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AVAILABLE AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR
REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM
THE PETROLEUM REFINING INDUSTRY
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Available and Emerging Technologies for Reducing
Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Petroleum Refining
Industry
Prepared by the
Sector Policies and Programs Division
Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711
October 2010
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Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1
2.0 Petroleum Refining ................................................................................................................. 1
2.1 Overview of Petroleum Refining Industry ................................................... 1
2.2 Petroleum Refining GHG Emission Sources ................................................ 3
2.2.1 Stationary Combustion Sources ........................................................................ 5
2.2.2 Flares ................................................................................................................. 6
2.2.3 Catalytic Cracking Units ................................................................................... 6
2.2.4 Coking Units ..................................................................................................... 7
2.2.5 Catalytic Reforming Units ................................................................................ 8
2.2.6 Sulfur Recovery Vents ...................................................................................... 9
2.2.7 Hydrogen Plants ................................................................................................ 9
2.2.8 Asphalt Blowing Stills ...................................................................................... 9
2.2.9 Storage Tanks.................................................................................................. 10
2.2.10 Coke Calcining Units ...................................................................................... 10
2.2.11 Other Ancillary Sources .................................................................................. 10
3.0 Summary of GHG Reduction Measures ............................................................................. 11
4.0 Energy Programs and Management Systems..................................................................... 16
4.1 Sector-Specific Plant Performance Benchmarks ....................................... 19
4.2 Industry Energy Efficiency Initiatives ........................................................ 19
4.3 Energy Efficiency Improvements in Facility Operations .......................... 19
4.3.1 Monitoring and Process Control Systems ....................................................... 19
4.3.2 High Efficiency Motors .................................................................................. 20
4.3.3 Variable Speed Drives .................................................................................... 21
4.3.4 Optimization of Compressed Air Systems ...................................................... 21
4.3.5 Lighting System Efficiency Improvements .................................................... 21
5.0 GHG Reduction Measures by Source ................................................................................. 22
5.1 Stationary Combustion Sources .................................................................. 22
5.1.1 Steam Generating Boilers ............................................................................... 22
5.1.2 Process Heaters ............................................................................................... 24
5.1.3 Combined Heat and Power (CHP) .................................................................. 24
5.1.4 Carbon Capture ............................................................................................... 25
5.2 Fuel Gas Systems and Flares ....................................................................... 26
5.2.1 Fuel Gas Systems ............................................................................................ 26
5.2.2 Flares ............................................................................................................... 27
5.3 Cracking Units .............................................................................................. 28
5.3.1 Catalytic Cracking Units ................................................................................. 28
5.3.2 Hydrocracking Units ....................................................................................... 29
5.4 Coking Units .................................................................................................. 29
5.4.1 Fluid Coking Units .......................................................................................... 29
5.4.2 Flexicoking Units ............................................................................................ 30
5.4.3 Delayed Coking Units ..................................................................................... 30
5.5 Catalytic Reforming Units ........................................................................... 31
5.6 Sulfur Recovery Units................................................................................... 31
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5.7 Hydrogen Production Units ......................................................................... 31
5.7.1 Combustion Air and Feed/Steam Preheat ....................................................... 32
5.7.2 Cogeneration ................................................................................................... 32
5.7.3 Hydrogen Purification ..................................................................................... 32
5.8 Hydrotreating Units ...................................................................................... 32
5.9 Crude Desalting and Distillation Units ....................................................... 33
5.9.1 Desalter Design ............................................................................................... 33
5.9.2 Progressive Distillation Design....................................................................... 33
5.10 Storage Tanks ................................................................................................ 34
5.10.1 Vapor Recovery or Control for Unstabilized Crude Oil Tanks ...................... 34
5.10.2 Heated Storage Tank Insulation ...................................................................... 35
6.0 References .............................................................................................................................. 35
EPA Contact...................................................................................................................... 38
List of Figures
Figure 1. Simplified flowchart of refining processes and product flows. Adapted from
Gary and Handwerk (1994). ......................................................................................... 2
Figure 2. Contribution of different emission sources to the nationwide CO2 equivalent
GHG emissions from petroleum refineries. .................................................................. 3
Figure 3. Contribution of different GHG to the nationwide CO2 equivalent GHG
emissions from petroleum refineries. ............................................................................ 4
Figure 4. Direct CO2 emissions from fuel consumption and indirect CO2 emissions
electricity and steam purchases at U.S. petroleum refineries from 2003 to
2008............................................................................................................................... 5
Figure 5. ENERGY STAR Guidelines for Energy Management ................................................. 18
Figure 6. Process schematic of a progressive distillation process (from ARCADIS, 2008). ....... 34
List of Tables
Table 1. Summary of GHG Reduction Measures for the Petroleum Refining Industry ............... 11
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1.0 Introduction
This document is one of several white papers that summarize readily available
information on control techniques and measures to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
from specific industrial sectors. These white papers are solely intended to provide basic
information on GHG control technologies and reduction measures in order to assist States and
local air pollution control agencies, tribal authorities, and regulated entities in implementing
technologies or measures to reduce GHGs under the Clean Air Act, particularly in permitting
under the prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) program and the assessment of best
available control technology (BACT). These white papers do not set policy, standards or
otherwise establish any binding requirements; such requirements are contained in the applicable
EPA regulations and approved state implementation plans.
