The refinery and the energy plant

Identified challenges:

♣     Process optimization

♣     Energy systems

♣     Instrumentation

♣     Catalysis

♣     Combustible gas safety

Comments to challenges:

A general strategy for process quality and process control has to be developed and demonstrated. Multivariate Statistical Process Control (MPSC) may give added value and increase the quality of industrial processes. In addition it will reduce the energy demand and reduced emissions to the environment. A key factor in this strategy is integration of instrumentation in mapping, optimization and monitoring of processes and products.

Chemical catalysis is a generic field of technology by which chemical transformations may be facilitated and optimized with respect to energy consumption, turn-over rates and selectivity towards desired products. It is extremely powerful and works through the addition of chemicals that take active part in transformations yet are almost completely recycled and do not appear in the products. Catalysis is a core technology in any oil refinery. The major function of a refinery is to close the gap between the distribution of compounds present in crude oil and the hydrocarbon demand in the market, and in particular to increase the volume and improve the quality (octane number) of the fuel fraction. This entails a broad series of chemical transformations which take place by catalysis: Fluid catalytic cracking (FCC), hydrocracking, catalytic reforming, alkylation, isomerization, oxygenation (ether formation), and hydrotreatment. The efficient operation of each and one of these transformations requires highly specialized and optimized catalysts.

Low molecular weight compounds may be used as feedstock to the petrochemical industry. This may require an activation step, such as dehydrogenation or partial oxidation. Both activation and the subsequent petrochemical applications rely heavily on catalytic technologies to become economically and practically feasible.

Catalysis is an important technology also for producing electric power from natural gas (methane), either in the combustion step itself – catalytic fuel cells – or for processing the carbon dioxide produced. Focusing on the latter aspect, catalysis is an important aspect of efficient separation of CO₂ for instance in amine-based processes.

Whenever new industrial plants for utilizing, processing and/or handling combustible gases are planned, adequate measures for preventing and mitigating gas explosions and gas fires have to be incorporated. This also applies to gas power plants, including the new plant at Mongstad. Implementation of some measures can be achieved using well-established technologies, whereas adequate implementation of others demand more advanced approaches such as CFD simulation of possible scenarios for gas cloud formation and explosion/fire developments.

Comments to challenges:

The partnership has already ongoing collaboration with the Mongstad refinery in many aspects, both on instrumentation, processes optimalisation, and safety issues. Hence, is in a good position to extend this collaboration to include the new energy plant.