Hydrocarbon Processing - June 2022 - 77

Carbon Capture/CO2
CO2. No CO2 leakage can occur to atmosphere
or into adjacent underground
structures. For any new grassroots facility,
a study should be done to identify
potential nearby CO2
Some uses for CO2
(which uses 0.3 t CO2
/bbl-0.6 t CO2
/
bbl), along with processes for freeze drying
of food, carbonization of beverages,
production of urea to make fertilizer and
enhanced photosynthesis in greenhouses.
Growing biofuel feedstocks (energy
crops) are an effective way to remove
CO2
duce low-carbon biofuels.
Captured CO2
from the atmosphere and to procan
be reacted with
green H2 made from renewable power to
e-chemistry).
produce synthetic fuels with a low CO2
footprint (i.e., P2X or CO2
Nature captures CO2
from the atmosphere
by photosynthesis, which
converts CO2
and water to oxygen and
glycose by electron transfer. Research is
ongoing to develop electrochemical cells
that will replicate and accelerate this electron
transfer by using electrolysis to produce
synthetic fuels and chemicals. In an
electrochemical cell, a catalyst embedded
in the cathode will reduce CO2
to carbon
monoxide or other products on one side
of the cell. On the other side, the anode
oxidizes water from the electrolyte to
produce oxygen. This is a promising path
for using renewable power and captured
CO2
to produce chemicals and fuels.32
Takeaways. The oil and gas industry is
rebranding itself as an energy provider,
and is transitioning to selling low-carbon-intensity
energy products that include
renewable wind and solar power,
green and blue H2
, low-carbon LNG,
biofuels, renewable diesel, e-fuels, e-gasoline
and SAF.
Improving energy efficiency and stopping
methane leakage are the cheapest
ways to reduce CO2
emissions. For new
facilities or major plant expansions, project
developers should consider incorporating
new technologies that have better
energy efficiency and lower carbon intensity.
For major turnarounds requiring
catalyst changeouts, operators should
consider newer formulated catalysts for
higher yields and lower energy intensity.
The pathways to reduce Scope 1 and
Scope 2 CO2 emissions include:
1. Energy efficiency/stopping
methane leakage: Improving
storage locations.
include EOR
efficiency in existing and new
facilities by maintaining energy
recovery equipment, stopping or
minimizing routine flaring (such
as minimizing flaring on startups
and shutdowns), and identifying
and stopping methane leakage
2. New technologies: Using
new process technologies and
catalysts to improve yields
and reduce energy intensity
3. Electrification: Electrifying
process equipment; using
renewable electric power
(e.g., wind, solar, hydro and
nuclear power); and investing
in battery storage, and in using
and selling renewable power
4. CCUS: Incorporating costeffective
CCUS technology,
joining regional CCUS networks
and using captured CO2
in
e-chemistry to produce e-fuels
5. Green and blue H2: Producing,
utilizing and selling lowcarbon
H2
H2
as an energy carrier
and to produce e-fuels.
Pathways to reduce Scope 3 emissions
for the oil and gas industry include producing
and selling energy products with
low-carbon intensities, such as:
6. Biofuels, renewable fuels and
e-fuels: This includes producing
renewable diesel, SAF, synthetic
fuels, e-gasoline, low-carbon
LNG and renewable electricity,
as well as green and blue H2
.
The seventh pathway will help reduce
Scope 3 emissions from petrochemicals
production:
7. Circular carbon pathway:
This pathway includes recycling
plastics by either mechanical
reprocessing or chemical means
(pyrolysis, gasification); using
renewable feedstocks like
bio-naphtha, hydrogenated
vegetable gasoil (diesel) and
plastic pyrolysis oil to produce
the base chemicals ethylene
and propylene; and producing
synthetic chemicals, such as
ethanol and methanol, by using
renewable H2
and captured CO2
.
The good news is that the oil and
gas and petrochemical industries have
the technology and assets needed for
offshore wind turbines, blue/green H2
31
26
27
28
, as well as using
25
24
Mitigation
production, and CO2
capture and storage.
They also have the refinery units and
technology to produce renewable fuels.
These industries are prepared for the
journey to complete this crucial energy
transition to a lower-carbon world.
NOTES
b Shell's OMEGA process
c
d
BASF and Dow Chemical Co.'s hydrogen peroxide
to PO (HPPO) technology
According to Buehler Consulting, a 15% reduction
is based on 2 Gj/t CO2
on 200 kWh electricity/t CO2
to regenerate solvent, and
for compression
LITERATURE CITED
21 U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA),
" What is U.S. electricity generation by energy
source? " online: https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/
faq.php?id=427&t=3
22
Statista, " Capacity factors for selected energy sources
in the United States in 2020, " online: https://www.
statista.com/statistics/183680/us-average-capacityfactors-by-selected-energy-source-since-1998/
23
Yacoubou,
J., " Solar farm land requirements: Top
7 tips for farmers, ranchers, and landowners, "
GreenCoast, December 5, 2021, online: https://
greencoast.org/solar-farm-land-requirements/
Gaughan, R., " How much land is needed for wind
turbines? " Sciencing, May 10, 2018, online: https://
sciencing.com/much-land-needed-wind-turbines-12304634.html
Patel,
S., " Changing winds: Emerging wind turbine
technologies, " Power, June 1, 2021.
Proctor, D., " Winds of change revitalize West Texas, "
Power, September 1, 2021.
U.S. EPA, " Code of Federal Regulations: Part 98, "
June 13, 2017.
Boekel, T. V. and P. Oud, " Low-emission ethylene
furnace, " AIChE Spring Meeting and Global
Congress on Process Safety, April 19, 2021.
29
Coolbrook, " Coolbrook makes petrochemical industry
more sustainable with innovative pilot, " July 28,
2021, online: https://coolbrook.com/news/2021/
coolbrook-makes-dutch-petrochemical-industrymore-sustainable-with-innovative-pilot/
30
IEA,
" Net zero by 2050: A roadmap for the global
energy sector, " May 2021, online: https://iea.
blob.core.windows.net/assets/deebef5d-0c344539-9d0c-10b13d840027/NetZeroby2050ARoadmapfortheGlobalEnergySector_CORR.pdf
IEA,
" Energy Technology Perspectives 2020: Special
report on carbon capture utilization and storage, "
October 19, 2020.
32 Boerner, L., " How can we convert CO2 from threat to
asset? " Chemical and Engineering News, October 11,
2020.
JACK BUEHLER is an Energy/GHG Consultant. He
recently retired from Shell as a Principal Engineer
identifying energy and GHG reduction opportunities
for existing assets and new projects. Mr. Buehler has
broad experience working with downstream refining
and chemicals, upstream and LNG. He has conducted
energy assessments at Shell America's refinery sites
and supported JVs and third-party energy studies.
Prior to joining Shell, Mr. Buehler worked for Union
Carbide and Dow in operations, the startup of three
ethylene crackers, process engineering, feedstock
purchasing and JV contract negotiations. He now
does consulting work with Petrogenium and Buehler
Consulting. He is a member of AIChE and its Ethylene
Producers' Committee, and earned a BS degree in
chemical engineering from the University of Delaware.
Hydrocarbon Processing | JUNE 2022 77

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