This document provides information on control techniques and measures that are
available to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the petroleum refining industry at
this time. Because the primary GHG emitted by the petroleum refining industry are carbon
dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), the control technologies and measures presented here focus
on these pollutants. While a large number of available technologies are discussed here, this paper
does not necessarily represent all potentially available technologies or measures that that may be
considered for any given source for the purposes of reducing its GHG emissions. For example,
controls that are applied to other industrial source categories with exhaust streams similar to the
petroleum refining industry may be available through “technology transfer” or new technologies
may be developed for use in this sector.
The information presented in this document does not represent U.S. EPA endorsement of
any particular control strategy. As such, it should not be construed as EPA approval of a
particular control technology or measure, or of the emissions reductions that could be achieved
by a particular unit or source under review.
2.0 Petroleum Refining
2.1 Overview of Petroleum Refining Industry
Petroleum refineries produce liquefied petroleum gases (LPG), motor gasoline, jet fuels,
kerosene, distillate fuel oils, residual fuel oils, lubricants, asphalt (bitumen), and other products
through distillation of crude oil or through redistillation, cracking, or reforming of unfinished
petroleum derivatives. There are three basic types of refineries: topping refineries,
hydroskimming refineries, and upgrading refineries (also referred to as “conversion” or
“complex” refineries). Topping refineries have a crude distillation column and produce naphtha
and other intermediate products, but not gasoline. There are only a few topping refineries in the
U.S., predominately in Alaska. Hydroskimming refineries have mild conversion units such as
hydrotreating units and/or reforming units to produce finished gasoline products, but they do not
upgrade heavier components of the crude oil that exit near the bottom of the crude distillation
column. Some topping/hydroskimming refineries specialize in processing heavy crude oils to
produce asphalt. There are eight operating asphalt plants and approximately 20 other
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hydroskimming refineries operating in the United States as of January 2006 (Energy Information
Administration [EIA], 2006). The vast majority (approximately 75 to 80 percent) of the
approximately 150 domestic refineries are upgrading/conversion refineries.
Upgrading/conversion refineries have cracking or coking operations to convert long-chain, high
molecular weight hydrocarbons (“heavy distillates”) into smaller hydrocarbons that can be used
to produce gasoline product (“light distillates”) and other higher value products and
petrochemical feedstocks.
Figure 1 provides a simplified flow diagram of a typical refinery. The flow of
intermediates between the processes will vary by refinery, and depends on the structure of the
refinery, type of crude processes, as well as product mix. The first process unit in nearly all
refineries is the crude oil or “atmospheric” distillation unit (CDU). Different conversion
processes are available using thermal or catalytic processes, e.g., delayed coking, catalytic
cracking, or catalytic reforming, to produce the desired mix of products from the crude oil. The
products may be treated to upgrade the product quality (e.g., sulfur removal using a
hydrotreater). Side processes that are used to condition inputs or produce hydrogen or by-
products include crude conditioning (e.g., desalting), hydrogen production, power and steam
production, and asphalt production. Lubricants and other specialized products may be produced
at special locations. More detailed descriptions of petroleum refining processes are available in
other locations (U.S. EPA, 1995, 1998; U.S. Department of Energy [DOE], 2007).
Figure 1. Simplified flowchart of refining processes and product flows. Adapted from
Gary and Handwerk (1994).
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2.2 Petroleum Refining GHG Emission Sources
The petroleum refining industry is the nation’s second-highest industrial consumer of
energy (U.S. DOE, 2007). Nearly all of the energy consumed is fossil fuel for combustion;
therefore, the petroleum refining industry is a significant source of GHG emissions. In addition
to the combustion-related sources (e.g., process heaters and boilers), there are certain processes,
such as fluid catalytic cracking units (FCCU), hydrogen production units, and sulfur recovery
plants, which have significant process emissions of CO2. Methane emissions from a typical
petroleum refinery arise from process equipment leaks, crude oil storage tanks, asphalt blowing,
delayed coking units, and blow down systems. Asphalt blowing and flaring of waste gas also
contributes to the overall CO2 and CH4 emissions at the refinery. Based on a bottom-up,
refinery-specific analysis (adapted from Coburn, 2007, and U.S. EPA, 2008), GHG emissions
from petroleum refineries were estimated to be 214-million metric tons of CO2 equivalents
(CO2e), based on production rates in 2005. Figure 2 provides a breakdown of the nationwide
emissions projected for different parts of the petroleum refineries based on this bottom-up
analysis.
