India's Ellenbarrie Wins Contract for 1,200 TPD Air Separation Unit

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 28, India's Ellenbarrie Industrial Gases secured a contract from Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) worth INR 4.8073 billion (excluding GST) for a cryogenic air separation unit. Under the contract, the company will design, supply, and construct a 1,200 TPD Cryogenic Air Separation Unit for the coal-to-ammonium nitrate project planned at Bandhabal in the Jharsuguda district of Odisha. The contract adopts a turnkey Build and Transfer model, with an execution period of 8 quarters and commissioning planned for FY29.

Ellenbarrie's scope of work covers design, engineering, equipment supply, on-site installation, testing, pre-commissioning, commissioning, trial operation, operator training, performance guarantee testing, spare parts supply, and final handover. The order is not merely equipment supply; the engineering responsibility extends all the way to plant performance verification and delivery. The 1,200 TPD air separation unit is a critical supporting facility for the coal gasification system handled by BHEL, and will subsequently supply the process gases required by the coal gasification and downstream synthesis systems.

The overall project corresponding to the air separation unit is being advanced by Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Limited (BCGCL). BCGCL is held 51% by Coal India Limited and 49% by BHEL. The project plans to build a 2,000 TPD industrial-grade ammonium nitrate production facility and adopts BHEL's proprietary PFBG coal gasification technology. BCGCL disclosed that the project is planned to consume approximately 1.633 million tonnes per year of high-ash coal. In the coal gasification stage, coal is first converted into syngas, which then enters the ammonia and ammonium nitrate production chain.

The core process package for the project is being implemented through subcontracting. BCGCL has previously completed the contract arrangements for coal gasification, ammonia synthesis, ammonium nitrate, and other major process units. BHEL is responsible for the coal gasification-related systems and continues to procure supporting units such as the air separation unit from specialized equipment companies. This 1,200 TPD ASU contract corresponds to a key individual equipment item in the utilities and gas supply chain of the coal-to-ammonium nitrate project, and both the contract scale and the complete delivery scope have been locked in.

Under the current contract arrangement, Ellenbarrie will complete design, manufacturing, on-site installation, and system commissioning within the next 8 quarters. The project is currently at the stage of contract award and initiation of engineering execution. Subsequent substantive milestones include detailed design, equipment manufacturing and supply, on-site installation, pre-commissioning, performance testing, and final handover.