Progress in the construction of the New Talara Refinnery reaches 77%

The benefits and scope of the Talara Refinery Modernization Project (PMRT) were presented during the II International Congress of Engineering and Project Management - CIPRO 2019, where Jorge Alméstar Mauricio, manager of the PMRT, was the one who, concisely and pleasantly, presented details of this work.

The day, organized by the University of Piura, was attended by hundreds of professionals and students from the last semesters of Civil, Mechanical and Systems Engineering, to whom the senior official revealed that the project is profitable, according to the evaluation made on production configuration, refining capacity, internal operating processes and market, among other factors.

“The scope of the PMRT is aligned to the desulfurization of fuels, but also to generate profitability by incorporating processes of octane improvement of gasoline (Catalytic Reform Unit) and deep conversion of residual fuels (Flexicoking Unit); and, above all, they are considered the highest global standards of Euro VI fuel quality,” said Alméstar Mauricio, specifying that the country will be on par with Europe, the US, Australia and Chile, where such technologies have already been implemented .

He added that the construction of the new refinery is not limited to desulfurization but involves replacing the current plant (with three process units) with another with 16 process units and, additionally, five auxiliary units. On the other hand, he clarified that the progress in the construction of the PMRT already reaches 77%. In that sense, the senior official said he was proud not only for this significant advance but for the push and effort that all PETROPERU workers have put to this work, one of the most important projects in the country.

"Throughout each phase of the project all the process groups are developed, activating those that are necessary according to the complexity of each phase," said the senior official, emphasizing the cost or investment of the project, which reaches US $ 4,304.80, anticipating that the work will be delivered at the end of 2021.

Attendees paid special attention to financing to meet the demand for payments to contractors, which included the successful issuance of US $ 2 billion bonds. The official clarified that the amount of 4 thousand 300 million dollars is within the average of construction of refineries with these characteristics, according to a report by the American consultant Arthur D. Little.

Alméstar revealed that one of the biggest challenges in the construction of the PMRT was to have equipment of colossal proportions to be able to install high tonnage equipment, which included having equipment capable of moving 800 tons. "It was necessary to have cranes that do not exist in the country, given their huge size," he said.

"Without a doubt, we have achieved the objectives set, with determination and perseverance, capitalizing on the assets we have built," he concluded.

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