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offers potential advantages to the refinery in
terms of the Hydrogen and steam balance,
oil, with fewer secondary processing facilities.
offering the possibility of releasing some of Refining operations by themselves contribute only
the refinery streams for further value addition. a small portion of GHG emissions when compared
with the emissions on account of fuel combustion
The technologies envisaged in the above by the end users. Almost 80 % of CO2 emissions
approach are well proven. Liquid fuels derived are on account of fuel combustion, while about
from the FT process have been produced since 10-12% is contributed by refining. There is little
before World War II. Sasol have been using low that can be done to lower the CO2 emissions from
grade coal to produce fuels since the 1950's via fuel combustion, unless we move to a scenario in
this route and today, a number of projects for which refining operations are altered such that the
power and Chemicals generation are at different end product from the refinery is Hydrogen. In such
stages of implementation in China. Majors like a scenario 100% of the carbon contained in the
Sasol Exxon Mobil, Shell and Conoco have carried crude oil would be released as CO2. On paper,
out developments in the FT synthesis process- the saving grace of such an alternative is that it
concentrating on reactor and catalyst related offers the possibility of capturing all the CO2 at a
issues for improvements in selectivity and plant single location. This is presently a remote
economics. scenario, but it does help to point out that in our
pursuit of compliance with clean fuel quality, we
Variation in Crude Oil price by about $ 20/bbl can are in effect generating increasing quantities of
seriously impact the return on investment for a Carbon Dioxide and need to intensify efforts to
CTL project based on the FT route. Given the reduce GHG emissions. These efforts offer the
nature of investments involved in the GTL /CTL following benefits:
options, it is imperative to carry out detailed site
specific studies to establish the viability under
different scenarios of Crude oil and gas prices. The
same would apply for processes involving direct
coal liquefaction through Hydrogen addition.
Considering the position of coal reserves and the
•
•
Lower Energy Costs – it makes good sense
environmentally and economically to use
energy more efficiently and simultaneously
reduce or eliminate GHG missions.
Extend the world's energy resources
need to utilize them to the maximum extent, it may
not be far fetched to think in terms of a “coal
“refinery in future.
•
•
Meet and beat the competition to provide
better product quality
Meet rising expectations for new products,
With the availability of Gasification, another
new technologies.
potential linkage between refinery and
gas/petrochemicals offers itself for consideration.
Figure 3 indicates how this could be done.
Optimization of CO2 emissions presents refiners
with a real challenge, particularly where
emissions trading schemes have been introduced.
Green house gas emissions and abatement
Some of the areas in which a charge for CO2
emissions can drive changes in refinery operations
While the above are representative of the
challenges and opportunities that can be met
through the application of mature technology
and even in the actual configuration selected for
the refinery may involve a combination of the
following:
options, the flip side presents issues related to • Efficiency Improvement
higher energy consumption and resulting increase
in emissions of Carbon Dioxide. Increasingly
stringent product specifications have addressed
•
•
Crude and fuel substitution
Residue upgrading
issues related to SOx, NOx, Volatile Organic
Compounds and Particulate Matter through a
combination of modification in the molecular
•
•
Hydrogen production
Carbon sequestration
structure of the fuels and an increase in their
Hydrogen content through the application of a
• Modeling CO2 in LP
suite of processes that are well established. The issues that have been discussed in the
Carbon Dioxide, however remains a major issue. foregoing sections give a pointer to what lies
It is not simple to track refining green house gas ahead and the future could see a lot of emphasis
generation, but it can be assumed that processing on some of the following:
of heavier and sour crude oils is expected to result
in a major increase of GHG emissions as
compared to a refinery based on light sweet crude
• Production of Bio fuels that have higher
energy densities than ethanol and bio diesel
and are compatible with petroleum based