Chemical Engineering April 2020 - 15

TechnipFMC
" TechnipFMC sees imFIGURE
2. TechnipFMC has developed
a new patented furnace design that
exceeds the emissions reductions targets
of the European Improof Project
proving the sustainability of
cracking technology to be
a key area of improvement
in the next few years. In the
medium term, moving to
the use of more sustainable
energy sources and
reduction in fuel firing (and
therefore CO2 emissions) is
seen as the path the industry
will follow, " says Middleton.
" In addition, for some
locations, the capture and
storage of CO2 will also
be an option. In the longer
term, methods of producing olefins without firing fuel
(such as electric heating) may become viable, but it is important
that these do not move the generation of CO2
from the cracker to outside energy sources, " he says.
TechnipFMC has been a key participant in the Improof
project - a four-year European project aimed at improving
the energy efficiency of steam cracking furnaces by
at least 20%, while reducing emissions of greenhouse
gases and NOx by at least 25%. " A new patented furnace
design has been developed by TechnipFMC which
exceeds these objectives, " says Middleton. The project,
with seven industrial partners, including Technip, Dow
and John Zink Company LLC, and two universities, runs
through August 2020.
Electrifying possibilities
As the availability and reliability of renewable electricity
increases, and its costs fall, the chemical process industries
(CPI) are looking for ways to electrify production,
when possible, to not only reduce operating costs, but
to reduce their environmental footprint. Because steam
crackers are a major source of CO2 emissions, petrochemical
companies are now looking for ways to electrify.
In Europe, one such effort began last August with the
formation of the " Cracker of the Future " Consortium. Six
petrochemical companies in Flanders, Belgium, North
Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and the Netherlands (Trilateral
Region) created the consortium to jointly investigate
how naphtha or gas steam crackers could be
operated using renewable electricity instead of fossil
fuels. The Cracker of the Future consortium, which includes
BASF, Borealis, BP, LyondellBasell, SABIC and
Total, and is chaired by Brightlands Chemelot Campus
(Sittard-Geleen, the Netherlands; www.brightlands.
com), aims to produce base chemicals while also significantly
reducing carbon emissions. The companies
have agreed to invest in R&D and knowledge sharing
as they assess the possibility of transitioning their base
chemical production to renewable electricity.
Following the signing of the agreement, the members
of the consortium have begun exploring and screening
technical options. If a potential technical solution is
identified, the parties will determine whether to pursue
joint development project(s), including R&D activities
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Chemical Engineering April 2020

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