From vision to market Turning first-of-a-kind ideas into reality
Making ideas commercially viable Scaling up first-of-a-kind or new solutions from lab, pilot, or demonstration plant scale to industrial scale is complex. During the development phases, new insights usually lead to process/product changes and improvements. These changes then need to be tried and tested before they can be implemented in the final design.
Concept
Lab scale
With a portfolio of over 90 first-of-a-kind projects, we work alongside our customers at different project stages – from technology development to commercialization.
Pilot plant
Demonstration plant
Industrial implementation
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Got an idea? We’re with you every step of the way 1
Initial idea Basic principles have been defined
2
Application formulated Concept and application of solution
3
Concept needs validation Solution needs to be prototyped and applied
Initial Ideas
7
Pre-commercial demonstration Solution working in expected conditions
8
First-of-a-kind commercial Commercial demonstration, full-scale deployment in final form
Prototype testing
Demo plant
9
Scaling up
Industrial implementation and commercialization
Commercial operation in target environment Evolutionary improvement to enhance competitiveness
4 Early prototype Prototype proven in test conditions
10 Integration at scale Commercial and competitive, needs diverse deployment
5 Large prototype Components proven in conditions to be deployed
11 Proof of stability Predictable growth
6 Full prototype at scale Prototype proven at scale in conditions to be deployed
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Design and operate full-scale plant Value engineering and reliability engineering Logistics study Design and operate demonstration plant Energy performance improvement Build process model for scale-up Design and operate pilot plant
Our services
Process simplification for pilot plant
We'll work with you to inform and validate concept decisions, optimize processes, and set targets to aid technology readiness.
Build process (simulation) model Select unit operations Balance optimum conditions and economically feasible design Research and development
Throughout the journey, we identify potential risk areas and develop mitigation options to deliver safer designs and more reliable operations.
A huge amount of talent is invested every day to develop innovative solutions for our industries. We're here to help you bring these ideas to fruition, and contribute to delivering a more sustainable world. Geert Reyniers Senior Director – Process and technology
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Understanding what’s needed to monetize your ideas From assessment… Understand the current state of the process design Set expectations and align teams around common project goals
…to a path forward Build alignment within our integrated team
Review O&M issues around unit operations to list possible operational issues Drive early vendor involvement for efficient design of critical and long lead equipment Identify opportunities to improve constructability, operability, and maintainability Discuss previous results and lessons learned in similar unit operations Identify uncertainties and risks in each unit operation
Define basis for the initial action item list and risk register Discuss previous operations results, lessons learned and determine mitigations Develop action item list, additional study and testing needs Understand basis and intent of the design
Plan for safety in design
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Assessing ideas and technologies
A collaborative and structured approach to achieve success
The strategy table exercise will provide an explicit and diverse set of options or identified combinations for consideration.
A facilitated screening exercise will evaluate potential options against evaluation criteria, risks and opportunities. The options will be scored and tested under different scenarios with the customer team.
Feasible options or combinations will be promoted for conceptual, technical and economic assessment.
The options will be translated into a set of demonstration facility designs and an associated operating envelope for detailed evaluation.
This forms the basis for the demo facility, which will be developed in detail. This will be driven by its ability to achieve the overall objectives related to risks and economic returns.
Additional cost-saving ideas and practical constraints are considered to improve the demo facility further.
The design is optimized by establishing capital improvements through concepts like lean design and modularization.
A path forward is outlined to commercialize and penetrate the market.
Critical intellectual property gained through piloting will be identified to ensure value is recognized and protected.
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Process safety considerations
Shaping scale-up and business decisions to avoid technology risks What are some areas we explore with our customers?
