant. The product from the
granulator passes a safety screen to separate the lumps.
The lumps are conveyed to the dissolving tank. A bucket
elevator lifts the urea granules onto screens, where they are
classified. Fine product is recycled to the granulator. Coarse
product is cooled and then crushed to a smaller size and
added to the fine recycle flow. On-size product is transported
to the product cooler, where it is cooled in a solid flow heat
exchanger. The solid flow cooler is cooled with cooling water.
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 6.8 Finishing technology 2: Prilling
The prilling process operates as follows:The urea solution is
concentrated to 99.7% urea in two subsequent evaporators
under vacuum. The resultant urea melt is prilled with the aid
of a rotating prilling bucket, designed by Stamicarbon. Using
an optional technique, called seeding, prills with a better
impact-resistance are obtained. These prills are very
resistant to degradation during product handling. The urea
melt droplets fall down in a tower, while crystallizing to
become prills. Typical diameter is about 2.0 mm.
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6.9 Finishing technology 3: Urea pastillation
Stamicarbon continuously endeavors to improve the urea The pastillation process offers the following
process and has introduced the Rotoformer® pastillation advantages:
process designed by Sandvik Process Systems as a very • Very low dust emissions
useful alternative or addition to the traditional finishing • Simple solution to realize very low ammonia emissions
techniques of prilling and granulation. Applications for the • Very low power consumption
pastillation process are found in the production of special • More uniform product
urea compositions or for small revamp capacities. The • Good crushing strength even without adding
pastillation process has been successfully employed in the formaldehyde
petrochemical, chemical, food and fertilizer industries since • Flexible production by switching on/off pastillation lines
the early 1980s and there are currently more than 1500 • Lower investment costs
pastillation units in operation worldwide. • Possibility of producing controlled-release urea and
mixed fertilizer
The pastillation principle
The pastillation principle brings together the specially
designed drop-former with the outstanding features of the
steel belt cooler. This technology is ideal for removing
bottlenecks, for upgrading the prill tower or granulation
section, or for the production of specialty urea products
(UAS S-urea, multi nutrients). Premium-quality pastilles can
be produced at low investment costs, low operating costs
and with minimum emissions.
25

