ERTC 2022
Sustainable energy management is becoming increasingly important for refineries
Raffinerie Heide
Union, pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 to 95% by 2050 com- pared to 1990 levels, thereby limiting average global warming to well below two degrees by the end of the century. Energy-intensive industrial companies have a key role to play in this regard. “We started addressing this task and imple- menting the first steps very early on,” says Stefan Nitzinger, head of process engi- neering at Raffinerie Heide. Among other things, these objectives led Raffinerie Heide to focus on the issue of transforma- tion and decarbonisation – in other words, the reduction of CO₂ emissions – across its business areas ahead of many other refin- eries. The results of these many years of work include the WESTKÜSTE100 and HySCALE100 hydrogen projects. The Ukraine conflict and the associ- ated gas shortage in Europe have given energy a new dynamic. “The prevailing gas shortage and the constantly rising energy costs since the end of last year are forc- ing all companies to constantly review and improve their energy efficiency,” continues Stefan Nitzinger. The major advantage of
Energy is the big topic throughout Europe. Where does it come from, what is it used for, and how can we save it? The efficient use of energy is also of great importance to Raffinerie Heide – and not just since the recent developments in the energy and gas sectors. Like all refineries and chemi- cal companies around the world, Raffinerie Heide requires a lot of energy for produc- tion. This is why our company introduced an energy management system back in 2012, which is being continuously adapted and optimised. The aim is to use different energy sources as effectively and sustain- ably as possible. Process technologist Marven Schmitz, the focal point for energy at Raffinerie Heide, is responsible for this system. “Paying attention to the conscious use of energy ensures that companies, including Raffinerie Heide, remain competitive,” he explains. In 2015, in addition to the eco- nomic necessity, a political commitment to save energy was made. At the Paris Climate Change Conference, in the so-called Greenhouse Gas Protocol, 195 countries, including Germany and the entire European
Raffinerie Heide
emphasise that companies will have to con- stantly adapt to new circumstances in the coming years. The global energy market is likely to remain unstable. However, it is also important that prudent energy manage- ment is not seen as a tool for achieving the energy revolution: “It provides companies with the means to survive during the time needed to transform their business. No more, no less.”
Raffinerie Heide is its flexibility. The gas tur- bine was shut down in the plant’s own power plant in August, both to contribute to secu- rity of supply and to reduce energy costs. However, as electricity generation with the gas turbine is very efficient, the gas turbine is to be converted from natural gas to pro- pane. This means that the refinery will be able to generate electricity efficiently in the future, regardless of the natural gas market. According to Raffinerie Heide’s energy expert Marven Schmitz, it is important to
Contact: presse@heiderefinery.com
Driving Sustainable Design and Operations—Digitally
Improve design and drive sustainable operations across your organization—while achieving new levels of operational excellence with Performance Engineering software solutions.
Download the white paper “Digital Twins: Essential to Driving Sustainable Operations for Chemical Producers”
5
Powered by FlippingBook