ECI Group Academy

News    ⋅    ECI Group Academy

ECI Group is delighted to launch our learning experience platform, ECI Group Academy, an online digital learning platform hosted by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB).

ECITB is the employer-led skills body for the Engineering Construction Industry in Great Britain. They have created a bespoke learning academy for ECI Group which will provide comprehensive online learning and training solutions specifically designed for the engineering and construction industry.

The ECI Group Academy provides access to more than 8,500 courses from recognised providers such as IAM Learning, IHasco, and Litmos which will be made available to ECI Group’s workforce based in Great Britain. Covering everything from project management and leadership skills to core fire safety and GDPR learning, the ECI Group Academy is designed to work hand-in-hand with ECI Group’s performance development process as well as covering all of the important areas that keep our company running smoothly and legally compliant.

Developing the expertise of our personnel is a core aspect of our company values, and ECI Group is excited about the opportunities this new learning platform will provide for our employees. Whether our employees are aiming to excel in their current roles, or eyeing that next step up the career ladder, the ECI Group Academy will provide all the resources they need.

We’re always looking for innovative ways to provide training and facilitate the professional development of our staff. Currently this learning platform is only available to employees in Great Britain, but we are making efforts to expand this platform to our global workforce. Stay tuned for any updates!

150kta Copolymer License

News    ⋅     ECI Group Secures First 150kta Copolymer License

ECI Group is pleased to announce it has signed a licensing agreement with Shaanxi Yanchang China Coal Yulin Energy & Chemical Co., Ltd. (YECC) to deliver a 150kta copolymer plant project using ECI Group’s proprietary hybrid reactor technology.

YECC is part of the Part of the Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum Group, China’s fourth largest oil producer with significant petrochemical production facilities based in Shaanxi, Northwestern China. The plant will be located in Yangqiaopan, Jingbian County, Yulin City, Shaanxi Province. ECI Group’s technology will enable the plant to produce 150,000 tonnes per year of LDPE, EVA, EBA and other high-value copolymer products, with the ability for future expansion of both capacity and product capability.

ECI Group will provide the technology license, process design package, expanded process design package, and detailed design for the high-pressure system as well as technical procurement services for the project and on-site technical support during installation, start-up, and performance assessment. ECI Group will be supported by Repsol who will provide extensive technical, operational, and commercial expertise. Repsol has over 40 years of experience producing LDPE, EVA, and EBA polymer products in its industrial complexes in Spain and Portugal.

ECI Group’s hybrid reactor technology has been developed from the well-proven ICI autoclave technology and offers a wide range of high-pressure polyethylene products, providing unrivalled operational efficiency, reliability, and flexibility. ECI Group’s hybrid reactor technology offers significant improvements in the product range, reliability, and expandability to the original ICI technology, and has been optimized to make use of modern materials, design techniques, standards, and industry best practices for construction, operation, and maintenance. Since 2021, ECI Group has licensed plant capacities of 50kta, 100kta, 150kta and 200kta, all using ECI Group’s standardised design approach. This licensing agreement with YECC demonstrates the reputation and versatility of ECI Group’s hybrid reactor technology.

Joaquin Flores, ECI Group’s President and CEO, said:

“ We are delighted that a client as esteemed as Shaanxi Yanchang China Coal Yulin Energy & Chemical Company has chosen ECI Group’s technology after a competitive tendering process and we look forward to successfully delivering this project for them.”

Chris Brock, ECI Group’s Business and Technology Director – HPPE, said:

“ ECI Group’s hybrid technology represents a modern approach to high-pressure polyethylene plant design, providing the best combination of production and reliability while providing a superior product range. It’s a game-changer for the industry, allowing clients to access a flexible slate of high-value products at world scale capacities. We’re excited to bring our offering to more clients around the world.”

ECI Group provides world-leading technology and engineering solutions for polymers around the world. ECI Group offers proprietary technology licenses for high-pressure polyethylene and multi-discipline engineering services that cover the full lifecycle of the project and the operating plant.

Long Service Award

News    ⋅     Long Service Award

This month Howard Crossley, ECI Group’s Chief Electrical & Instrument / Controls Section Lead, celebrates 40 years with the company.

