Ultra-Low Energy Design
Bring your plant’s steam consumption to an unprecedentedly low levelNext Generation of Energy-Efficient Urea Plants
- Lowest steam consumption
- Minimal maintenance due to E-type materials
- Easy and reliable operation
- Lower investment costs in the urea section
- Lowest cooling water consumption
- Lower operating costs
Rising energy costs and increasingly stringent sustainability targets are forcing urea producers to rethink plant efficiency. Steam consumption, cooling water demand, and operating costs have become critical performance indicators, particularly for large-scale plants operating in highly competitive markets.
Reducing energy consumption without compromising reliability or production capacity remains one of the key challenges in modern urea production.
Our Ultra-Low Energy Design (ULE), part of Stamicarbon’s LAUNCH MELT™ portfolio, addresses this challenge through an advanced heat integration concept that significantly reduces utility consumption while maintaining reliable plant operation.
This design introduces an innovative N=3 heat integration concept, enabling the same high-pressure steam energy to be utilized three times instead of two in conventional CO₂ stripping processes. This results in benchmark energy performance with substantially lower steam and cooling water consumption.
Technical Overview
Ultra-Low Energy Design is based on an advanced synthesis configuration designed to maximize heat recovery and minimize utility demand. It allows the heat supplied to the urea plant in the form of high-pressure steam to be used three times instead of two (so-called N=3 heat integration concept). As a result, ULE design reduces steam consumption by about 35% and cooling water consumption by about 16%, compared to traditional CO2 stripping processes.
The centerpiece of this technology is the Ultra-Low Energy pool reactor with two heat-exchanging tube bundles, utilizing proprietary Stamicarbon E-type material.
The energy consumption of the Ultra-Low Energy plant is considered to be a benchmark performance worldwide. This technology substantially lowers operating expenses (OPEX) and offers significant environmental benefits by reducing energy consumption.
The synthesis section includes only two pieces of high-pressure equipment: a high-pressure stripper and a high-pressure pool reactor, optimizing the CAPEX of the plant typically up to 3000 MTPD.
For larger plant capacities, also a vertical reactor would be included in the synthesis.
Key Benefits of ULE Design
- N=3 advanced heat integration concept
- ~35% reduction in steam consumption
- ~16% reduction in cooling water consumption
- Benchmark energy efficiency performance
- Simplified high-pressure synthesis section
- Reduced maintenance through E-type materials
- Suitable for grassroots and revamp projects
- Proven industrial operating references
- Lower CAPEX and OPEX
- Reliable large-scale operation
Where the ULE Design Fits In
Ultra-Low Energy Design is developed for:
- large-scale urea production plants
- energy-efficiency-focused projects
- low-carbon fertilizer facilities
- capacity expansion and revamp projects
- integrated urea and UAN complexes.
The technology is particularly suitable for:
- regions with high energy costs
- plants targeting reduced environmental footprint
- operators seeking long-term OPEX optimization
- modernization of aging synthesis equipment.
The ULE concept can also be integrated into existing non-Stamicarbon plants through selective replacement of synthesis equipment such as:
- pool condensers
- pool reactors
- and high-pressure sections.
Proven Industrial Performance
The ULE Design was launched in 2012. In February 2021 the ULE plant of Jinjiang Xinlianxin (2334 MTPD) in China successfully started up. The plant was initially operated with turndown capacity operation, which was increased to above 100% within the first week after ensuring feedstocks.
At an average plant operation capacity of 102%, the performance parameters demonstrate the lowest high-pressure steam consumption (23 bara, 330°C) that could be expected based on the design variation.
The steam consumption is reduced by about 35% and cooling water consumption is reduced by about 16% compared to Stamicarbon’s Pool Condenser and Pool Reactor Designs.
In addition to Jinjiang Xinlianxin, we have been contracted for five other grassroot urea plants, including Gemlik Gübre in Turkey (1640 MTPD granulated urea and 500 MTPD UAN), Henan Xinlianxin plant in China (2334 MTPD), and two other plants in China in the design phase (2334 MTPD each).
ULE Design for All Plants
A pool condenser or pool reactor based on the ULE concept can replace the existing aging equipment, increasing plant capacity while simultaneously reducing energy consumption.
ULE is also a powerful addition to the available revamp solutions. Every design has to be tailored to the specific objectives of the revamp project but can bring characteristic performance improvements and advantages.
Whether you're planning to get new facilities, upgrading an existing plant, or seeking low-carbon alternatives, Nextchem provides:
- Technology licensing
- Process design packages (PDP)
- Proprietary equipment
- Digital solutions
- Post-PDP services
Download the leaflet to discover all the key feature about our NX Stami™ Urea technology.
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