PTQ Q2 2024 Issue

Lower methane slip as SGP operates at high reactor temperatures

Energy suciency Produced steam satises most internal users

Higher operating pressure Hydrogen compression duty and ADIP U ltra CO capture eciency are improved

Saturated steam Superheated steam To internal users (air separation unit, CO removal unit, triethylene glycol dehydration and power generation)

Bolier feed water

Natural gas and/or renery fuel gas

ADIP U ltra CO removal unit

Water gas shift

Syngas euent cooler

Hydrogen product export

Hydrogen compression

SGP reactor

Hydrogen purication

Cooled syngas

Shift euent

Hot syngas

Impure hydrogen

Hydrogen product

Oxygen

Medium pressure CO

Air separation unit

Integrated SBHP

CO compression and dehydration

High - pressure CO to storage

Air

Low - pressure CO

Feed exibility: Non-catalytic process means robustness against feed contaminents (sulphur, olens, C )

Intermediate ash: High capture pressure means most of the CO can be regenerated at a medium pressure to minimise CO compressor size

Shell proprietary technology

Shell technology embedded

Open source technology

Figure 2 The SBHP and advantages of integration with other technologies

Source: Shell Catalysts & Technologies 3

4, is then used, as in previous technologies, to increase the hydrogen yield and maximise CO 2 available for capture in the process stream. Heat released from this exothermic reaction is used to generate steam for the downstream process and more general preheating of other processes: CH 4 + ½ O 2  CO + 2H 2 (3) CO + H 2 O  CO 2 + H 2 (4) As with many industrially mature chemical processes, POX units can be designed as thermal POX or catalytic POX reac- tors. The main difference between the two is the operating temperature, with catalytic POX requiring significantly lower temperatures at the cost of being vulnerable to poisoning by sulphur species in the feed. Soot formation and deposition on catalyst beds are risks associated with feed composition, temperature, pressure, burner design, and flow conditions in the combustion zone4 , resulting in less effective heat transfer and reduction in cata- lyst performance. This can be controlled and mitigated using catalysts, which ensure the destruction of soot precursors, as well as optimising burner design and flow control solutions. In thermal POX units, soot formation is tolerated in the reac- tor to a degree determined by downstream equipment and can be removed by a water wash to prevent carryover into the CO Shift reactors. Compared to SMR, POX technology saves money by max- imising carbon capture efficiency and simplifying the pro - cess line-up, both of which offset the cost of O 2 production. Additionally, it does not require steam as a reactant, which reduces the need for gas pretreatment. Compared to ATR, a key advantage is, again, that the POX reaction does not require steam as a reactant. Instead, high-pressure steam is generated by using waste heat from the reaction, which can satisfy the steam consumption within the blue hydrogen process, as well as some internal power consumers. Also, with no need for feed gas pretreatment, POX technology has a far simpler process line-up than ATR.

According to the Shell Blue Hydrogen Process (SBHP), POX technology provides substantial savings compared with ATR – a 22% lower levelised cost of hydrogen that derives from lower Capex. This saving comes from a lower Capex owing to the potential for a higher operating pressure, leading to smaller hydrogen compressors, CO 2 capture and CO 2 com- pressor units, and lower Opex. SGP process Shell gas partial oxidation (SGP) technology has a far simpler process line-up and, as a non-catalytic, direct-fired system, it is robust against feed contaminants such as sulphur and can thereby accommodate a large range of natural gas quality and thus give refiners greater feed flexibility to decarbonise refinery fuel gas. SGP technology is also an oxygen-based system with direct firing in a refractory-lined reactor that does not con - sume steam and has no direct CO 2 emissions. Compared with SMR, SGP technology saves money by maximising car- bon capture efficiency and simplifying the process line-up, both of which offset the cost of oxygen production. A key advantage of SGP technology over ATR is that the POX reaction does not require steam as a reactant. Instead, high-pressure steam is generated by using waste heat from the reaction. It is a mature Technology Readiness Level 9 (TRL9), ‘low carbon’ technology with more than 30 active residue and gas gasification licensees, and more than 100 SGP gasifiers have been built worldwide. The SBHP is a new way to produce blue hydrogen from natural gas or other hydrocarbon gases (refinery off-gases) by integrating proven technologies that can be deployed rapidly (see Figure 2 ). The SBHP, which integrates Shell SGP and ADIP Ultra technologies, offers key advantages over ATR, including a 10-25% lower levelised cost of hydrogen, a 20% lower capital expenditure, a 35% lower operating expenditure (excluding natural gas feedstock price), >99% CO 2 captured, and overall process simplicity. 3

PTQ Q2 2024