Tandem gate valves for the Catalytic Reformer (Power Former) unit at ExxonMobil’s Antwerpen Refinery

CHALLENGE:

To engineer and supply high-temperature tandem gate valves with a customized face-to-face distance and specific features to ensure safe, leak-tight performance in a catalytic reforming process exceeding 550ºC — while meeting strict quality and testing requirements, and adapting to complex logistics for shipment.

SOLUTION:

AMPO POYAM VALVES designed and delivered highly engineered tandem gate valves for ExxonMobil’s Antwerpen Refinery in Belgium. These valves are installed in the Power Former unit, where they will play a crucial role in enhancing the quality of naphthas and producing high-octane hydrocarbons, significantly improving gasoline octane ratings. Additionally, the process generates hydrogen as a byproduct, further contributing to industrial efficiency.Each tandem valve was designed with customized bonnet extensions, special packing designs and premium materials to prevent hydrogen emissions, high-performance coatings and special materials in diverse components. Given the complexity of the tandem configuration, specific quality control measures and tests were also carried out to meet the demanding requirements of this application. Additionally, due to the large size and unique design of the valve set, a special transportation method was required. Taking into account customer’s commitment to quality, ExxonMobil requested a complete assembly test at AMPO’s facilities before shipment.These are the first AMPO tandem gate valves to be installed in this process at the Antwerpen Refinery, although the customer has previously implemented several AMPO POYAM valves in similar applications. The exceptional performance of our valve solutions in previous projects motivated ExxonMobil to replace existing valves with AMPO’s advanced technology to enhance plant reliability and efficiency.