Howard first joined Simon Carves as an engineering apprentice in 1984, training with the Simon Carves Engineering Training school. After completing his apprenticeship, Howard was sponsored through university where he obtained an MEng in Electrical Engineering from Loughborough University.

Howard now oversees the UK arm of ECI Group’s Electrical & Instrument / Controls division, providing engineering expertise to projects around the world.

“ As an Electrical Engineer within Simon Carves, I have been able to work on a diverse range of projects from petrochemical to agrochemical plants, nuclear facilities to pharmaceuticals plants, electronics factories to R&D establishments.

Throughout the decades of my career, the company has changed and adapted to various market pressures but one thing that stays the same is the dedication and professionalism of the engineers that work here. Many of my colleagues have followed a similar path from apprenticeship into engineering and this is a testament to the friendly and supportive environment provided by Simon Carves and ECI Group.”

“ Congratulations, Howard! It is truly an exceptional achievement to reach this milestone in your career. On behalf of the Board of Directors, myself and your many colleagues and friends here, I would like to thank you and celebrate your 40 years of commitment to ECI Group. Your valuable contribution has helped shape the company and allowed us to deliver top quality projects over the years.”

Project Case Study

News    ⋅     Project Case Study: Consultancy Services & CFD Modelling

ECI Group provides specialist services at all stages of plant lifecycle. An LDPE plant operating company recently reached out to us after experiencing corrosion problems close to one of the peroxide injection points on their reactor. ECI Group’s experienced engineers examined the overall system, then performed a formal root cause analysis to investigate the problem and identified solutions for our client.

A client operating a tubular homopolymer plant recently discovered localised corrosion in the tubes downstream of the peroxide injection point which required a number of shutdowns and tube replacements to continue safely running the plant.

The client approached ECI Group, and our experienced plant troubleshooting team performed an initial diagnosis of the potential likely causes. Subsequently, the client requested a formal Root Cause Analysis and a Computational Fluid Dynamics modelling study of the peroxide injector. ­

ECI Group identified and examined a number of potential root causes and focused on the most likely identified causes: the quality of the peroxide and the peroxide dispersion. These root causes were investigated in detail and CFD modelling confirmed that a small build-up of polymer could develop on the quill during certain flow conditions. This prevented the quill from adequately dispersing the peroxide and encouraged the peroxide to impinge and pool on the inner surface of the high-pressure tubing, causing corrosion. This was made worse by the presence of reactive species in the peroxide, which had been insufficiently neutralized by the peroxide suppliers.

ECI Group recommended a re-design of the peroxide injection quill and optimisation of the injection lens ring design. We also advised that the peroxide specifications were tightened to prevent the recurrence of reactive species, and that solvent flushing during or after the reactor shut down should be implemented.

If you are experiencing problems with your polymer plant, or believe it is not performing at its optimal level, then contact us today to see how our engineering experts can provide a solution. Regardless of the plant’s original license or design, ECI Group’s subject matter experts can help.

LDPE Conference

News    ⋅    17th LDPE Plant Improvement Conference

ECI was once again proud to be a Platinum Sponsor of the Uhde High Pressure Technologies 17^th LDPE Plant Improvement Conference. Held in Riga, Latvia between the 17^th and 18^th June, including a Burckhardt Compression LDPE Technology Day on 19^th June, the conference brought together 200 LDPE plant operators, key equipment suppliers, and service providers, enabling an open exchange of ideas and challenges as well as updates on technical advancements in the field of operating, maintaining and continuous improvement of high-pressure LDPE and EVA plants. Presentations focussed on key topics ranging from energy-saving and emission reduction strategies, safety-related decomposition and relief processes, and developments in state-of-the-art equipment best practices.

A World of High-Pressure Polyethylene beyond LDPE and EVA

Plant Improvement Alliance

First 200kta License Award

News    ⋅    ECI Group & Repsol Secure First 200kta License Utilizing Proprietary Hybrid Technology

ECI Group is pleased to announce that it has signed License and Engineering Agreements for Process Technology and Engineering Design with a confidential Chinese client for two lines of EVA production using ECI Group’s proprietary Hybrid Technology offering. This technology is capable of producing 400kta EVA total, each line producing 200kta. The plant will be part of the client’s integrated project to be located in Guangxi Province, China. ECI Group will provide the technology, design, and training for the two lines, as well as support through commissioning, start-up, and production.