Sulfur Plant Flaring
1.8% 2.5%
H2 Plant
5.8% CRU Coke Burn-off
0.36%
Delayed Coking
0.21%
FCCU Coke Burn-off Fluid/flexi-coking Units
23.5% 0.60%
Coke Calcining
0.101%
Other
3.1% Asphalt Blowing
0.94%
Combustion Blowdown
63.3% 0.167%
Storage Tanks
0.30%
Equipment Leaks
Wastewater Treatment 0.013%
0.40%
Cooling Towers
0.002%
Figure 2. Contribution of different emission sources to the nationwide CO2 equivalent GHG emissions from
petroleum refineries.
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Figure 3 pressents what GHG
F G are emiitted by refinneries. CO2 is the predom minant GHG G
emitted by
b petroleum m refineries, accounting forf almost 98 percent off all GHG em missions at
m refineries. Methane em
petroleum missions aree 4.7-millionn metric tonss CO2e and account
a for 2.25
2
percent of
o the petroleeum refineryy emissions nationwide.
n Note that thhe relative magnitude
m off CO2
and CH4 emissions iss dependent on the typess of process unitsu and othher characterristics of thee
refinery. Facilities th
hat do not haave catalyticc cracking unnits and hydrrogen plants will tend too
have a hiigher fraction
n of their tottal GHG emissions releaased as CH4.
Figure 3.
3 GHG emissiions from petrroleum refinerries.
T petroleum
The m refining inndustry is onne of the larggest energy consuming
c inndustries in the
United States. Thus,, a primary option
o to redduce CO2 em missions is to improve energy efficienncy.
In 2001, the domesticc petroleum refining inddustry consum med an estimmated 3,369 trillion Britiish
Thermal Units (TBtu u). One repoort estimatedd the CO2 em missions fromm this energyy consumptioon to
be about 222 million n tonnes, whiich accounts for about 11.6 percent of o industrial CO2 emissioons
in the Unnited States (Worrell
( andd Galitsky, 2005).
2 The EIA
E providess on-site fuel consumptioon
data as well
w as electricity and steeam purchasees (EIA, 20009). These data d were useed to estimatte
the CO2 emissions
e reesulting fromm this fuel coonsumption using
u the em
mission factoors from the
Intergoveernmental Paanel on Clim mate Change (IPCC) (20006), and connverted to apppropriate unnits
(Coburn,, 2007). Fig gure 4 preseents the projeected CO2 em missions fromm the direct, on-site fuell
consumpption, as welll as the indirrect, off-site electricity and
a steam puurchases. Froom Coburn
(2007), thhe on-site annnual CO2 em missions froom fuel combbustion weree 190 millionn tonnes in 20052
and the overall
o CO2 emissions
e froom energy consumption
c n (including purchased
p stteam and
electricityy) were 216 million tonnnes in 2005, which agreees well with the estimatee of Worrell
(2005). AsA seen in Figure
F 4, cataalyst coke coonsumption dropped
d 10 percent
p fromm 2006 to 20008.
Much of the resulting g CO2 emisssion reductioons were offsset by increaased electriciity and steam m
purchasees. As nearly y all catalyticc cracking units
u recover the latent heeat from the catalyst cokke
burn-off exhaust to produce
p steamm and/or eleectricity, the decrease in catalyst cokke consumptiion
does not translate intto an equivallent net GHG G emissions reduction when
w indirectt CO2 emissiions
from elecctricity and steam
s purchaases are considered.
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250.0
200.0
Purchased Steam
CO2 Emissions (million metric tons)
Purchased Electricity
150.0 Coal
Natural Gas
Other Petroleum Products
Catalyst Petroleum Coke
100.0
Marketable Petroleum Coke
Still Gas
Residual Fuel Oil
50.0 Distillate Fuel Oil
Liquefied Petroleum Gases
‐
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Year
Figure 4. Direct CO2 emissions from fuel consumption and indirect CO2 emissions from electricity and steam
purchases at U.S. petroleum refineries from 2003 to 2008.
The remainder of this section provides brief descriptions of the process units and other
sources that generate significant GHG emissions at a petroleum refinery.
2.2.1 Stationary Combustion Sources
Stationary combustion sources are the largest sources of GHG emissions at a petroleum
refinery. Combustion sources primarily emit CO2, but they also emit small amounts of CH4 and
nitrous oxide (N2O). Stationary combustion sources at a petroleum refinery include process
heaters, boilers, combustion turbines, and similar devices. For this document, flares are
considered a distinct emission source separate from other stationary combustion sources. Nearly
all refinery process units use process heaters. Typically, the largest process heaters at a
petroleum refinery are associated with the crude oil atmospheric and vacuum distillation units
and the catalytic reforming unit (if present at the refinery).
