The LOTOS Group and Germany’s Linde AG, Engineering Division, have signed an agreement to build an Oxygen Generation Unit. The output oxygen will be used to increase the efficiency of desulphurisation of the components of fuels to be produced under the EFRA Project.

More efficient desulphurisation at the coking unit will be made possible by enriching the air used in the oxidation of hydrogen sulfide with oxygen (Claus process). The oxygen necessary in the process will come from the Oxygen Generation Unit to be built at the LOTOS refinery in Gdańsk.

The agreement on the design and construction of the unit was signed between the LOTOS Group and Linde AG, Engineering Division, on September 10th. It also defines the key terms and conditions of a future agreement on the unit operation, to be entered into with LINDE Gas Polska Sp. z o.o.

“In our technology, if we want to desulphurise the by-products of the EFRA Project, we need to increase our capacities for the production of sulphur from hydrogen sulfide at Claus units,” said Grzegorz Zgoda, head of the Engineering Support Office for the EFRA Project. “With the solution we have selected, this requires supplying oxygen to the units to improve the process efficiency.” Under the agreement, the construction of the Oxygen Generation Unit should be completed by June 2017.

On behalf of the LOTOS Group, the agreement was signed by Marek Sokołowski, Vice-President and Strategy and Development Director, and Grzegorz Błędowski, head of the EFRA Project. Linde AG, Engineering Division, was represented by Tobias Geisler-Kahlert, Project Manager. Foundations for the Oxygen Generation Unit will start to be laid in Q2 2016, and the first equipment will be installed in Q1 2017.

“Construction of the Oxygen Generation Unit is a significant element of the EFRA Project. Having selected a professional and renowned partner to perform the task, we expect the oxygen supplies to the Claus units to start without delay,” emphasised Grzegorz Błędowski, head of EFRA.
The agreement states that when completed, the Oxygen Generation Unit will be owned by the LOTOS Group. Other key facilities of the EFRA Project will be the property of LOTOS Asfalt.

About Lotos

Grupa LOTOS is a Poland oil company engaged in the business of production and processing of crude oil, as well as wholesale and retail sale of high quality petroleum products. Grupa LOTOS is a producer and supplier of a number of products, including unleaded gasoline, diesel oil, diesel oil for heating purposes (light fuel oil), aviation fuel and heavy fuel oil. It also specialises in the production and sale of lubricating oils and bitumens.

About Linde Group

In the 2014 financial year, The Linde Group generated revenue of EUR 17.047 bn, making it the largest gases and engineering company in the world with approximately 65,500 employees working in more than 100 countries worldwide. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards long-term profitable growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment – in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. The company is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.

Under the ”Clean Technology by Linde“ label, the company offers a wide range of products and technologies that help to render renewable energy sources financially viable, and significantly slow down the depletion of fossil resources or reduce the level of CO2 emitted. This ranges from specialty gases for solar module manufacturing, industrial-scale CO2 separation and application technologies to alternative fuels and energy carriers such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) and hydrogen.