The urea pastillation process
Mechanically, a single pastillation unit for urea pastillation
consists of a drop-former feeding device at the beginning of
a moving steel belt and a scraper at the discharge end. The
feed to the pastillation unit is urea melt concentrated in two
subsequent evaporators under vacuum. The urea is
introduced in molten form to the droplet former. The droplet
former consists of a rotating drum which shell contains
rows of small holes. The heat released during crystallization
and cooling is transferred through the stainless-steel belt to
the cooling water. Under no circumstances can the cooling
26
6.10
water come into contact with the urea product. After
solidification, the pastilles are smoothly released from the
steel belt via an oscillating scraper. The product then falls
directly onto a conveyor belt for transfer to storage. The
section above the moving steel belt is enclosed with a hood
and vented to an existing vent system. There is no visible
urea dust emission, only some ammonia vapors which can
be easily removed from the very small air flow by means of a
normal atmospheric absorber. Several pastillation units can
be installed in parallel in order to achieve higher capacities.
Urea in solution used for NOx reduction
Ad Blue or DEF are some of the brand names for a 32.5 %
urea solution used in diesel engines to reduce the NOx
emissions of such engines. Due to the increase in
environmental consciousness more and more countries
enforce stringent regulations on NOx emissions for diesel
engines, which result in an increasing part of urea being
used for this application.
As a licensor of urea technology, Stamicarbon is in an ideal
position to develop a state-of-the-art solution not only
taking into account the current regulations but also
anticipating future developments and requirements.
Although it seems easy to make such a solution without an
in depth knowledge of the application it is used for, crucial
and costly mistakes are easily made.
Realizing this, Stamicarbon has thoroughly investigated all
the requirements, evaluated the options and designed a cost
effective solution for our customers ensuring, guaranteed,
the highest quality product for now and for the future.
Such a solution used for NOx reduction cannot be made by
simply diluting or dissolving urea as it was thought
originally. It has to be virtually free from everything but urea,
which proves to be a challenge as most urea contains a
certain concentration of free ammonia, biuret and
formaldehyde. This is often out of the required specification,
and as such, prone to either damage or foul the expensive
catalyst, used for NOx reduction.
This is however not the only issue. Also the water added for
dilution or the water formed while producing urea, contains
an unwanted byproduct (corrosion or polymerization
products) which is not acceptable for the market. Not every
plant is directly suited to produce such a urea solution and
as result of this, investments may well be much higher than
originally anticipated.
Stamicarbon designs will supply a reliable and high quality
solution for the long term with lifetime support.
27
 7 UAN Process
The Stamicarbon partial-recycle CO2-stripping process is
eminently suitable for the manufacture of Urea Ammonium
Nitrate (UAN) solutions. The ratio of unconverted ammonia
to urea is such that the required ratio between urea and
ammonium nitrate for the production of UAN solutions can
be achieved directly. Ammonia still present in the stripped
urea solution, together with the ammonia in the reactor’s
off-gases, is converted into ammonium nitrate in a
neutralization reactor using nitric acid. UAN solution
product is obtained by mixing the urea and ammonium
nitrate solutions. The Avancore® and Urea 2000plus™
process can both be applied for the Stamicarbon UAN
process.
The UAN process works as follows:
In the high-pressure synthesis section, carbon dioxide and
ammonia are converted into urea in very much the same
way as in the previously described processes. The urea
formation is an equilibrium reaction, so the urea solution
formed contains unconverted ammonia and carbon dioxide.
Stripping with carbon dioxide causes the greater part of
these components to evaporate from the solution.
28
Evaporated ammonia and carbon dioxide, together with
fresh ammonia and carbon dioxide, are condensed in the
pool reactor, the heat from this condensation being used to
produce low-pressure steam. The condensed ammonia and
carbon dioxide are partly converted into urea and water. In
the low-pressure dissociation section, the stripped urea
solution is almost entirely freed from ammonia and carbon
dioxide. The overhead vapors of the reactor, mixed with off-
gases from the dissociation section and the ammonia
present in the urea solution from the urea solution tank, are
all sent to the neutralization section. The neutralization
section comprises a neutralizer, an (optional) ammonium
nitrate storage tank, a mixing pipe, a UAN storage tank and
off-gas purification equipment. The neutralizer consists of a
U-type combination of a circulation tube and a mixing tube
with a separator. It operates just above atmospheric
pressure. The ammonia-containing gases from the urea
plant are fed into the bottom of the mixing tube; the nitric
acid is introduced somewhat lower in the circulation tube.
Ammonia and nitric acid react exothermically to form
ammonium nitrate according to the following reaction
equation:
HNO3 + NH3 <-> NH4NO3
Nitric Acid + Ammonia <-> Ammonium Nitrate
The presence of liquid in the circulation tube and of the gas-
liquid mixture in the mixing tube causes the fluid to
circulate. The heat from the reaction is used for the
evaporation of water and to increase the temperature to
about 135°C. The pH of the solution is controlled by the
addition of nitric acid. The gas and liquid phases are
separated in the separator, the liquid being sent to the
(optional) ammonium nitrate storage tank.
In the mixing pipe, the following substances can be
mixed:
• Urea solution, still containing some ammonia
(temperature 110°C)
• Ammonium nitrate solution, containing some 0.4% HNO3
(temperature 135°C)
• Ammonia
• Nitric acid
• Acidic condensate from off-gas purification
Here again, the heat from the reaction is utilized to increase
the temperature and to evaporate water. The ammonium-
nitrate-to-urea ratio is controlled at about 4:3. The pH is
controlled at 5-6 pH by means of the nitric acid feed. The
resultant UAN solution is either stored or pumped to battery
limits. The off-gases from the neutralizer are treated in the
off-gas purification section. Nitric acid is supplied to this
section to neutralize any ammonia that is contained in the
off-gases from the neutralizers. Part of the liquid effluent
from the purifier flows down to the mixing pipe; the
remainder can be sent to battery limits and is generally
used in a nearby nitric acid plant.
29
 8 Mega Plant Concept