In addition to direct process heat, many refinery processes also have steam and electricity
requirements. Some refineries purchase steam to meet their process’s steam requirements; others
use dedicated on-site boilers to meet their steam needs. Similarly, some refineries purchase
electricity from the grid to run their pumps and other electrical equipment; other refineries have
co-generation facilities to meet their electricity needs and may produce excess electricity to sell
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to the grid. Refineries that produce their own steam or electricity will have higher on-site fuel
usage, all other factors being equal, than refineries that purchase these utilities. A boiler for
producing plant steam can be the largest source of GHG emissions at the refinery, particularly at
refineries that do not have catalytic cracking units.
The predominant fuel used at petroleum refineries is refinery fuel gas (RFG), which is
also known as still gas. RFG is a mixture of light C1 to C4 hydrocarbons, hydrogen, hydrogen
sulfide (H2S), and other gases that exit the top (overhead) of the distillation column and remain
uncondensed as they pass through the overhead condenser. RFG produced at different locations
within the refinery is typically compressed, treated to remove H2S (if necessary), and routed to a
central location (i.e., mix drum) to supply fuel to the various process heaters at the refinery. This
RFG collection and distribution system is referred to as the fuel gas system. A refinery may
have several fuel gas systems, depending on the configuration of the refinery, supplying fuel to
different process heaters and boilers.
The fuel gas generated at the refinery is typically augmented with natural gas to supply
the full energy needs of the refinery. Depending on the types of crude oil processed and the
process units in operation, the amount of supplemental natural gas needed can change
significantly. Consequently, there may be significant variability in the fuel gas composition
between different refineries and even within a refinery as certain units are taken off-line for
maintenance.
2.2.2 Flares
Flares are commonly used in refineries as safety devices to receive gases during periods
of process upsets, equipment malfunctions, and unit start-up and shutdowns. Some flares receive
only low flows of “purge” or “sweep” gas to prevent air (oxygen) from entering the flare header
and possibly the fuel gas system while maintaining the readiness of the flare in the event of a
significant malfunction or process upset. Some flares may receive excess process gas on a
frequent or routine basis. Some flares may be used solely as control devices for regulatory
purposes. Combustion of gas in a flare results in emissions of predominately CO2, along with
small amounts of CH4 and N2O.
2.2.3 Catalytic Cracking Units
In the catalytic cracking process, heat and pressure are used with a catalyst to break large
hydrocarbons into smaller molecules. The FCCU is the most common type of catalytic cracking
unit currently in use. The FCCU feed is pre-heated to between 500 and 800 degrees Fahrenheit
(ºF) and contacted with fine catalyst particles from the regenerator section, which are at about
1,300 ºF in the feed line (“riser”). The feed vapor, which is heavy distillate oil from the crude or
vacuum distillation column, reacts when contacted with the hot catalyst to break (or crack) the
large hydrocarbon compounds into a variety of lighter hydrocarbons. During this cracking
process, coke is deposited on the catalyst particles, which deactivates the catalyst. The catalyst
separates from the reacted (“cracked”) vapors in the reactor; the vapors continue to a
fractionation tower and the catalyst is recycled to the regenerator portion of the FCCU to burn-
off the coke deposits and prepare the catalyst for reuse in the FCCU riser/reactor (U.S. EPA,
1998).
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The FCCU catalyst regenerator generates GHG through the combustion of coke
(essentially solid carbon with small amounts of hydrogen and various impurities) that was
deposited on the catalyst particles during the cracking process. CO2 is the primary GHG emitted;
small quantities of CH4 and N2O are also emitted during “coke burn-off.” An FCCU catalyst
regenerator can be designed for complete or partial combustion. A complete-combustion FCCU
operates with sufficient air to convert most of the carbon to CO2 rather than carbon monoxide
(CO). A partial-combustion FCCU generates CO as well as CO2, so most partial-combustion
FCCU are typically followed by a CO boiler to convert the CO to CO2. Most refineries that
operate an FCCU recover useful heat generated from the combustion of catalyst coke during
catalyst regeneration; the heat recovered from catalyst coke combustion offsets some of the
refinery’s ancillary energy needs. The FCCU catalyst regeneration or coke burn-off vent is often
the largest single source of GHG emissions at a refinery.
Thermal catalytic cracking units (TCCU) are similar to FCCU, except that the catalyst
particles are much bigger and the system uses a moving bed reactor rather than a fluidized
system. The generation of GHG, however, is the same. Specifically, GHG are generated in the
regenerator section of the TCCU when coke deposited on the catalyst particles is burned-off in
order to restore catalyst activity.
