2021 AIChE Virtual Spring Meeting and 17th Global Congress on Process Safety

(114c) The End of the Steam Age?

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The low energy, low emission cracker of the future is likely to see a major shift in the way that energy is developed and utilized within the ethylene plant. This presentation will look at what to expect in future cracker designs where low carbon electrical power is imported to drive the main compressors within the cracker.

The drive to reduce CO2 intensity of crackers will lead to re-design of cracking furnace so that the same fired duty goes into the cracking process but less fuel gas is fired for the purposes of making steam. This reduces overall fuel gas consumption which can lead to new opportunities for excess fuel gas, whilst the reduced furnace VHP steam production enables large steam turbine drivers to be replaced with electric motors.

Impacts on all major utility systems on both gas and liquid cracker designs are illustrated as well as the implications for revamp projects.

Discussions on potential uses for any excess steam and fuel gas are shared.

Some high-level implications from switching turbines to motors will be presented based on recent vendor feedback.