Oxygen On Demand: How A Gulf Coast Refinery Overcame High COD Challenges With A Rapid H2O2 Dosing System

A Gulf Coast Refinery was using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in 55-gallon drums at their WWTU Bio Unit to supply supplemental dissolved oxygen (D.O.) to maintain target D.O. levels in the aeration basins during high COD loading periods. The drums were stored on wood pallets, which violated industry safety standards and also required handling (changing out the drums), which increased the risk of spills and exposure to operators. Furthermore, during a turnaround of an upstream unit, higher COD loading depleted the dissolved oxygen level in the WWTU Aeration Basins, resulting in ineffective treatment.

The refinery approached USP Technologies (USP) to engineer a bulk H2O2 chemical dosing system sized to meet the plant’s D.O. demand. USP responded to the refinery’s immediate need by quickly mobilizing a four-person Project Team that included a local account manager and experts in the areas of technical applications, equipment system design and equipment installation/maintenance.

The team installed a USP Rapid Response System consisting of a 5,000-gallon temporary storage trailer and a modular dosing control system. Upon the addition of Refinery Grade 27% H2O2, a class 1 oxidizer, to influent of the WWTU Bioreactor System, the D.O. target was maintained during the high COD loading period.