2.2.4 Coking Units
Coking is another cracking process, usually used at a refinery to generate transportation
fuels, such as gasoline and diesel, from lower-value fuel oils. A desired by-product of the coking
reaction is petroleum coke, which can be used as a fuel for power plants as well as a raw material
for carbon and graphite products. Coking units are often installed at existing refineries to
increase the refinery’s ability to process heavier crude oils. There are three basic types of coking
units: delayed coking units, (traditional) fluid coking units, and flexicoking units. Delayed
coking units are the most common, and all new coking units are expected to be delayed cokers.
Delayed Coking Units. Delayed coking is a semibatch process using two coke drums
and a single fractionator tower (distillation column) and coking furnace. A feed stream of heavy
residues is introduced to the fractionating tower. The bottoms from the fractionator are heated to
about 900 to 1,000 °F in the coking furnace, and then fed to an insulated coke drum where
thermal cracking produces lighter (cracked) reaction products and coke. The reaction products
produced in the coke drum are fed back to the fractionator for product separation. After the coke
drum becomes filled with coke, the feed is alternated to the parallel (empty) coke drum, and the
filled coke drum is purged and cooled, first by steam injection, and then by water addition. A
coke drum blowdown system recovers hydrocarbon and steam vapors generated during the
quenching and steaming process. Once cooled, the coke drum is vented to the atmosphere,
opened, and then high pressure water jets are used to cut the coke from the drum. After the coke
cutting cycle, the drum is closed and preheated to prepare the vessel for going back on-line (i.e.,
receiving heated feed). A typical coking cycle will last for 16 to 24 hours on-line and 16 to 24
hours cooling and decoking. The primary GHG released from a delayed coking unit is CH4,
which is emitted both from the blowdown system (if not controlled) and from the atmospheric
venting and opening of the coke drum.
Fluid Coking Units. The fluid coking process is continuous and occurs in a reactor
rather than a coke drum like the delayed coking process. Fluid coking units produce a higher
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grade of petroleum coke than delayed coking units; however, unlike delayed coking units that
use large process preheaters, fluid coking units burn 15 to 25 percent of the coke produced to
provide the heat needed for the coking reactions (U.S. DOE, 2007). The coke is burned with
limited air, so large quantities of CO are produced (similar to a partial combustion FCCU),
which are subsequently burned in a CO boiler. Like the FCCU, the combustion of the petroleum
coke and subsequent combustion of CO generates large quantities of CO2 along with small
amounts of CH4 and N2O. For the few refineries with fluid coking units, the fluid coking units
are significant contributors to the refinery’s GHG emissions. Fluid coking units are not
significant contributors to the nationwide emissions totals because there are only three fluid
coking units in the United States; however, fluid coking units have emissions comparable to (and
slightly greater than) catalytic cracking units of the same throughput capacity.
Flexicoking Units. The flexicoking process is very similar to the fluid coking unit
except that a coke gasifier is added that burns nearly all of the produced coke at 1700 – 1800 °F
with steam to produce low heating value synthesis gas (syngas). The produced syngas, along
with entrained fines, is routed through the heater vessel for fluidization of the hot coke bed and
for heat transfer to the solids. The syngas is then treated to remove entrained particles and
reduced sulfur compounds and the syngas can then be used in specially designed boilers or other
combustion sources that can accommodate the low heat content of the syngas. Most of the CO2
emissions produced in the flexicoking unit will not be released at the unit, but rather it will be
part of the syngas. Some of the CO2 produced in the flexicoking unit is expected to be removed
as part of the sulfur removal process and subsequently released in the sulfur recovery plant; the
CO2 that remains in the scrubbed syngas will be released from the stationary combustion unit
that uses the syngas as fuel (usually a boiler specifically designed to use the low heating value
content syngas). Therefore, while the flexicoking unit is not expected to have significant GHG
emissions directly from the unit, the flexicoking unit will impact the energy balance and GHG
emissions from other sources at the refinery.
2.2.5 Catalytic Reforming Units
In the catalytic reforming unit (CRU), low-octane hydrocarbon distillates, generally
gasoline and naphtha are reacted with a catalyst to produce aromatic compounds such as
benzene. An important by-product of the reforming reaction is hydrogen. The feed to the CRU
must be treated to remove sulfur, nitrogen, and metallic contaminants, typically using a catalytic
hydrotreater (which will consume some hydrogen, but not as much as produced in the CRU).
The CRU usually has a series of three or four reactors. The reforming reactor is endothermic, so
the feed must be heated prior to each reactor vessel. Coke deposits slowly on the catalyst
particles during the processing reaction, and this “catalyst coke” must be burned-off to reactivate
the catalyst, generating CO2, along with small amounts of CH4 and N2O.
