Overview
ARBOK VOC RECOVERY eliminates evaporative hydrocarbon (VOC) losses across ports, terminals, tank farms, refineries, and vessels by treating VOCs not as emissions but as lost commodity value. It captures evaporated hydrocarbons at the source, condenses them back to liquid fuel, and returns them to the operator as a marketable product — reducing emissions without destroying hydrocarbons, at very low OPEX and with no chemical processing.
Applications
Primary use cases: VOC capture at vent stacks, flare lines, and tank-breathing systems; loading/unloading and storage loss recovery.
Outputs/uses: recovered C4–C6 hydrocarbon fraction (90–95 RON after stabilization) as marketable fuel.
Industries and users: oil & gas, petrochemicals, maritime and terminal operators.
Scale: modular, retrofit at any emission point; expandable for large facilities/networks.
Operating Principle
Phase-based recovery (not chemical treatment): vacuum-driven vapor migration draws evaporated hydrocarbons into a chamber where they are condensed and phase-separated back to liquid fuel; water/solids are discharged separately. No catalysts, reagents, or consumables; no rotating machinery in the core process.
Limitations: recovered yield is a small fraction of throughput (it is loss recovery); product stabilization needed; offtake of recovered fuel.
Key Parameters
VOC capture efficiency: 85–98 % (loss reduction up to 98 %). Recovered product: C4–C6, 90–95 RON. Yield: 0.1–0.3 % of throughput. Flare-use reduction: 70–100 % for routine operations.
Energy: very low (vacuum + cooling only). Service life: 15–20 years; minimal maintenance; all-climate; 24/7.
Architecture and Components
Vapor intake manifold; vacuum chamber; condensation module; phase separator; hydrocarbon stabilization unit; water/solid discharge; control and monitoring (optional ARBOK digital diagnostics). Compact, modular, retrofit-ready.
Advantages
Technical: phase-based, no catalysts/consumables, no rotating machinery; retrofit to existing vent/flare lines.
Economic: OPEX in cents/ton; recovered hydrocarbons at ~$0.8–1.0/L; payback 3–12 months; recovers 3–10 % hidden commodity loss.
Environmental: near-zero VOC emissions, reduced flare/CO₂, lower fire/odor risk; avoids penalties ($5–15/ton).
Strategic: turns a loss mechanism into a revenue stream; reduces flare dependency; ESG and compliance gains.
Integrations
Retrofits vent stacks, flare lines, tank-breathing systems; shares vacuum/condensation architecture with ARBOK water units; ARBOK digital diagnostics; port automation.
Deployment & Operation
Steps: install at emission points (no infrastructure redesign) → connect → operate. Minimal downtime; continuous, low-supervision; modular expansion for large facilities.
TRL
TRL 4 (confirmed by Michael). Validated at lab/relevant-environment level; the note's "field-deployed" claim is not yet substantiated. Remaining: field pilots at ports/terminals/refineries and certification.
Market Potential
Evaporative losses are a large, hidden cost across the hydrocarbon logistics chain, with tightening VOC/emission rules and flare restrictions. A low-OPEX recovery system that pays back in months fits ports, terminals, tank farms, refineries, and vessels worldwide.
Typical Project Economics
OPEX in cents/ton (vacuum + cooling); revenue from recovered hydrocarbons ~$0.8–1.0/L; payback 3–12 months by throughput; plus avoided penalties ($5–15/ton) and reduced flare fuel. CAPEX low vs reactor/oxidizer VOC systems; savings scale linearly with throughput.
Risk Factors
Small recovered yield (loss recovery, not production); product stabilization/offtake; integration with diverse vent/flare systems; conservative operator adoption.
Related Technologies
ARBOK-VC (Vacuum Cracking) · OILTRAP · Arbok-VCBC (Bunker Cleaning) · ARBOK-ORR (Oil Regeneration & Recover)