As a part of Works Engineering & Central Services Division BHEl, Bhopal’s effort Erection and commissioning of new oxygen/nitrogen plant on boom basis have been completed and supply started. Earlier liquid oxygen and liquid nitrogen from outside party were procured.
The liquid oxygen and nitrogen were received through road tankers and unloaded in special cryogenic storage tanks at GPX, which were taken on rental from liquid supplier. Now to have more economic buying oxygen and nitrogen gases is being purchased for 5 years on Built-Own-Operate-Maintain (BOOM) basis. In this system the supplier had installed new oxygen and nitrogen producing plant with accessories in BHEl, Bhopal factory premises on BOOM basis and maintaining the supply of gases. The gases produced are supplied exclusively only to BHEl Bhopal.
The BOOM based plant is a cryogenic plant which generates oxygen and nitrogen from atmospheric air. This plant involves compression, cooling and expansion of atmospheric air for air liquefaction and by fractional distillation of this we get oxygen and nitrogen simultaneously at -183 degree Celsius and -196 degree Celsius temperature respectively. The plant was installed and commissioned within the given time period of 6 months and has started production since April 12, 16.
The minimum purity of oxygen and nitrogen gas produced is 99.5 per cent and 99.95 per cent respectively. The installation of plant has results in recurring savings of approx. Rs 20 lakh per year and increased reliability by in house production and less dependability on outside supplier and transportation system.