Repsol, the multi-energy company, as ECI Group’s partner will provide its extensive technical, operational, and commercial expertise. Repsol has several LDPE, EVA, and EBA plants in its industrial complexes in Spain and Portugal and has over 40 years of experience producing award-winning polymer products in its high-pressure facilities.

ECI Group’s Hybrid Technology offering is unique in the industry as it allows for production of EVA and other high-value copolymers at capacities of 200 kta and higher, which was previously only possible with tubular reactors. The Hybrid technology offers the higher capacities of tubular lines with the expanded product capability of autoclave lines. In addition, ECI’s various proprietary design features and enhancements contribute to the overall effectiveness of the process and result in higher production with lower operating costs.

While the client declined to provide a comment citing project confidentiality, they noted that they had reviewed a number of technology options and made the decision to select ECI Group’s hybrid technology for a number of important reasons including the unmatched product range, lower operating costs, the design built for future product development capabilities and the reputation of Repsol as a long-standing producer of high-quality products.

Commenting on the signing of the contract, Joaquin Flores, President and CEO of ECI Group, said “This latest award is a game-changer for the industry. Clients now have access to a flexible slate of high-value products at world scale capacities. Our proprietary Hybrid Technology provides our client with the best combination of production, reliability while lowering operating costs and providing a superior product range. We are proud that this client chose ECI’s technology after carrying out a detailed analysis of the technology against competitors’ existing offerings, and we look forward to successfully delivering two lines of this first-of-a-kind design with the support of our partner Repsol’s market knowledge and product expertise.”

Hybrid Reactor Expansion

News    ⋅    ECI Group’s Proprietary Hybrid Reactor Expansion Technology Completes Successful Performance Test

ECI Group’s first deployment of its proprietary Hybrid Autoclave Reactor Expansion has successfully passed its performance tests and associated guarantees in record time. The plant in Zhejiang province, China had an original nameplate capacity of 72,000 metric tonnes per year of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) based on Versalis® autoclave reactor technology. Following the installation of the ECI Hybrid Reactor and associated debottlenecking and upgrades designed and delivered by ECI Group working in cooperation with Versalis, the plant has an increased nameplate capacity of 100,000 metric tonnes per year and produces the full range of EVA products while maintaining or improving product properties and quality. 

ECI Group has been working with the client on this project from the outset, starting with the initial Feasibility Study, before moving forward to provide the technology license, FEED and Detailed Design, including Procurement support for the critical equipment items. Despite facing challenges due to ongoing quarantine and travel restrictions in China, ECI was able to dispatch a team of Subject Matter Experts to be resident at site for the key phases of training, pre-startup safety reviews, commissioning, start-up and successful completion of the performance tests. 

Joaquin Flores, President and CEO of ECI Group, said “The successful acceptance of the upgraded plant is a significant milestone marking ECI’s first commercial installation of our Hybrid Reactor technology. It proves the benefits of ECI’s hybrid reactor configuration in expanding production capacity while maintaining the full grade slate and product quality properties for both homopolymer and copolymer grades. The project also demonstrates the strength of ECI’s integrated offerings in high-pressure technology and engineering expertise to new-build and existing operators alike”. 

Two License Awards

News    ⋅    ECI Group Signs Two License And Engineering Agreements For Confidential Client

ECI Group has signed two license agreements for Process Technology and Engineering Design with a confidential client in China. The two lines will be capable of producing 50,000 tonnes per year of Ethylene Butyl Acrylate (EBA) and 100,000 tonnes per year of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) respectively, with the ability to produce other associated high-pressure copolymers in the future.

The plants will be part of the client’s refining and petrochemical integrated project, a mega complex to be located in the Province of Jiangsu. ECI Group will provide the technology, design, and training for the two lines, as well as support through commissioning, start-up, and production.

Repsol, the multi-energy company, is the technology partner of ECI Group and will provide its extensive technical expertise on these kinds of plants and products. Repsol has several LDPE, EVA, and EBA plants in its industrial complexes in Spain and Portugal and has over 40 years of experience producing polymers in high-pressure facilities.

