PTQ Q2 2024 Issue

pt q&a

More answers to these questions can be found at www.digitalrefining.com/qanda

Q What technologies do you see dominating the long- term development of alternative fuels like ammonia, methanol, and hydrogen? A Ujjal Mukherjee, Chief Technology Officer, Lummus Technology I see a variety of opportunities coming forth across a broader spectrum of timelines. In the medium term, blue hydrogen combined with carbon capture and storage will continue as the dominant technology. With the advance- ment of electrolysers incentivised by programmes such as the Inflation Reduction Act in the US, the cost of green hydrogen production will continue to drop. However, scal- ing to match blue hydrogen capacities will require a level of investment that only an enforceable penalty on CO 2 pro- duction could justify. I see niche areas with plentiful solar, wind or hydroelec- tric power as first adopters of large-scale green hydrogen projects, such as Neom in Saudi Arabia. In countries with an abundance of nuclear energy, such as Abu Dhabi, I soon see the production of pink hydrogen as a reality, especially post-COP28. Pink hydrogen will be used first in the cement and steel industries and later in the refining and petrochemicals sec - tor. In the long term, turquoise hydrogen produced by the direct conversion of methane to hydrogen and solid carbon could become attractive at scale, especially if combined with an electrical heat source from renewable power. Ammonia and methanol will continue to see growth as hydrogen carriers. The current cost of renewable hydrogen production remains much higher than producing hydrogen via steam methane reforming. In the long term, large-scale use of renewable hydrogen will become economically via- ble driven by governmental policy incentives, maturation of electrolysers, and carbon dioxide (CO₂) taxation. Back cracking of ammonia using a catalytic process to produce hydrogen and nitrogen will become an attractive option. Produced hydrogen can be used in fuel cells for power packs. At scale, these power packs can replace marine fuel. Firing of 100% hydrogen is technically feasible and tested, and it avoids the challenges associated with the use of ammonia as fuel. Using ammonia for direct firing will require careful consideration of burner types and the design of the selective catalytic reduction equipment. There are also lingering concerns about fugitive ammonia emis- sions leading to increased particulate matter (PM 2.5 and PM 10.0) when combined with other pollutants found in acid rain. The use of methanol as a marine fuel will rise, especially with the growth of green methanol. Green methanol pro- duced from sustainable biomass will see large-scale adop- tion in Asia, especially in India. Europe will see increased adoption of methanol from hydrogen produced with renew- able power and captured CO 2 (e-methanol).

Q What technology and strategies can resolve the huge gaps between ethylene and propylene production in cer- tain markets? A Jeffery Nichols, Solutions Delivery Senior Advisor, HSB Solomon Associates The boom over the past 15 years in demand for olefinic derivatives, most notably polyolefin plastics, has ushered in a supply deficit in multiple markets, leaving producers scrambling to capitalise on incremental margins. While the introduction of new production lines has been realised, with multiple fleet operators executing major capital projects since 2010, existing facilities are examining their options for squeezing every possible pound from their units. The keys to maximising olefin production from any facility – whether a new, world-scale complex or a vintage cracker, and regardless of feed or technology – fall into four foun- dational areas: • Shrinking or eliminating losses • Increasing yield • Increasing capacity • Sustaining high availability and minimising slowdowns and downtime. As intuitive as these strategies for maximising produc - tion may seem, applying them in the real world may not be straightforward. In addition, they are likely to involve ini- tial costs that hinge on the strategy or strategies adopted. Furthermore, no action exists in a vacuum. In some cases, improvement in one area will be complemented by positive results in another, but sometimes there are trade-offs. Robust mechanical maintenance programmes, including sound predictive and preventive maintenance components, are critical to increasing unit availability. Higher availabil- ity, almost without fail, translates into reductions in losses within a particular plant. Operational risk analysis that takes into account a facility’s tolerance for approaching critical plant limits or constraints is another essential element. Key points to consider include excess utility capacity, redun- dancy in contaminant removal, and safe operating limits for major equipment such as compressors. Consider this: For a 1,500-kiloton-per-year facility with a 98.5% service factor, a four-day reliability event translates into a produc- tion impact of more than 15 kilotons of product. Solomon Robust mechanical maintenance programmes, including sound predictive and preventive maintenance components, are critical to increasing unit availability

PTQ Q2 2024