narTC 2025
nation of the methanation step, purge gas recovery, ammonia absorption, and hydrogen recovery, resulting in a reduced need for compressor/recycle power and significantly reduced sizes of high- pressure equipment and piping. A standard high-temperature shift uses an iron-chromium (Fe/Cr)-based catalyst that cannot operate at an S/C ratio below 2.6. To overcome this limitation, Topsoe invented SK-501 Flex, an Fe and Cr-free catalyst. This catalyst was installed in the first plant 10 years ago and is now in suc- cessful operation in more than two dozen plants. To date, none of the SK-501 Flex catalyst has ever needed to be replaced. Figure 5 shows the main process steps for the new SynCOR Ammonia plant, and Table 1 provides a comparison of the main differences between a conventional ammonia plant and SynCOR Ammonia. The nitrogen wash removes both the slip of CO from the shift section and the methane slip from the reforming section. The off-gas from the nitrogen wash can be used as fuel without any further treatment. This design generates an inert-free syn- thesis gas, which results in a higher ammo- nia conversion per pass in the ammonia synthesis converter. The CO₂ removal unit in a SynCOR Ammonia plant can be a standard com- mercial amine solution. The CO₂ absorber is smaller than for conventional design because no nitrogen is added to the syn- thesis gas. In the Topsoe low-carbon ammonia pro-
Nitrogen
Air separation unit
Air
High temperature shift
CO
O gases
CO removal
Ammonia conversion S-300
Oxygen
Super heated steam
Feed heater
Sulphur removal
Natural gas
Ammonia product
Separator
Nitrogen wash
Process condensate
Steam Hydrogenation
Prereformer
High temperature shift
Autothermal reforming
Fuel
Figure 5 Simplified process sheet of SynCOR Ammonia plant
cess, more than 99% of the CO₂ from nat- ural gas is captured in the CO₂ removal unit and cleaned up to meet the required purity needed for carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS). This amount of CO₂ cap- ture is up to 50% higher than what can be achieved in an SMR-based design without the use of post-combustion CO₂ capture, which is uneconomic (see Table 1). Today, Topsoe’s SynCOR technology is by far the preferred technology for the pro- duction of low-carbon hydrogen and ammo- nia in the world. To date, seven low-carbon hydrogen or low-carbon ammonia units are already in construction using SynCOR tech- nology, and many more units are in the pipe- line to help decarbonise the world.
Technology
Conventional NH 3
plant
SynCOR Ammonia
Desulphurisation section
Standard
Standard
S/C ratio
3.0
0.6
Reforming section
Tubular stream reformer and air-blown secondary reformer
Prereformer and oxygen-blown ATR
Shift section
High-temperature shift followed by
Two high-temperature shifts in series with recirculation of byproducts
low-temperature shift
CO 2 removal % for CCUS Synthesis gas cleaning
60-65
>99
Methanation
Nitrogen wash with purge and nitrogen addition
Ammonia synthesis
Ammonia synthesis loop with purge
Inert-free synthesis loop with no purge
Purge gas treatment
Ammonia wash followed by hydrogen recovery
No treatment required
Relative SNEC
100
97
Relative make-up water consumption
100
40-50
Contact: hwr@topsoe.com
Table 1
Exploiting ‘old’ refinery assets
Rene Gonzalez Editor, PTQ
waste fats, oils, and greases into refinery products. Margins opportunities for the more com- plex refiners ensure continued investment in complexity and capacity. These invest- ments are reflected by recent data show- ing that the total FCC cracking propylene capacity across US refineries is estimated to range between 6.5 and 7.5 million met- ric tons annually. This capacity has ben- efited from refiners’ ability to optimise assets, such as FCC units for olefins pro- duction, using advanced catalysts and oper- ating conditions tailored for future gasoline blends and higher yields of petrochemical feedstock like propylene. Legislation such as the proposed Next Generation Fuels Act aims to establish a minimum research octane number (RON) of 98 for future gasoline blends, support- ing advanced internal combustion engine (ICE) technologies while reducing carbon emissions through ethanol blending. These higher-octane fuels would enable more effi- cient engine performance and could become standard as automakers increasingly align engine design with these advancements, starting as early as the model year 2026. Meanwhile, rising cobalt costs will not make EVs cheaper anytime soon. EVs may fill the role as the ‘second car’, but ICE-powered vehicles will keep refiners competitive.
Although North America, as a major transit route, is well positioned for building refiner- ies, no new facilities have been built since 1977. It is no secret that government policy supersedes market forces and other advan- tages such as large crude resources, engi- neering expertise, and an efficient supply chain and service infrastructure. Instead, refineries are closing in the US and Europe. However, there appear to be opportunities for repurposing assets. In 2025, two significant US refineries are expected to close. The LyondellBasell Houston Refinery, with a capacity of 263,776 bpd, is scheduled to shut down in the first quarter. Additionally, Phillips 66’s Los Angeles refinery, which processes 139,000 bpd, is planned to close by the end of 2025. These closures will result in a combined loss of more than 400,000 bpd in refining capacity, possibly provid- ing higher margins opportunities for the remaining high-complexity facilities. Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, CO₂ footprint mandates, renewable identification numbers (RINs), and other regulatory and policy factors continue to temper a refining organisation’s market- ability. However, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects 2025 US gas- oline consumption will remain at the same level as 2024, estimated at 9 million bpd. Refiners will likely benefit from robust Gulf Coast margins due to feedstock accessibil-
The LyondellBasell Houston Refinery is due to close this year
ity (such as West Texas Intermediate [WTI], low-sulphur shale crudes) and strong export opportunities to Latin America and Europe, predicating the need for extending the life of gasoline-producing units such as the cata- lytic reformer and FCC unit. According to the US EIA, US fossil fuel production rose over the last four years, from 76 quads in 2020 to a record high of 86 quads in 2023, more than ten times the amount of total renewable energy produc- tion. Less than expected EV demand is par- tially why modest refinery investments will continue. Depending on which expert you favour, margins could range from $7-15 per barrel for complex refineries, based on the crude and product mix. US distillate con- sumption is also expected to grow by 4% in 2025 due to an increase in industrial, min- ing, and manufacturing activities.
In any case, water and higher hydrogen demand to meet clean fuels specifications is less expensive than in other regions. For example, hydrogen is five times more expensive in China than in the US. Against this backdrop, the more carbon-intensive and less efficient facilities may reconsider closing and instead reconfigure themselves as biorefineries for the production of sus- tainable aviation fuel (SAF), renewable die- sel, and similar products. These ‘old’ facilities can leverage exist- ing utilities, including desulphurisation capacity, boiler house, flare, and other offsites (such as tank storage, product blending, loading and receiving, and water effluent treatment). Having this infrastruc- ture in place is necessary when investing in supporting hydroprocessing assets that can catalytically process a wide range of
Contact: editor@petroleumtechnology.com
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