On 23 November the first private refinery of Ukrainian Petroleum received the long-awaited installation for the production of hydrogen from water by electrolysis method. It will allow to produce benzene of chemical 99.9%, n-hexane for food purposes, Euro 5 gasoline, Euro 5 diesel and m-100 fuel oil as early as in the first quarter of 2022. Implementation of such a large-scale private project in oil refining has no analogues in the history of independent Ukraine.
Hydrogen production and purification unit is an integral component in the work of the combined hydrocarbon raw processing unit. It allows to carry out such high-tech processes as gasoline hydrotreating, catalytic reforming, isomerization and extraction. The result will be high quality products, specifically Ukrainian fuel of Euro-5 class.
Hydrogen production process consists in decomposition of water into hydrogen and oxygen. This is done by passing a direct current through the water using electrodes immersed in the electrolyte and separated by a membrane, which prevents the leakage of gases.
The necessary utilities have already been built at the plant for the efficient operation of the plant. The plant will meet all of the plant’s hydrogen requirements. Since the raw material for hydrogen production is purified water, a reverse osmosis unit – water treatment – has been built to produce high quality hydrogen.
“Today there are difficulties both with the availability of Ukrainian fuel on the Ukrainian market and with the issues of standard fuel quality in general,” notes Konstantin Valeulin, president of AES Group investment industrial group. – We would like the Ukrainian consumer firstly to have a choice and secondly, this choice would be supported by the higher quality and lower price. In addition, Ukraine is now dependent on imported manufacturers, our own industry is not developing. Therefore, we plan to work with Ukrainian companies, which will cover the need for raw materials for domestic production, reduce the cost of the final product and stop the outflow of currency from the country.
Platinum catalyst and other imported equipment from licensed global companies are expected to be delivered in December 2021. The team is completing the new plant and modernizing the existing facility in record time.
