2011 Spring Meeting & 7th Global Congress on Process Safety

(114a) More Refinery H2 through Efficiency, Recovery, and Process Improvements



Hydrogen
is even more important to refiners than it was just a few years ago.  Heavier crudes, clean fuels, and increased
conversion have 
increased
hydrogen demand.  
Refiners can face costly choices  if forced to adjust refinery
operations to respond to hydrogen availability constraints. 

It is
critical that refiners find hydrogen solutions to improve their competitive
position. Increasing hydrogen availability through increased network efficiency
can have significant economic benefits. 
Utilizing hydrogen at the right purity in the right quantity at the
right place is key to hydrogen network optimization.

Effective
hydrogen network optimization requires addressing issues at the individual
process unit level (yields, partial pressures, severities) as well as at the
network-wide level (connectivity, operations, controls). Hydrogen recovery from
fuel includes making the best use of existing purification equipment, revamping
existing units and new construction. Unit and network operations, process
improvements, hydrogen recovery, and network rearrangement are all
opportunities for increased hydrogen availability, operating cost reduction and
improved refinery margin.