Decarbonisation Technology - August 2024 Issue

maintenance investment to repair in-kind facilities to enable operational optimisation (furnace damper repair, steam trap repair, insulation repair, cleaning heat exchangers). • Energy efficiency focuses on improving the design and capability to enhance performance via capital investment (waste heat recovery, condensate recovery, heat exchanger upgrades, heat integration, steam vs electrical driver selection). • As the industry adapts to changing product demand and crude feedstock scenarios because of the drive to decarbonise, significant capital investment will be seen as refinery configurations adapt accordingly. This presents key opportunities to improve both major equipment and process energy efficiencies as part of optimising the required capital investment in conjunction with aligning to decarbonisation goals in the face of changing energy and carbon prices. This same opportunistic approach to energy efficiency improvement can also be applied to major equipment replacement requirements during turnarounds and other planned downtime events. Hydrogen optimisation Hydrogen balance diagnostics are essential to ensure there is an optimal production-to-demand balance and to avoid downgrading valuable hydrogen to fuel below cost value. Evaluation of hydrogen to fuel should incorporate carbon incentives that are dependent on the country/ region emissions scheme. Crude feedstock selection Solomon has conducted further studies around the behaviours of various upstream assets in terms of crude carbon intensity. On a worldwide basis, crude extraction carbon emissions intensity is observed to be four times higher than the carbon emissions intensity through a typical average conversion refinery. A large variance exists across both upstream and refining operations as it depends on the type of crude, sources of crude, ages of wells, flaring, and transportation. Low-carbon fuel options High-carbon-to-low-carbon fuel swapping is

an important lever in enabling carbon reduction (coal, fuel oil/naphtha firing, heavy ends). Renewable energy Renewable energy and credits are becoming increasingly available globally. Renewable energy can be supplied behind and inside the refinery meter. Renewable power supply displaces higher-emissions power generation supply options. Electrification It is important to properly evaluate opportunities to electrify condensing steam turbine power generation, thereby capturing steam letdown work while evaluating the full steam and energy balance implications for the facility. Flare recovery While it is important to focus on flare reduction during upset conditions and the recovery of incremental flared materials, priority should be given to evaluating the potential for eliminating sources of flaring overall. Reduction in methane venting and fugitive emissions Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, with more than 30 times the global warming potential per tonne of CO 2 . Reduction in methane venting and leakage can lead to a large reduction in the overall emissions from a facility. Pre- and post-combustion carbon capture • Pre-combustion capture refers to hydrogen generation known as blue hydrogen. Once the carbon is removed, hydrogen is used as fuel. • Post-combustion capture refers to the process of removing the CO 2 generated at the flue gas of plants upon fuel combustion. Offsets Net zero emissions imply that most processes continue to have some residual emissions that are either impossible to abate or uneconomic to drive to zero. Offsets are carbon reductions from outside the boundaries of the process in question that result in zero emissions over the process and the offsets. Virtually every net zero plan will need to incorporate offsets at some level.