Industries · Petrochemical
Cooling Towers for Petrochemical Plants and Refineries
Large FRP, RCC and wooden cooling towers for refineries, petrochemical complexes and gas processing plants. Built for corrosive air, continuous duty and very large flows since 1975.
- Large multi-cell designs
- Corrosion-proof FRP
- CTI member · ISO 9001:2015
- 4,900+ towers supplied
Quick answer
What cooling tower is best for a petrochemical plant?
Refineries and petrochemical complexes usually need multi-cell field-erected cooling towers for their very large flows. Pultruded FRP towers resist corrosion and install quickly, while RCC towers give a long-life structure for permanent plants.
Because hydrocarbons can leak into cooling water from exchangers, material selection and fire protection should be agreed at the design stage, along with drift control.
Applications
Where cooling towers are used in petrochemical plants
From crude distillation to polymer units, petrochemical plants reject most of their process heat through the cooling water system.
Challenges
Cooling tower challenges in petrochemical plants, and how we design for them
Refineries combine huge flows, hydrocarbons and long runs between turnarounds. These are the conditions we design around.
Tower types & materials
Which cooling tower suits your petrochemical plant?
We manufacture all three materials in-house, so we recommend the one that fits your duty, not the one we happen to make.
| Feature | FRP cooling tower | RCC cooling tower | Wooden cooling tower |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Most refinery and petrochemical duties | Large, permanent installations | Economical large-flow cooling |
| Corrosion resistance | Excellent – no rust; suits chemical, coastal and seawater duty | Very good – concrete structure with HDG / SS hardware | Good – CCA-treated timber with HDG / SS hardware |
| Models | 98 | 92 | 107 |
| Capacity | Up to 6,000 m³/hr per cell (pultruded) | Sized to project | 45 – 5,000 m³/hr per cell |
| Civil work | Minimal – FRP or RCC cold water basin | Civil structure built locally from our drawings | RCC cold water basin by purchaser (drawings provided) |
Corrosion-resistant materials throughout, confirmed against your specification, water analysis and the hydrocarbons present on site.
| Component | Material of construction |
|---|---|
| Structure and casing | FRP (or RCC / treated timber) |
| Fill | PVC film or splash fill |
| Drift eliminator | PVC, cellular or blade type |
| Nozzles | Polypropylene (PP) |
| Hardware | Stainless steel or hot-dip galvanised MS |
| Fan | Cast aluminium alloy or GRP blades |
| Fan cylinder | FRP |
| Electric motor | To suit your site standards and area classification |
How it works
What we need to size your cooling tower
Send these details and our engineers will recommend the model, number of cells and fill for guaranteed performance.
Why Cooltech
Five decades of process cooling experience
Since 1975 we have supplied more than 4,900 cooling towers to chemical, fertilizer, power and process plants, including Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers and Dangote Group.
years designing cooling towers
cooling towers manufactured
towers exported
member · ISO 9001:2015
FAQ
Cooling towers for petrochemical plants: FAQs
Which cooling tower is best for a refinery or petrochemical plant?
Multi-cell field-erected towers in pultruded FRP or RCC suit most refineries and petrochemical plants. FRP gives the best corrosion resistance; RCC gives a long-life structure for permanent plants.
What happens if hydrocarbons leak into the cooling water?
Hydrocarbon leaks can foul fill, feed biological growth and create a fire risk at the tower. Leak detection and treatment are part of your water programme; we design the tower with materials that are compatible with what may enter the circuit.
How large can your cooling tower cells be?
Our pultruded FRP field-erected cells go up to 18 m × 18 m and 6,000 m³/hr per cell. Larger capacities are reached by adding cells.
Counterflow or crossflow for a petrochemical plant?
Counterflow gives higher thermal performance in a smaller footprint. Crossflow has lower pumping head and is easier to inspect and clean. See our guide to crossflow vs counterflow cooling towers.
Can you rebuild an existing refinery cooling tower?
Yes. We repair and reconstruct cooling towers of any make, and supply spares such as FRP fans, fills, nozzles, drift eliminators, fan stacks and gearboxes.
What details do you need for a quotation?
We need the circulating flow rate (or heat load), hot and cold water temperatures, the design wet-bulb temperature for your site, your make-up water analysis, and details of the available space and power supply.
Related industries
Cooling towers for related industries
Our clients
Clients who trust Cooltech
Industry leaders in India and abroad rely on Cooltech cooling towers.
Need a cooling tower for your petrochemical plant?
Share your flow rate, temperatures and site details. Our engineers will recommend the right FRP, RCC or wooden cooling tower.