Lack of thermodynamic and physical properties especially VLE and LLE
“The greater the scale-up factor, the greater the uncertainty”
Limitations of heat transfer capacity
Flow pattern and pressure drop issues
Extrapolation risks of experimental data from simulation models
Impact of recycle streams
Non-Newtonian fluid issues
Full scale equipment/piping dynamics
Environmental constraints
Mixing time impacts from scale-up
Changes in equipment type from laboratory or pilot plants
Reaction time and kinetics Aging/poisoning of catalyst
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Commercializing a technology requires three key skill elements
Technology Readiness Level (TRL)
It’s a detailed process that includes IP identification and protection, research and development management, and technology marketing TRL 9
Systems proven in operational environment
TRL 8
System operationally implemented
TRL 7
Demonstration plant installed
TRL 6
Pilot plant installed
TRL 5
Prototype / Laboratory scale
TRL 4
Simulations established
TRL 3
Proof of concept established
TRL 2
Concept formulated and defined
TRL 1
Innovation capture
Intellectual property (IP) protection • IP protection maintenance • Operational protection • IP strategy implemented • IP strategy created • IP (innovation) identified
Research and development
Technology marketing
• Market feedback and improvement • Solution development • Scale up • Technical development • Research management • Technical & market risk assessment • Innovation capture
• Product sales • Technology marketing • Technology transfer • Solution implementation • Product development • Commercialization/ business strategy • Market assessment
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Our experience From lab to production: Reducing the time to market
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Our selected first-of-a-kind experience
Americas
• Ineos Styrolution Technology developm ent, FEED and EPCM services for a styrene acrylonitrile plant • Ineos Styrolution/Agilyx Engineering partner to design a commercial scale polystyrene chemical recycling facility • Confidential customer Scale-up design of a bio-acrylic acid pilot plant
90+
first-of-a-kind projects
EMEA
• Velocys Engineering services for a commercial plant producing jet fuel from municipal solid waste • VITO Design and engineering of a lignin depolymerization to aromatics pilot plant • Avantium Engineering services for a plant producing FDCA and PEF from plant sugars • ArcelorMittal Sustainable bioethanol production from carbon-rich industrial waste gas • Confidential customer Design of a novel propane/butane refrigeration pressurized vessel storage system • Confidential customer Glacial acrylic acid from CO 2 technology evaluation
APAC
• Queensland Nitrates Pty Design of a green hydrogen to ammonia nitrate plant • Confidential customer Scale-up design of a biomass to graphite pilot plant • Confidential customer Detailed engineering services for a viscose staple fiber plant
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Bringing a next-generation plastic to the market Avantium is developing its first flagship plant that will support the transition to a bio-based economy for plastics. The plant will produce 100 per cent plant-based FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid) – a key building block for many chemicals and plastics such as PEF (polyethylene furanoate). PEF is a novel, fully recyclable, bio-based polymer with improved barrier performance and thermal properties. It has the potential to impact the packaging, textiles, and plastic film industries significantly.
Avantium Renewable Polymers has completed lab research to demonstrate its new YXY® plant-to-plastics technology in a pilot plant.
“The Worley team brings strong expertise in technology assessment and has extensive experience in scaling up first-of-a-kind plants. We highly value our collaboration with Worley in the next exciting stage of development.” Tom van Aken, CEO of Avantium
We are carrying out the FEED for the new flagship plant that will make FDCA and PEF commercially available. We also completed the concept development phase.
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Clean jet fuel dreams becoming a reality We’re delivering the pre-feasibility, feasibility and FEED packages to Velocys for what will be Europe’s first waste-to-jet-fuel plant, in Immingham, North East Lincolnshire, close to the Humber estuary.
When the plant is operating it will receive 500,000 tonnes of waste every year that was destined for landfills or incineration, and create sustainable fuel.
The Altalto facility will turn municipal solid waste into clean-burning fuel for both the aviation and vehicle industry.
The fuel will meet regulatory standards and can be used in planes and road vehicles without engine modifications being needed.
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Meeting soaring demand for specialty chemicals in the US Acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA) is a specialty polymer widely used in the automotive and construction industries due to its outdoor weatherability – high gloss, good UV and heat resistance, and impact strength.
We collaborated as an integrated team during the technology development and progressed into FEED. We are currently working on the EPCM phase of the project.
INEOS Styrolution is developing a facility that will produce 100 kilotons of ASA. It’s a first-of-its-kind plant for the customer in the US.
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Using green hydrogen to produce ammonia The study will determine the viability of producing green hydrogen at commercial scale at Queensland Nitrates Pty’s existing manufacturing plant in Queensland, Australia to feed a new ammonia plant, which in turn is fed into an existing ammonium nitrate chemical facility. When the hydrogen is fed into the new ammonia plant, it will produce 20,000 tonnes of ammonia every year from 3,600 tonnes of green hydrogen.
The proposed plant will produce 20 per cent of the ammonia used by QNP which is currently purchased from third parties. This project feasibility was undertaken in conjunction with Neoen, who will supply electricity from a large wind, solar or battery hybrid farm. When constructed, it will be one of the first commercial-scale green hydrogen to ammonia facilities in the world.
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Creating a new way to store hydrocarbons onshore C2 and C4 hydrocarbons are typically stored in spherical or cylindrical tanks, which can be expensive and labor-intensive. The challenge was to create a cost-effective solution to store these hydrocarbons onshore. In ships, they can be transported and stored in different ways: refrigerated, semirefrigerated, or under pressure. We worked closely with a customer and its supplier (a specialist in storage tank technology of sea-going vessels) on a new concept to store ethylene, propane and butane onshore.
We designed a storage facility around three onshore refrigerated pressurized vessels. This included all ancillary equipment including the complex tank support and foundations. Although normally used in ships, this type of storage had never been done onshore before. We collaborated with the technology supplier on a solution that contractors would be able to build and install. We also optimized tank operations and considered all safety and environmental needs at the congested industrial site.
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Not every idea is a good idea Our customer explored a novel process to make glacial acrylic acid from carbon monoxide. The customer had piloted various steps in the process and considered a scale-up to a commercial unit. We carried out an in-depth review of the technology and commercial design.
We found a fatal flaw in the technology and some serious safety concerns. Based on our evaluation, the customer was able to avoid a multi-million dollar failed investment.
This included review of the unit operations, consideration of the effect of recycle streams, waste handling, safety issues, simulation checks and review of pilot plant reports.
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