The plants will use high-pressure autoclave technology that has its roots in the heritage ICI process to manufacture of Polyethylene. ICI first created LDPE in the 1930s, and ICI partnered with ECI Group’s subsidiary company Simon Carves over five decades to deliver over 67 operating reactor lines around the world. The ECI Group design offers significant improvements in the product range, reliability, and expandability to the original ICI technology, and is optimized to make use of modern materials, design techniques, standards, and industry best practices for construction, operation, and maintenance.

While the client declined to provide a comment citing project confidentiality, they noted that they had reviewed a number of technology options and made the decision to select ECI Group’s autoclave technology for a number of important reasons including the unmatched product range, lower operating costs and the design built for future expansion of capacity and product development capabilities. They also recognized Repsol’s reputation as a long-standing producer of high-quality products, and expressed their desire to work with both partners for a fruitful long-term cooperation.

“These agreements include the first EBA license and ECI’s fourth high-pressure copolymer license in 12 months,” said Joaquin Flores, President and CEO of ECI Group. “These achievements serve to establish ECI’s position as the technology of choice for producers of high-pressure polyethylene. ECI Group is already recognized globally as the world’s leading provider of engineering and technical services for high-pressure polyethylene facilities, having worked with every major current producer and licensor. Once again, we have been able to demonstrate the benefits Repsol’s in-depth product knowledge and market reputation to further enhance ECI Group’s established expertise. We look forward to a long and successful partnership with this well-established client who have made a great impression on us during our discussions with their level of integrity, vision and professionalism.”

Shandong Yulong Agreement

News    ⋅    Shandong Yulong Agreement

ECI Group has signed an Engineering Expertise Agreement with Shandong Yulong Petrochemical Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of China’s Nanshan Group, for a dual-stream plant capable of producing 200,000 tonnes per year of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) and other associated high-pressure copolymers in the future.

The plant will be part of Shandong Yulong’s 20 million tonnes per year refining and petrochemical integrated project, a mega complex to be located in the Province of Shandong. ECI Group will provide the technology, design, and training for the facility, as well as support through commissioning, start-up, and production.

Repsol, the multi-energy company, is the technology partner of ECI Group and will provide its extensive technical expertise on these kinds of plants and products. Repsol has several LDPE, EVA, and EBA plants in its industrial complexes in Spain and Portugal and has over 40 years of experience producing polymers in high-pressure facilities.

The plant will use high-pressure autoclave technology that has its roots in the heritage ICI process to manufacture of Polyethylene. ICI first created LDPE in the 1930s, and ICI partnered with ECI Group’s subsidiary company Simon Carves over five decades to deliver over 67 operating reactor lines around the world. The ECI Group design offers significant improvements in the product range, reliability, and expandability to the original ICI technology, and is optimized to make use of modern materials, design techniques, standards, and industry best practices for construction, operation, and maintenance.

“This agreement is an important milestone for ECI Group and Repsol,” said Joaquin Flores, President of ECI Group. “ECI Group is already recognized globally as the world’s leading provider of engineering and technical services for high-pressure polyethylene facilities, having worked with every major current producer and licensor. The execution of this agreement confirms the strength of our new technology offering, incorporating Repsol’s in-depth product knowledge and market reputation to further enhance ECI Group’s established expertise. We are excited to support Shandong Yulong Petrochemical Ltd. on this prestigious project, and we look forward to a long and successful relationship.”

“It is a great highpoint for Repsol to see the results of this important partnership with ECI Group, a leading engineering and technology company in the petrochemical industry. We are looking forward to providing our expertise to Shandong Yulong Petrochemical Ltd. for their Refining and Petrochemical Integrated Project,” stated José Luis Bernal, Executive Director at Repsol Química.

Repsol is a global multi-energy company that is leading the energy transition with its ambition of achieving zero net emissions by 2050. Present throughout the energy value chain, the company employs 24,000 people worldwide and distributes its products in nearly 100 countries. Its customer-focused product and services portfolio meets all consumer needs of around 24 million customers, whether at home or on the move. Repsol is also a major player in the power and gas market in Spain with 1,2 million customers and a total low emissions generation capacity of 3.300 MW.

To achieve zero net emissions by 2050, Repsol is deploying an integrated model of decarbonization technologies based on enhanced efficiency, increased low-emissions power generation capacity, production of low-carbon fuels, development of new customer solutions, the circular economy, and by driving breakthrough projects to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint.

