Investigation of Corrosion-related Failure of Reboiler at Technology Centre Mongstad

Abstract

Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM) has experienced in 2017 a corrosion-related failure in a stripper reboiler of an amine unit, during a series of long-term test campaigns 2017-2018 for CO2 capture using monoethanolamine (MEA). The failure affected the heat exchanger plates within the reboiler, made of 316L stainless steel. A thorough investigation has been initiated in collaboration with Institute for Energy Technology (IFE), Equinor and Total to evaluate the key factors responsible for the damage and the mechanisms leading to the failure of heat exchanger plates. A two-phase approach was adopted. In the first phase the aim was to make a complete evaluation of all circumstances, outline the most plausible hypotheses for the cause of the damage, design and define a sensible scope for a detailed experimental laboratory study allowing to assess the factors contributing to the corrosion issues. The second phase is to encompass the experimental study to either confirm or refute the starting hypotheses. This contribution presents a detailed account of the relevant findings, the reasoning and the outline of the planned laboratory investigations. On the other hand, the results of the experimental study itself are not part of this paper.