Large urea plants require large high-pressure equipment
that are more costly to manufacture and transport. While
straightforward scaling up remains certainly feasible for
6000 mtpd (for which we checked the deliverability of all
equipment), Stamicarbon has developed a lower cost single
line Mega Plant concept that allows for the same capacity. In
the Stamicarbon Mega Plant concept, a proportion of the
liquid effluent from the reactor is diverted to a medium-
pressure recycling section, thereby reducing the size of the
high-pressure vessels needed. In fact, thanks to the Mega
Plant concept, the size of the required high-pressure
equipment and lines will not exceed the size of equipment
needed for a 4000 mtpd pool condenser type CO2-stripping
urea plant! A Mega Plant can be built with Avancore® or
Urea 2000plus™ technology.
The Mega Plant process works as follows:
About 70% of the urea solution leaving the urea reactor
flows to the high-pressure CO2 stripper, while the remainder
is fed into a medium-pressure recirculation section. This
reduced liquid feed to the stripper in turn reduces not only
the size of the stripper needed, but also the heat exchange
area of the pool condenser. The degree of stripping
efficiency is adjusted to ensure that as much low-pressure
steam is produced by the carbamate reaction in the pool
condenser as is needed in the downstream sections of the
urea plant. About 30% of the urea solution that leaves the
reactor is expanded and enters a gas/liquid separator in a
recirculation stage operating at a reduced pressure. After
expansion, the urea solution is heated by medium-pressure
steam. By heating the urea solution, the unconverted

separator, it flows into an adiabatic CO2 stripper, which uses

carbamate is dissociated into ammonia and carbon dioxide.
Our Mega Plant Concept does not need the ammonia recycle
section or the ammonia hold-up steps that are commonly
seen in competitors total recycle urea plants. This is
because the low ammonia-to-carbon dioxide molar ratio in
the separated gases allows for easy condensation as
carbamate only. The operating pressure in this medium-
pressure recirculation stage is about 20 bars. After the urea
solution leaves the medium-pressure dissociation
carbon dioxide to strip the solution. As a result of this
process, the ammonia-to-carbon dioxide molar ratio in the
liquid leaving the medium-pressure recirculation section is
reduced, facilitating the condensation of carbamate gases in
the next step. The vapors leaving the medium-pressure
dissociation separator, together with the gases leaving the
adiabatic CO2 stripper, are condensed on the shell side of
the evaporator. The carbamate formed in the low-pressure
recirculation stage is also added to the shell side of this
evaporator. The heat released by condensation is used to
concentrate the urea solution. Further concentration of the
urea solution is achieved using low-pressure steam
produced in the pool condenser. The remaining
uncondensed ammonia and carbon dioxide leaving the shell
side of the evaporator are sent to a medium-pressure
carbamate condenser. The heat released by condensation in
this condenser is dissipated into a tempered cooling water
system. This process forms medium-pressure carbamate
that contains only 20-22wt% water. The carbamate is
transferred via a high-pressure carbamate pump to the
high-pressure scrubber in the urea synthesis section. The
urea solution leaving the adiabatic CO2 stripper and the
high-pressure stripper are expanded together in the low-
pressure recirculation section.

30 31
 9 Full life cycle support

Successful urea plants comply with all applicable rules and Examples of Stamicarbon’s full life cycle support
regulations and produce products efficiently and effectively are:
with maximum on-stream times. However, as plants get • Corrosion inspection of the critical urea equipment
older, it may become increasingly difficult to maintain • Process analyses and plant optimization
efficient production and full compliance. Many urea plants • Debottlenecking ideas and life study
have been designed for a service life not greatly exceeding • Simplification of the urea process steps for ease of
twenty years. However, such plants can remain competitive operation
due to the depreciated initial capital investment. Well • Supply of critical equipment items
maintained and upgraded with state-of-the-art technology, • Schemes for sustained maximum output
these plants succeed in producing at competitive cost prices. • Operator training programs
To ensure that our customers’ urea plants remain
competitive, we offer a range of activities and services
covering the complete life cycle of a plant:
• Plant operation
• Plant maintenance
• Plant improvement and debottlenecking services
• Equipment supply
• Advanced Process Control and optimization solutions
• Plant staff training