Repsol has one of Europe’s most efficient refining systems and has three large petrochemical facilities where differentiated products with high added value are developed. The company is transforming its seven industrial complexes in Spain, Portugal, and Peru into multi-energy hubs through state-of-the-art projects that will reduce their carbon footprint.

In Chemicals, Repsol is committed to greater efficiency in industrial processes geared towards the circular economy, with the goal of recycling the equivalent of 20% of its polyolefin production by 2030. Repsol has a circular economy strategy since 2016 that it has applied throughout its value chain, from obtaining raw materials to commercializing products and services.

Its products are used to make everyday objects that improve people’s quality of life, well-being, and safety. Its wide variety of chemical products range from base petrochemicals to derivatives and include a wide range of polyolefins, all 100% recyclable.

ECI Group comprises Engineers and Constructors International, Inc., headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Simon Carves Engineering Ltd., headquartered in Manchester, UK, as well as the International Technical Excellence Center (ITEC). With its history stretching back over 143 years to the formation of Simon Carves in 1878, ECI Group today provides specialist services and technology for the full lifecycle of polyolefins plants.

Wilson System® Agreement

News    ⋅    ECI Group signs Exclusive Partnership Agreement with Wilson Bio-Chemical Ltd for Wilson System®

The Wilson System® is a unique proven and patented waste treatment technology that takes mixed unsorted Municipal, Commercial and light Industrial Solid waste which treats the biogenic content and converts it to a cellulose rich fibre sanitising all the material to produce a range of clean resale products. The technology provides a recycling rate of up to 90%, providing a truly sustainable solution designed to valorise waste. Wilson Fibre® is the primary product of the system that can be further processed to produce high value products such as biomass fuel pellets. Other materials separated through this process are clean plastics as well as ferrous and non-ferrous recyclates. It is a circular system feeding the circular economy.

The main advantages of the Wilson System® are:

The partnership agreement provides a tremendous base for both parties to work together in enhancing the system to meet specific environmental, market and client needs. This will leverage ECI Groups 145 years of cutting-edge engineering expertise knowledge with Wilsons’s decades of development of the Wilson System® to offer to the market a unique, cost effective and highly scalable global solution to the environmental and economic problems.

Tom Wilson, Founder of Wilson Bio-Chemical Ltd and inventor and designer of The Wilson System® commented: “The Wilson System® is a global solution to the environmental and economic problems that are caused by the destructive methods currently used in the disposal of waste. The system is designed to valorise waste, it then becomes an asset from which a diverse range of products matched to the needs of the location can be returned to the local economies providing a truly and Sustainable Circular Economy.”

Joaquin Flores, President of ECI Group, called the Agreement with Wilson Bio-Chemical Ltd “an important milestone. It is a major step in the commitment of ECI Group to provide engineering expertise and solutions for the Circular Economy. This is something we owe to current and future generations, and we have spent many years in trying to find the right system and partner. We firmly believe that we have found this with The Wilson System® and with Tom and his highly qualified team. We are very excited about taking this to the market and sharing the uniqueness and benefits we have only touched upon in this announcement.”

ECI Group and Wilson are already engaged in several projects around the world that use Municipal Solid Waste to obtain raw materials to be used in production of new plastics, fuel, or energy, thus closing the loop, and decreasing the carbon footprint.

Wilson Bio-Chemical (WBC) has over 50 years’ experience in the design, construction, and supply of steam process systems in the waste industry and many more years in other industries. The WBC team has developed a commercial system for the conversion of a variety of waste materials into useful products by using clean, dry, saturated steam in large rotating autoclaves. For waste operators, energy suppliers, environmentally concerned municipalities or larger organisations, Wilson Bio-Chemical provides a guaranteed autoclaving process to convert MSW into a renewable energy in a safe and efficient manner. Among all the other EfW technologies available, the Wilson System® produces a high-quality product through an automated process and creates an opportunity to provide energy security; Wilson Fibre® will be essential in ensuring societies are no longer totally dependent on imports or fossil fuels. Visit the website at https://wilsonbio-chemical.co.uk.

Wilson System® and Wilson Fibre® are registered trademarks of Wilson Bio-Chemical Ltd.