There are three types of CRU based on how the regeneration of the catalyst is performed:
continuous CRU, cyclic CRU, and semi-regenerative CRU. In a continuous CRU (or
platformers), small quantities of the catalyst are continuously removed from a moving bed
reactor system, purged, and transported to a continuously operated regeneration system. The
regenerated catalyst is then recycled to the moving bed reactor. Continuous reformers generally
operate at lower pressures than other reforming units, resulting in higher coke deposition rates.
Cyclic CRU has an extra reactor vessel, so that one reactor vessel can be isolated from the unit
for regeneration. After the first vessel is regenerated, it is brought back on-line and the second
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reactor vessel is then isolated and regenerated and so on until all vessels have been regenerated.
Thus, in cyclic units, the CRU continues to operate and individual reactor vessels are regenerated
in a cyclical process many times during a single year. In a semi-regenerative CRU, the entire
reforming unit is taken off-line to regenerate the catalyst in the reactor vessels. Catalyst
regeneration in a semi-regenerative CRU typically occurs once every 12 to 24 months (18
months is typical) and lasts approximately 1 to 2 weeks (U.S. EPA, 1998).
In addition to the CO2 generated during coke burn-off, there may be some CH4 emissions
during the depressurization and purging of the reactor vessels of recycled catalyst prior to
regeneration. While the CH4 emissions from the depressurization and purging processes are
expected to be negligible in most cases, natural gas (i.e., CH4) is occasionally used as the purge
gas, in which case the CH4 emissions would not be negligible.
2.2.6 Sulfur Recovery Vents
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is removed from the refinery fuel gas system through the use of
amine scrubbers. While the selectivity of H2S removal is dependent on the type of amine
solution used, these scrubbers also tend to extract CO2 from the fuel gas. The concentrated sour
gas is then processed in a sulfur recovery plant to convert the H2S into elemental sulfur or
sulfuric acid. CO2 in the sour gas will pass through the sulfur recovery plant and be released in
the final sulfur plant vent. Additionally, small amounts of hydrocarbons may also be present in
the sour gas stream. These hydrocarbons will eventually be converted to CO2 in the sulfur
recovery plant or via tail gas incineration. The most common type of sulfur recovery plant is the
Claus unit, which produces elemental sulfur. The first step in a Claus unit is a burner to convert
one-third of the sour gas into sulfur dioxide (SO2) prior to the Claus catalytic reactors. GHG
emissions from the fuel fired to the Claus burner are expected to be accounted for as a
combustion source. After that, the sulfur dioxide and unburned H2S are reacted in the presence
of a bauxite catalyst to produce elemental sulfur. Based on process-specific data collected in the
development of emission standards for petroleum refineries, there are 195 sulfur recovery trains
in the petroleum refining industry (U.S. EPA, 1998).
2.2.7 Hydrogen Plants
The most common method of producing hydrogen at a refinery is the steam methane
reforming (SMR) process. Methane, other light hydrocarbons, and steam are reacted via a nickel
catalyst to produce hydrogen and CO. Excess CH4 is added and combusted to provide the heat
needed by this endothermic reaction. The CO generated by the initial reaction further reacts with
the steam to generate hydrogen and CO2 (U.S. DOE, 2007). According to EIA’s Refinery
Capacity Report 2006 (EIA, 2006), 54 of the 150 petroleum refineries have hydrogen production
capacity. CO2 produced as a byproduct of SMR hydrogen production accounts for
approximately 6 percent of GHG emissions from petroleum refineries nationwide, but can
account for 25 percent of the GHG emissions from an individual refinery. Many of the hydrogen
plants located at a petroleum refinery are operated by third-parties. It is unclear if the hydrogen
production units reported by EIA include all hydrogen plants co-located at a refinery or only
those that are directly owned and operated by the refinery.
2.2.8 Asphalt Blowing Stills
Asphalt or bitumen blowing is used for polymerizing and stabilizing asphalt to improve
its weathering characteristics in the production of asphalt roofing products and certain road
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asphalts. Asphalt blowing involves the oxidation of asphalt flux by bubbling air through liquid
asphalt flux at 260 °Celsius (C) (500 °F) for 1 to 10 hours depending on the desired
characteristics of the product. The vessel used for asphalt blowing is referred to as a “blowing
still.” The emissions from a blowing still are primarily organic particulate with a fairly high
concentration of gaseous hydrocarbon and polycyclic organic matter as well as reduced sulfur
compounds. The blowing still gas also contains significant quantities of CH4 and CO2. The
blowing still gas is commonly controlled with a wet scrubber to remove sour gas, entrained oil,
particulates, and condensable organics and/or a thermal oxidizer to combust the hydrocarbons
and sour gas to CO2 and SO2.