9.1 Plant operation 9.2 Plant maintenance

How do you ensure your urea plant not only operates in a
sustainable manner, but also produces its products at
maximum capacity and maximum on-stream times? The
solution is to optimize equipment and processes. To help
customers ensure their urea plant operates with maximum
efficiency, we have developed a range of plant operation
services to improve plant performance, production and
energy consumption.
These services are usually carried out within the framework
of a Plant Performance Assessment. Throughout this
assessment, we pay special attention to:
• Minimizing ammonia consumption
• Minimizing energy consumption
• Minimizing effluents
• Maximizing plant on-stream time
• Maximizing plant capacity
Stamicarbon offers a range of services to ensure that your
urea plant is well maintained. These include:
Corrosion inspections
We offer corrosion inspections to assess the general
condition of urea plants and to determine the remaining
lifetime of tubes, lining and equipment. In addition,
recommendations for inspection intervals are provided.
Equipment criticality assessment
It is vital that producers know the criticality of their
equipment (i.e., the probability that it will fail and the
probable effects of any such failure). Equipment failure may
not only have economic effects, such as costly plant
shutdown and repairs, but also serious health, safety and
environmental implications.

32 33
 Re-lining of high-pressure urea equipment
Over time, the alloy protection lining in high-pressure urea
equipment may become so thin that the equipment needs to
be replaced. But in fact, replacement of the equipment as a
whole is often unnecessary! We are experts in replacing the
alloy protection lining in high-pressure urea equipment -
extending the lifetime of the equipment by many years. All
our re-lining services follow a carefully planned preparation
to ensure minimum down-time and optimum results.
Replacement of high-pressure equipment
Choosing the right replacement for your high-pressure
equipment can be difficult. That’s why Stamicarbon
cooperates with customers to make customized high
pressure equipment that not only incorporates the most
advanced process and mechanical design features, but that
is also designed and manufactured in the shortest lead-time
to ensure minimum down-time and maximum production
yield/output.
The Stamicarbon services can include:
In addition to the supply of high pressure equipment,
Stamicarbon can also supply other critical items such as:
34
• High pressure piping and its components
• RADAR-based level measurements
• N/C meter (measuring the NH3 /CO2 ratio, which is an
important steering parameter in urea synthesis)
• Leak Detection Systems for high pressure equipment
• Prilling buckets
Next to this Stamicarbon is very experienced with
providing the following services:
• Customized equipment specifications in consultation with
the customer
• Preparation of the Invitation to Bid
• (Technical) Evaluation of the bids and manufacturer
selection together with the customer
• Inspections during equipment manufacturing to check
compliance in accordance with the Stamicarbon
specifications (from process and mechanical/corrosion
point of view)
• Expediting during fabrication
• Assistance during installation and start up of equipment
Stamicarbon provides you a single point of contact for
your critical urea equipment with high equipment quality
and shortest lead times, resulting in optimum utilization
of your plant.
9.3 Plant improvement and debottlenecking services
Stamicarbon has carried out more than 90 revamp projects
at all kinds of urea plants, including both Stamicarbon and
non-Stamicarbon plants. Thanks to a combination of state-
of-the-art technologies and expert know-how, our revamp
services can dramatically improve plant performance.
Rigorous onsite revamp study
The desire to increase the profitability of the plant, or the
replacement of critical equipment, is often the initiation for
a revamp study.
At the start of the process, Stamicarbon performs a rigorous
onsite revamp study to determine the present performance
of the plant and to design the optimum revamp solution.
A revamp may lead to:
• Increasing plant capacity
• Reducing ammonia consumption and emissions
• Optimizing energy consumption
• Increasing product quality
• Increasing plant reliability
Debottlenecking
One of the revamp services offered by Stamicarbon is
debottlenecking.
Debottlenecking will enable your urea plant to:
• Take full advantage of the plant’s design margins
• Boost urea production with the same number of people
and basic infrastructure
• Reduce total fixed and operating costs, lowering the price
of the urea produced
• Improve the plant’s competitive advantage
Debottlenecking concepts
Debottlenecking your urea plant effectively will depend on
the availability of feed, utilities and particular plant
limitations. And because the availability of feed stocks and
utilities varies from site to site, we have developed several
debottlenecking concepts that enable us to meet your exact
requirements. Depending on your needs, even a combination
of debottlenecking concepts can be implemented. This table
details some of the concepts available and the expected
capacity increases:
Concept type Expected capacity increase
More In, More Out 10 - 30 %
Double Stripper 30 - 40 %
MP add-on 30 – 50 %
Pool condenser / reactor 50 -100 %
The reference for the given capacity increase is the
nameplate capacity. It should be noted that the actual
achievable plant capacity increase depends on the original
