DE SMET ENGINEERS & CONTRACTORS - From Basic Engineering to Full Turnkey Projects

Thanks to its own sugar know-how, DSEC specialized in sugar plants EPC construction. The company acquired its expertise through the realization of many projects, ranging from audits of existing installations up to the turnkey construction of new industrial complexes. As for its other activities, DSEC is able to execute sugar related projects under the form of full EPC contracts, being familiar with all aspects of the project's implementation. DSEC not only masters specific sugar techniques and technologies but also all related process auxiliaries, civil works, steel structures, installation works, start-up and commissioning activities, including training of the client's personnel. DSEC’s project design and construction management gives paramount importance to the respect of health and safety and environment norms as well as to technical efficiency and ease of operation. The monitoring of project cost, time schedule and performances is the essence of any EPCM or EPC commitment. DSEC has developed proprietary technological and thermodynamic programs that very accurately simulate the operation of plants, from overall Heat & Mass Balances down to unitary process operations. In terms of drawings, DSEC uses a powerful 3D drawing and construction management tool (SmartPlan®) that dramatically improves material purchasing activity and site installation efficiency through a high level of prefabrication works. The importance of cogeneration and energy saving concepts has deeply changed the design of sugar plants construction and refineries over the last thirty years. DSEC is particularly proud of the results obtained in plants that have been built or upgraded in accordance with its studies and recommendations. DSEC’s independence from equipment suppliers and technology providers allows selecting the best possible technical solutions with a view of optimizing performances, energy recovery, maintenance and cost to the benefit of any project. In addition to state-of-the-art projects, DSEC’s engineering skills combined with agro process know-how have been selected by major players for developing large scale industrial units from laboratory developments and pilot plants. The projected increase in world sugar demand of 100 million tons over the next 15 years makes De Smet Engineers & Contractor’s knowhow in sugar plants EPC construction extremely valuable for the market.

De Smet Engineers & Contractors’ expertise in beet sugar starts at the beets reception yard, including feedstock analysis, storage, handling, washing and slicing before Sugar extraction of the juice by diffusion. DSEC pays particular attention to agronomic specificities, climatic and local environmental aspects so as to optimize the installation performances. DSEC plays an important role in the definition of the most appropriate type of diffuser, often preceded by a prescalder (juice-cossettes heat exchanger) and also selects the best available technology to be applied for juice purification - with or without decalcification - as well as the selection of units such as milk of lime preparation and anhydrous carbonic gas production. Further to diffusion, the juice has to be filtered and processed into syrup in a multiple effects evaporation installation. This syrup is then treated in the crystallization unit that generates sugar and allows concentrating the remaining impurities in the molasses. DSEC’s simulation program is of paramount importance at this stage so as to define the most efficient energy set-up as well as to precisely size any single equipment of the line.

Cane sugar is produced by means of technologies rather similar to those used in a beet sugar plant that are also fully mastered by DSEC. Sugar cane is however a totally different plant compared to sugar beet: whereas sugar beet is sowed and can be harvested after +/- 6 months, cane takes longer to grow but grows back after it has been cut and can therefore be harvested several consecutive years (4 to 6) before being replanted. Cane can be cut either manually or mechanically before being directly processed in the mill. Cane plantation location in relation of the plant is of paramount importance so as to reduce sugar losses by the degradation of the plant after cutting as well as to minimize logistic costs. DSEC will select the most appropriate methodology for extracting the juice from the cane after its first shredding. The extraction operation will be performed using mill tandem or cane diffusion while additional mills will press the residual solid (bagasse) in order to increase its fiber content while additional mills will press the residual solid (bagasse) in order to increase its fiber content. Pressed bagasse will be used as fuel for the plant combined heat and power generation that will generally export electricity on the public grid. The choice between mill tandem and diffuser will be highly dependent on plant capacity, cane characteristics, expected extraction performances and plant general concept.

DSEC has dedicated special attention to the design of sugar refinery EPC construction with particular emphasis on energetic efficiency and white sugar quality. A considerable portion of the sugar market is located in areas where neither beet nor cane can be cultivated. Such markets can be fed by large bulk ships with raw cane sugar that needs to be further refined before being commercialized. As the quality of the raw sugar available on the international market varies considerably depending on its origin, DSEC has developed alternative concepts to adapt the refinery design to the feedstock to be processed. The selected alternative for a refined sugar production will be defined after contemplating the necessity of a raw sugar affination (washing) step before the mandatory re-melting operation. Different purification or possibly decoloration technologies will also be analyzed by DSEC so as to optimize capital expenditures in function of feedstock and finished products as well as of the local environment.

In the agro-industrial field, De Smet Engineers & Contractors is a well-known sugar diffusion expert. In addition, DSEC is the owner of the De Smet Diffuser design that was developed as an application of the well know edible oil continuous counter-current extractor invented by Mr. Jean-Albert De Smet. The De Smet Diffuser has been successfully used for beet diffusion and pre-scalding and remains one of the most efficient diffuser for sugar extraction in today’s cane industry. It is up to now the diffuser having by far the largest number of references. The De Smet Diffuser has also proved to be capable of processing alternatively both beet and cane in areas where tropical beet can be grown so as to extend the plant operation after the cane campaign.

DSEC has considerable experience is the production of specialty sugars such as Pearl Sugar as well as in the processing of Chicory into Inulin and Oligofructose where its know-how in the sugar industry has been a major asset for helping investors to develop new products and define the adequate industrial facility for their efficient and reliable production.

Ethanol production plants construction requires a deep specialization that De Smet Engineers & Contractors processes over years of experience in projects implementation around the world and a very capable team of engineers that masters every detail of this business as well as all the technical capabilities required. In the same way it extended its activities from oil to biodiesel some years ago, De Smet Engineers & Contractors also identified bioethanol projects as a logical development of its general contracting activities where its sugar engineering experience was of utmost importance. The company has so far undertaken the construction of complete fuel ethanol plants using both cereals and sugarcane as feedstock. DSEC´s Contracting Services offers the client a wide variety of contractual setups from Conceptual Engineering, Front End Engineering Design (FEED) to Full Turnkey (EPC) or EPCM to adapt to every client needs.

De Smet Engineers & Contractors can propose comprehensive units for the processing of starch based feedstocks like Barley, Cassava roots, Corn/maize, Potato, Rice, Sorghum grain, Sweet potato, Wheat, Rye, and Jerusalem artichoke A variety of starches can be used for ethanol production by fermentation; selection of an appropriate substrate depends on a number of factors, not the least of which is the geographical climate of the intended production site.

Sugar beet is a more versatile crop than sugar cane since it can tolerate a wide range of soil and climatic conditions. As for sugar cane, beet molasses is generated in large volumes from the sucrose recovery operation.

The fermentable carbohydrates from sugar cane or sweet sorghum may be directly utilized in the form of cane juice or in conjunction with a sugar factory from molasses. Cane juice is prepared by crushing / diffusing the raw cane and after extraction, clarifying with milk of lime and sulfuric acid to precipitate the inorganic fraction. The extract may then be evaporated to the desired concentration and used directly in the fermentation. A major disadvantage in the utilization of sugar cane juice is its lack of stability over extended periods of storage. Molasses is the non-crystallizable residue remaining after the sucrose has been crystallized from cane juice. This heavy viscous material is composed of sucrose, glucose, and fructose at a total carbohydrate concentration of 50-60 %. Molasses may be easily stored for long periods of time and diluted to the required concentration prior to use.