Considering the COVID-19 pandemic situation and to further augment availability of oxygen formedical purposes in the country, the Central Government had asked Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), which hascomprehensivedatabaseof industrial units,toidentify theindustries having sparenitrogenplants and explore the feasibility of converting of existing Nitrogen plants to produce oxygen.CPCB with the help of State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) have identified such potentialindustries, wherein existing Nitrogen generation plants may be spared for production of oxygen.Consultationhave beenheld withpotentialindustrialunitsandexperts
About 30 industries have been identified, and efforts have begun to modify nitrogenplants for the production of medical oxygen. Some of these plants can be shifted to nearbyhospitals for supplying oxygen and some plants, where it is not feasible to shift the plants, canproduce oxygen on-site.
M/s UPL Ltd converted one 50 Nm3/hr capacity Nitrogen plantto produce oxygen using Zeolite Molecular Sieve, and installed it at L G Rotary Hospital, Vapi(Gujarat). This plant is producing 0.5 ton/day oxygen and is operational since 27.04.2021. UPLLtd. is also under process of conversion of three more plants. On conversion to oxygen plants,these plants will be installed at hospitals in Surat and Ankaleshwar.
In the existing nitrogenplants, replacing Carbon Molecular Sieve (CMS) with Zeolite Molecular Sieve (ZMS) and fewother changes such as installation of oxygen analyzer, change in control panel system, flowvalvesetc., oxygenformedicalusecanbeproduced.Withtheavailabilityof ZMS, suchmodified plant can be set-up in 4-5 days while installation of new oxygen plant may takeminimum3-4weeks.
Oxygen produced in on-site plants has to be compressed and filled incylinders/specialvesselsusinghighpressurecompressorfortransportingtohospitals.Facilitation isbeingprovidedto these industriesforcompletionofworkatthe earliest.
Modified Nitrogen plant to generate medical Oxygen, installed by M/s. UPL Ltd. at L GRotaryHospital,Vapi(Gujarat),operationalsince 27.04.2021
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GK