design margins of the large capital equipment.
35
 9.4 Equipment supply
The design and fabrication of the high pressure synthesis is
the most critical part of the development and construction of
a new urea plant. Replacements of equipment units are even
more critical, given their design constraints and the very
time sensitive nature of such projects.
Design and engineering of high pressure equipment and
piping systems for urea plants is an expertise in which
Stamicarbon has more experience than any other party. We
offer our clients access to our knowledge and expertise
through our Equipment Supply services.
The combination of our design and engineering
competences with our in-depth knowledge of the fabrication
process, results in a very efficient delivery of high quality
reactors, heat exchangers, piping and valves.
Flawless project execution is guaranteed through our own
specialized project management and the close co-operation
with our carefully selected equipment fabrication partners.
The availability of high quality Safurex® materials for our
equipment supply projects is warranted through our unique
36
strategic partnership with Sandvik, the leading stainless
steel manufacturer and co-developer of Safurex®.
Stamicarbon, together with its partners provide one point of
responsibility of critical high pressure equipment and piping
systems. We have extensive experience in both delivering
total high pressure synthesis systems and critical
equipment replacements.
We provide all the necessary services to ensure that our
customers get unmatched quality in equipment and support.
Customers turn to us in particular when faced with time
critical or complex challenges such as the need for on-site
assembly of equipment because of transportation limits.
Nowadays a majority of our customers choose Stamicarbon
as the supplier of equipment and piping systems based on
our proven and reliable track record.
9.5 Process control and optimization solutions
Stamicarbon is committed to give Full Life Cycle support to
customers and wants to be best in class also in the field of
advanced process control.
Sirius@Max® (STAMICARBON IPCOS REAL TIME UREA
SOLUTIONS) is the result of the combination of
Stamicarbon’s leading urea process knowledge and IPCOS’
state-of-the-art Advanced Process Control (APC) technology
called INCA, specifically designed for Stamicarbon Urea
plants.
The Sirius@Max® solution is implemented using a phased
methodology. The first phase focuses on the optimization of
the base layer controls, whilst the second phase focuses on
the implementation of the APC solution.
Layered approach
Optimized base layer control provides more stable operation
throughout the entire urea plant, and helps reduce the
impact of disturbances on the plant with minimal operator
intervention. The Sirius@Max® Urea APC solution will
optimize the operation of the unit minute to minute, every
hour of the day, ensuring maximum efficiency and stability.
The Sirius@Max® Urea APC solution helps you achieve
optimal operation of your urea plant, by pushing it closer
towards the active constraints like:
• Limitation on condensation capacity in synthesis/low-
pressure section
• Exceeding ammonia emission limits
• Available CO2-compression capacity (max. RPM compressor)
• Stripper flooding
The benefits are obvious
• Increase overall plant stability:
Due to the typical complexity (high degree of interactions
and recycles) of a urea plant, the INCA APC controller is
the perfect tool to reach the optimal, stable operating
point in a straightforward way.
• Maximize throughput:
Once the desired stability is reached, the INCA APC
controller will be used to smoothly maximize the urea
production by increasing e.g. CO2 flow without violating
any of the operating constraints.
A typical constraint can be the maximum pressure of the
reactor or a too low cooling water temperature at the
inlet of the low pressure carbamate condenser.
• Increase yield:
By increasing the yield in the high pressure reaction
section, less carbamate will be recycled which will result
in minimization of the energy consumption of some 0.5 %.
In addition, reduced emissions, increased uptime, minimal
alarms (operators can focus on essential operations), and
improved equipment reliability can be achieved due to
consistent, best-practice operation.
SIRIUS@MAX® at work
Sirius@Max® contains a Yield Optimization Module, which is
based on a detailed rigorous model of your urea plant. This
module computes the optimal yield point online. The optimal
yield point changes with the active constraints and process
conditions. This means that it has to be calculated in real
time.
It can be proven that the optimal yield point coincides with
the point of minimal specific steam consumption.
Sirius@Max® can therefore guarantee maximal throughput
under the optimal energy conditions. These ideal operating
conditions are enforced on the plant via the Advanced
Process Controller.
The APC controller is also responsible for stabilizing the
plant by reducing the process variations. In addition, the
APC system will drive the plant towards the most
economical constraints (e.g. not exceeding pressure in the
recirculation section).
Revamping the plant up and down in a very efficient and
almost hands free way is one of the possibilities of the
Sirius@Max® system. This is very useful before and after
granulator cleaning actions.
Via an Open Process Control (OPC) server these optimal
control signals are communicated with the DCS. With the
use of an OPC interface any common and modern DCS is
able to integrate with the Sirius@Max® system.
37
 9.6 Plant staff training

