Cannon Artes, a business of the Cannon Group, is a global engineering and construction company that provides tailored water and wastewater treatment plants for the oil and gas industry. The company shared the details of a new contract to construct a thermophysical deaerator using its proprietary ZeroGas technology at a Texas plant that produces blue ammonia.

During ammonia synthesis, a thermophysical deaerator removes the concentration of dissolved carbon dioxide (CO₂) and oxygen from boiler feedwater to help protect the steam generation system from the effects of corrosive gases.

Ammonia is a chemical compound consisting of nitrogen and H₂ and is commonly used to produce synthetic nitrogen (urea) fertilizers. It possesses numerous benefits as a carbon-free fuel and as a medium for the storage and transportation of H₂. Blue ammonia is a low-carbon alternative to the chemical compound which, when reconverted into H₂, does not produce any CO₂ and is used in fuel cell applications.

“Cannon Artes’ ZeroGas thermophysical deaeration is a specific technology in which dissolved gases are removed from the liquid phase by reducing the partial pressure of oxygen and CO₂ over the liquid surface by replacing air with steam. For this project we adopted the spray-and-tray configuration whereby the degassing process is achieved in the deaerating tower where make-up water is atomized on a set of special structured packing,” said Alessio Liati, Sales Director at Cannon Artes.

“Based on our ZeroGas technology, we have also developed vacuum degassing packages, which are a cornerstone for injection water treatment, a key process in upstream oil and gas production where high-pressure oxygen-free water is pumped around the oil reservoir to help increase and maintain high oil recovery levels. Currently, we have several of these projects initiated and ongoing worldwide.”

Water is a crucial resource for an array of products and processes in the pursuit of energy transition and Cannon is conscious of its responsibility to help empower the industry to use it sustainably. Additional water and wastewater treatment technology for energy transition processes includes carbon capture utilization and storage, and ultra-pure water for H₂ generation, EV batteries and the mining of related critical minerals.

Earlier this year, Cannon Artes was awarded by the Suez Oil Processing Company (SOPC) one of the largest ever turnkey contracts in Egypt to build a desalination and demineralization plant. The contract, which is part of the modernization of SOPC’s Suez refinery, is valued at an estimated $31 MM and is expected to come on stream by the end of 2024.

“Cannon Artes will be responsible for all stages of this huge assignment from detailed engineering design, construction and delivery of the entire water treatment infrastructure including pre-commissioning and commission, and start-up,” said Liati. “The scope of this major project provides our team with unique engineering challenges and calls upon our vast expertise, technology and know-how to realise this milestone facility for the Suez Oil Processing Company.”

The plant will be fed water from the Red Sea, which will be treated to provide high-purity demineralized water to feed high-pressure steam boilers and low-salinity make-up water for cooling towers. It will occupy an area of 76,900 sq. ft—roughly the size of a football stadium—with an overall capacity of over 1 MM³ft/d and will rely on Cannon Artes’ capabilities and experience in both desalination plants and customized solutions for refineries.