SRC to upgrade Jurong facility
Singapore Refining Company (SRC) is planning a US$500 million expansion, which will include the production of Euro IV-compliant fuels. SRC, which is jointly owned by Chinese oil giant PetroChina and U.S.-based Chevron Corp., is now recruiting project engineers and is in the process of selecting an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the upgrading of its 290,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Jurong Island facility.
The expansion will boost the refinery’s competitiveness, and calls for the addition of an ultra-low sulfur gasoline plant that will treat the 25,000 barrels per day (bpd) of petrol which it currently produces to meet Euro IV standards. An in-house 60-70 megawatt cogeneration plant to supply utilities such as power and steam will also be built as part of the expansion project.
Compared to Euro II petrol, which has 500 parts per million (ppm) sulfur, Euro IV petrol has a maximum sulfur content of 50 ppm. Singapore recently mandated that new petrol vehicles should meet stricter Euro IV emissions standards, from the current Euro II levels, beginning in April 2014. But starting October next year, petrol stations will be allowed to sell only petrol with sulfur content of less than 0.005 percent, such as Euro IV petrol. (December 4, 2012)