To help customers ensure that their urea plant operates

with maximum efficiency, we developed tailor made training
programs on process as well as process control, mechanical
and inspection subjects to improve skills of plant staff (e.g.
Head of Section, chief supervisors, shift engineers,
maintenance and inspection engineers).

A typical training program consists of the following subjects:

• Unit operations involved as well as the philosophy of the
chosen process lay-out
• Fundamental theory behind the process design
• Control strategy
All technical and other information contained herein is based on general Stamicarbon experience and within this limit is accurate to the best of our
• Trip schedules knowledge. However, no liability is accepted therefore and no warranty or guarantee is to be inferred. Copyright Stamicarbon BV. All rights reserved.
• Operations, discussion covering the control of key No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or any means without the permission of Stamicarbon BV. You will acces its contents solely for
your own private use and will comply with all applicable laws and regulatory requirements relating to your use of this information.
parameters in the plant
• Special operating cases, trouble shooting in a urea plant.
• Maintenance Experience
• Failure mechanisms
• Non Destructive Inspection Methods
• Corrosion phenomena in traditional steel materials of
construction and Safurex®.

38 39

Stamicarbon is the licensing and IP Center of
Maire Tecnimont. Stamicarbon has offices in
Sittard (The Netherlands), Beijing (China) and
Moscow (Russia). For further information:
www.stamicarbon.com
Contact us
Maire Tecnimont S.p.A. is the parent company of For more information on what Stamicarbon
an Engineering & Construction International can do for your organization, please contact us at:
industrial group which operates in three
sectors: Oil, Gas & Petrochemicals, Power, Phone.: +31 (0)46 423 7070
Infrastructure & Civil Engineering. The Group, Fax: +31 (0)46 423 7001
quoted on the Milan Bourse, is present in over Email: info@stamicarbon.com
30 Countries, controls over 50 operating www.stamicarbon.com
companies and can rely on a workforce of about
5,200 employees, of which more than half are Visiting address:
located internationally. Its main offices are in Stamicarbon B.V.
Rome and Milan, Italy. For further information: Mercator 2
www.mairetecnimont.it 6135 KW Sittard
The Netherlands
Mailing address:
Stamicarbon B.V.
PO Box 53
6160 AB Geleen
The Netherlands