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IPP & Renewables

RTS AFRICA TECHNOLOGIES PRINCIPAL H2SCAN OPENS NEW
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONING LABORATORY TO FURTHER
‘REFINE’ HYDROGEN DETECTION IN GAS PROCESS STREAMS

Hydrocarbon fuels are essential for our provide accurate hydrogen indication in the ABB, Siemens, ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron,
daily existence. However, extracting presence, or absence, of these gases,” he adds. NASA, Procter & Gamble and more. H2Scan
usable fuels from crude oil is a complex designed and built its new laboratory to
process in which hydrogen plays a cardinal “This laboratory gives us the flexibility to its own specifications in a secured facility
role, as the correct levels of hydrogen in a develop products that are unmatched in the adjacent to its corporate offices.
refinery process stream largely determine industry currently,” he continues. “The ability
the quality of the final product. to certify hydrogen sensing in the presence An H2Scan spokesman explains that the
of 50% carbon monoxide and 5% hydrogen expanded laboratory has already paid
“At RTS Africa Technologies, we have been sulphide is unheard of in the industry and dividends in increasing production and
distributing H2Scan hydrogen detection this offers new alternatives to our refinery streamlining the company’s product delivery
and analysis products for the past decade. and petrochemical customers,” Fraser asserts. process. “This has allowed us to cut our
In particular, H2Scan’s Hy-Optima range backlog and shorten delivery times,” says
of products have numerous applications The new laboratory now conditions Hy- Mike Nofal, H2Scan Vice President of Sales
in South Africa’s oil refineries,” says Ian Optima products which have been marketed and Business Development. “With this
Fraser, MD of RTS Africa Group, a Tshwane- for more than 10 years and can currently resource, H2Scan becomes one of the most
based company specialising in innovative measure hydrogen concentrations from 0.5% agile players in this market and we have the
technologies which provide solutions to 100%, in the presence of carbon dioxide room to expand as the economy grows,”
to industrial challenges. Among other of up to 20% concentration and in the Nofal adds.
things, the company has been involved in presence of hydrogen sulphide at up to 3%
supplying hydrogen production and analysis concentration. “From an RTS Africa Technologies’
equipment for many years. perspective, thanks to the establishment of
The Hy-Optima 2700, for example, is fitted the new laboratory, we are pleased to be
To ensure correct and accurate functioning, with a solid-state, non-consumable sensor able to offer H2Scan’s enhanced range of
the sensors in the Hy-Optima instruments that is configured to operate in process gas instruments which will have the potential
need to be conditioned. Until now, H2Scan streams. The Hy-Optima 2700’s thin film to improve the output of Africa’s many oil
has been using the services of a remote technology ensures that instrument is not in refineries,” concludes Fraser.
laboratory which could only condition any way affected, or cross-sensitive, to other
H2Scan’s standardised products. Now, gases in the process stream. The 2700 has About RTS Africa
H2Scan has opened a new expanded been designed to continuously measure only RTS Africa Group is a specialised, Tshwane-
Environmental Conditioning Laboratory for hydrogen - which it does with great accuracy based company offering innovative
its Hy-Optima hydrogen analyser products. and reliability,” Fraser continues. In addition, technologies for - and solutions to - industrial
the Hy-Optima 2700 is rated explosion-proof challenges.
“This gives H2Scan the capability to expand and conforms to the requirements for Class
its production and deliver customised I, Division 1 or 2 locations. Should hydrogen Led by Managing Director Ian Fraser since its
products to refineries and petrochemical get into the instrument and ignite, the 2700’s inception in the early 1990’s, the company
facilities,” continues Fraser. “In an oil refinery, robust, cast-iron casing will safely contain offers globally-sourced, quality products
they are as many as 23 points where the event. With Hy-Optima 2700, the need via two operational divisions, namely RTS
the level of hydrogen needs to be very for calibration is greatly reduced. “In most Africa Engineering (supplying inertial spin
accurately monitored and where H2Scan new cases, an annual calibration using standard filters and hydrogen technology solutions);
conditioned instruments can play a key role.” calibration gases is all that is needed,” he and RTS Africa Technologies (supplying all
explains. instrumentation-related solutions such as
Hy-Optima products are used in process boiler tube leak detection, laser-based gas
applications to ensure production H2Scan was founded in 2002 and has its detection devices for hot or corrosive areas).
optimisation of oil and petrochemical headquarters in Valencia, California. The
products. Each Hy-Optima sensor is rated for company provides the most accurate, Product delivery and technical consultation
background monitoring of hydrogen in the tolerant and affordable hydrogen leak by highly trained staff is offered throughout
presence of gases such as hydrogen sulphide detection and process gas monitoring Southern Africa to a range of clients in industry
and carbon monoxide at predetermined solutions for industrial markets. The sectors such as mining, power generation,
concentrations with no interference with the company’s customer base includes some petrochemicals, glass, steel and energy.
H2 reading. “The laboratory will be used to of the largest manufacturing enterprises in
ensure that the sensors are conditioned to the world including General Electric, DOD, www.rtsafrica.co.za
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