2.2.9 Storage Tanks
Storage tanks will generally have negligible GHG emissions except when unstabilized
crude oil is stored or a methane blanket is used in the storage tank. Unstabilized crude oil is
crude oil that has not been stored at atmospheric conditions for prolonged periods of time
(several days to a week) prior to being received at the refinery. Most crude oil deposits also
include natural gas (i.e., CH4); some of the CH4 is dissolved in the crude oil at the pressure of the
crude oil deposit. When crude oil is extracted, it is often stored temporarily at atmospheric
conditions to either discharge or recover the dissolved gases. If the crude oil is transported under
pressure (e.g., via a pipeline) either immediately or shortly after extraction, the dissolved gases
will remain in the crude oil until it reaches the refinery. The dissolved gases will be
subsequently released from this “unstabilized” crude oil when the crude oil is stored at
atmospheric conditions at a storage tank at the refinery.
2.2.10 Coke Calcining Units
Coke calcining units are a significant source of CO2 emissions; however, only a few
petroleum refineries have on-site coke calcining units. Coke calciners are used to burn-off
sulfur, volatiles, and other impurities in the coke to produce a premium grade coke that can be
used to make electrodes, anode vessels, and other products. A small fraction of the coke is
consumed/pyrolyzed in the process under oxygen starved conditions; the process gas generated is
then combusted in an afterburner by mixing the process gas with air in the presence of a flame.
Most of the CO2 generated from the process/afterburner system is attributable to the volatile
content of the coke fed to the calciner.
2.2.11 Other Ancillary Sources
Refineries may also contain other ancillary sources of GHG emissions. Most refineries
have wastewater treatment systems and some refineries have landfills. While the aerobic
biodegradation of wastes is generally considered to be biogenic, anaerobic degradation of waste
producing CH4 emission is not. The high organic loads and stagnant conditions in an oil-water
separator are conducive to anaerobic degradation, and the oil water separator may be a fairly
significant ancillary source of CH4 emissions. Landfills are also conducive to anaerobic
degradation. Depending on the organic content of the waste material managed in a landfill, the
landfill may also be a fairly significant ancillary source of CH4 emissions.
The refinery’s fuel gas system will generally contain significant concentrations of CH4;
certain process units may either generate methane or use methane and other light ends as part of
the process operations (e.g., SMR hydrogen production). Leaking equipment components (e.g.,
valves, pumps, and flanges) may, therefore, be a source of CH4 emissions. Leak detection and
10
repair (LDAR) programs are commonly used to identify and reduce emissions from equipment
components; however, most LDAR programs exclude the fuel gas system. Similar to equipment
leaks, some heat exchangers may develop leaks whereby gases being cooled can leak into the
cooling water. Although these leaks are not direct releases to the atmosphere, light hydrocarbons
that leak into the cooling water will generally be released to the atmosphere in cooling towers
(for recirculated cooling water systems) or ponds/receiving waters (in once through systems). As
several heat exchangers at a refinery cool gases that contain appreciable quantities of CH4 (e.g., a
distillation column’s overhead condenser), cooling towers may also be a source of CH4
emissions. Nonetheless, CH4 emissions from equipment leaks, either directly to the atmosphere
from leaking equipment components or indirectly from cooling towers from leaking heat
exchangers, are generally expected to have a minimal contribution to a typical refinery’s total
GHG emissions.
3.0 Summary of GHG Reduction Measures
Table 1 summarized the GHG reduction measures described in this document. Additional
detail regarding these GHG reduction measures are provided in Section 4, Energy Programs and
Management Systems, and Section 5, GHG Reduction Measures by Source, of this document.
Table 1. Summary of GHG Reduction Measures for the Petroleum Refining Industry
Retrofit
Efficiency Capital
Improvement/ Costs Payback Demon-
GHG Control GHG emission ($/unit of time strated in Other
Measure Description reduction CO2e) (years) Practice? Factors
Energy Efficiency Programs and Systems
Energy Efficiency Benchmark GHG performance 4-17% of 1-2 years Yes
Initiatives and and implement energy electricity
Improvements management systems to improve consumption
energy efficiency, such as:
▪ improve process monitoring
and control systems
▪ use high efficiency motors
▪ use variable speed drives
▪ optimize compressed air
systems
▪ implement lighting system
efficiency improvements
11
Retrofit
Efficiency Capital
Improvement/ Costs Payback Demon-
GHG Control GHG emission ($/unit of time strated in Other
Measure Description reduction CO2e) (years) Practice? Factors
Stationary Combustion Sources
Steam Generating Boilers (see also ICI Boiler GHG BACT Document)
Systems Approach Analyze steam needs and energy Yes
to Steam recovery options, including:
Generation
▪ minimize steam generation
at excess pressure or
volume
▪ use turbo or steam
expanders when excesses
are unavoidable
▪ schedule boilers based on
efficiency
Boiler Feed Water Replace a hot lime water 70-90% reduction 2-5 years Yes
Preparation softener with a reverse osmosis in blowdown
membrane treatment system to steam loss; up to
remove hardness and reduce 10% reduction in
alkalinity of boiler feed. GHG emissions
Improved Process Oxygen monitors and intake air 1-3% of boiler 6 - 18 Yes Low excess
Control flow monitors can be used to emissions months air levels
optimize the fuel/air mixture and may
limit excess air. increase
CO
emissions.
