Isfahan Refinery’s New Plan to Reduce Gas Imbalance

According to Energy Press, quoting Isfahan Oil Refining Company, Gholamreza Bagheri Dizaj stated that the RHU project is known by its original name as the Furnace Oil Upgrade Project and stated: The ultimate goal of this project is to convert furnace oil into valuable, standardized products that are free of any sulfur.
He pointed out that the RHU project is phased due to the extensive and complex nature of the operation and will be completed in two stages, adding: In the first phase, impurities and sulfur in furnace oil are reduced to meet current environmental standards, so the product can be burned and consumed in power plants without environmental impacts.
Diversifying the Power Plant Fuel Portfolio
The CEO of Isfahan Oil Refining Company stated that in the first phase of the furnace oil (RHU) upgrade project, by reducing the residual sulfur content of distillation towers from 30,000 PPM to less than 500PPM, furnace oil will be converted into a fuel that can be used in power plants. He continued: This change is beneficial in the energy imbalance discussion, because by using this product in power plants, natural gas is released in power plants and used in other industries, thus preventing the closure of other production units that are facing restrictions due to gas shortages, and the gas needed in winter will be provided.
Bagheri-Dizaj emphasized that with the launch of the first phase of the refinery upgrading project, a huge source of gas will be released for the use of citizens and other industries. He said: “In the second phase of this project, which is called the RFCC project, sweet refinery oil will be converted into gasoline, Euro 5 oil and gas, and products used in industries and petrochemicals, and this project will also play a significant role in reducing the imbalance between gasoline and oil and gas.”