Demand for oil products in Africa is to grow more than 20% in the next seven years, according to Vienna-based consultancy JBC Energy, with Kenya among those expected to see the highest growth. The government owned National Oil Corporation of Kenya expects diesel and gasoline imports to rise by a third in the next two years to 6 million tons (130,000 barrels per day).
“Diesel consumption is driven by growth in industrial activity and the increasing number of cars on the roads requires us to import more gasoline,” chief executive Sumayya Hassan-Athmani recently told Reuters.
Consequently, marketers are seeking larger storage capacity as they seek to meet growing demand and mitigate disruptions in distribution. Petrocity’s new terminal on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway is a good example.
Powering growth
Established in 2000, Kenya’s Petrocity has invested heavily to meet the country’s growing demand for fuel, providing storage and loading facilities to multinational and independent oil marketing companies to help ensure supply and reduce volatile prices.
The 150 million litre storage facility being developed at Konza is directly connected to the Kenya Pipeline. Its position ensures petroleum products can be distributed reliably to the capital city and its environs, which together account for 65% of the country’s oil consumption. Petrocity also services fuel traders throughout Kenya and neighbouring Uganda. With capacity of 31 million litres already in place, and another 119 million litres due after completion of the second phase, it will boost petroleum product availability for new entrants and independent dealers with limited access to truck loading facilities in Nairobi.
An integrated safety automation offering
The desire for certainty and risk control was a key part of the decision to award the $3 million automation contract for the terminal to Honeywell under its integrated main automation contractor (I-MAC) framework.
Building on the foundation of traditional MAC, I-MAC takes a broader approach to ensure operational and business readiness from the first day of operations. Not only consolidating control and safety systems into a single contract, it encompasses a broader range of systems than a traditional MAC approach, including ‘Operational Readiness’ systems such as simulation, training, operations management IT solutions and real-time optimisation solutions. The result is an integrated strategy that extends from the field to the boardroom to reduce the risks of overspend, cut lifecycle costs and increase the return on investment, as well as improve safety, reliability and efficiency throughout the life of the asset.
The solution is comprehensive, covering the pipeline receipt system, tank farm, truck loading system and terminal automation. The systems include automated procedures for product receipt, stock allocation, accounting and dispatch; field solutions for accurate measurement to ensure safe and reliable stock tracking throughout the terminal; and CCTV integrated into both the building management system and process control system for improved process visibility.
“Right from concept, our vision was to equip the Konza terminal facility with the latest, field-proven technologies to set the industry benchmark around safety, reliability and efficiency,” says Aman Kurji, managing director of Petrocity Energy. “A key reason why we chose Honeywell was its integrated vision for the terminal, backed by complete front-end engineering and consulting capabilities.”
Centred on the Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS) control system and Honeywell Enraf’s Terminal Manager software solution, it also covers all industrial security, emergency shutdown (ESD) and fire and gas (F&G) systems. Honeywell also assumed responsibility for all services associated with the project, from the initial Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) study to onsite commissioning and support services with a resident engineer.
Safety first
Since the terminal is a hazardous environment, continuous monitoring of critical process parameters and effective emergency responses are required to protect people, facilities and the environment.
Honeywell’s architecture takes full account of the recommendations for terminal safety. The field solutions offer proven systems for accurate measurement to ensure safe and reliable stock tracking throughout the terminal. They include SIL-approved tank gauges, SIL 2-rated overspill sensors, a SIL 3-rated logic solver, and among the most advanced ESD and F&G systems available.
Industrial security applications are also fully integrated with access control, CCTV and Honeywell’s enterprise class IP-based digital video system Digital Video Manager. These integrate with the Experion control system to enable operators to monitor process and safety conditions as well as security threats in real time.
“With end-to-end integration we have a global overview of the entire facility to ensure we consistently meet best practice,” explains Kurji.
Intelligent solutions
The terminal is among the most technologically advanced in Africa. High-accuracy measurement instruments approved for custody transfer applications combine with end-to-end integration for a global overview of the entire facility. CCTV integrated into both the building management and process control systems improves process visibility, allowing operators to view plant assets in the event of alarms or anomalies.
The integrated system architecture brings a number of benefits for Petrocity:
* Higher productivity and efficiency as a result of automated workflows.
* Safe, secure process and business operations.
* Real-time transactional information anytime and anywhere through secure thin client access.
* Accurate reconciliation of stock.
* Minimal downtime through the deployment of predictive maintenance tools.
Strategically positioned close to the Kenya Pipeline Company’s pump station 8 in Konza, only 4 km from the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway, the new terminal is focused on distributing product as smoothly and quickly as possible. It is purposefully sited away from the central business district, where the traffic and congestion of too many small depots can cause long delays, with trucks sometimes taking a whole day to load and deliver to a single customer.
This focus on the user experience is reflected in the automation solution. The platform provides online access for more than 100 terminal customers at a time, allowing them to access details and track product remotely through web visualisation and thin clients.
The result is better and more accurate real-time information. In common with the other technologies, it helps ensure continuity of supply to the capital and country to keep Kenya moving forward.
For more information contact Boni Magudulela, Honeywell Southern Africa, +27 (0)11 695 8000, hsa@honeywell.com, www.honeywell.co.za
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