Improved Insulation (or improved 3-13% of boiler 6 - 18 Yes
Insulation insulation) of boilers and emissions months
distribution pipes.
Improved All boilers should be maintained 1-10% of boiler Yes
Maintenance according to a maintenance emissions
program. In particular, the
burners and condensate return
system should be properly
adjusted and worn components
replaced. Additionally, fouling
on the fireside of the boiler and
scaling on the waterside should
be controlled.
Recover Heat from Flue gases throughout the 2-4% of boiler 2 years Yes
Process Flue Gas refinery may have sufficient heat emissions
content to make it economical to
recover the heat. Typically, this
is accomplished using an
economizer to preheat the boiler
feed water.
Recover Steam Install a steam recover system to 1 –3% 1 - 3 years Yes
from Blowdown recover blowdown steam for low
pressure steam needs (e.g., space
heating and feed water
preheating).
12
Retrofit
Efficiency Capital
Improvement/ Costs Payback Demon-
GHG Control GHG emission ($/unit of time strated in Other
Measure Description reduction CO2e) (years) Practice? Factors
Reduce Standby Reduce or eliminate steam Up to 85% 1.5 years Yes
Losses production at standby by reduction in
modifying the burner, standby losses (but
combustion air supply, and likely a small
boiler feedwater supply, and fraction of facility
using automatic control systems total boiler
to reduce the time needed to emissions)
reach full boiler capacity.
Improve and Implement a maintenance plan 1-10% of boiler Yes
Maintain Steam that includes regular inspection emissions
Traps and maintenance of steam traps
to prevent steam lost through
malfunctioning steam traps.
Install Steam Reuse of the steam condensate 1- 10% of steam 1-2 years Yes
Condensate Return reduces the amount of feed water energy use
Lines needed and reduces the amount
of energy needed to produce
steam since the condensate is
preheated.
Process Heaters
Combustion Air Oxygen monitors and intake air 1-3% 6-18 Yes
Controls- flow monitors can be used to months
Limitations on optimize the fuel/air mixture and
Excess air limit excess air.
Heat Recovery: Air preheater package consists 10-15% over units Yes May
Air Preheater of a compact air-to-air heat with no preheat. increase
exchanger installed at grade NOx
level through which the hot stack emissions
gases from the convective
section exchange heat with the
incoming combustion air. If the
original heater is natural draft, a
retrofit requires conversion to
mechanical draft.
Combined Heat and Power
Combined Heat Use internally generated fuels or 5 years Yes
and Power natural gas for power
(electricity) production using a
gas turbine and generate steam
from waste heat of combustion
exhaust to achieve greater
energy efficiencies
Carbon Capture
Oxy-combustion Use pure oxygen in large No
combustion sources to reduce
flue gas volumes and increase
CO2 concentrations to improve
capture efficiency and costs
13
Retrofit
Efficiency Capital
Improvement/ Costs Payback Demon-
GHG Control GHG emission ($/unit of time strated in Other
Measure Description reduction CO2e) (years) Practice? Factors
Post-combustion Use solvent scrubbing, typically Yes
Solvent Capture using monoethanolamine (MEA)
as the solvent, for separation of
CO2 in post-combustion exhaust
streams
Post-combustion Use membrane technology to $55-63 No
membranes separate or adsorb CO2 in an
exhaust stream
Fuel Gas System and Flares
Fuel Gas System
Compressor Use dry seal rather than wet seal Yes
Selection compressors; use rod packing for
reciprocating compressors
Leak Detection Use organic vapor analyzer or 80-90% of leak Yes
and Repair optical sensing technologies to emissions; <0.1%
identify leaks in natural gas refinery-wide
lines, fuel gas lines, and other
lines with high methane
concentrations and repair the
leaks as soon as possible.
Sulfur Scrubbing Evaluate different sulfur Yes
System scrubbing technologies or
solvents for energy efficiency
Flares
Flare Gas Install flare gas recovery 1 yr Yes
Recovery compressor system to recover
flare gas to the fuel gas system
Proper Flare Maintain combustion efficiency Yes
Operation of flare by controlling heating
content of flare gas and steam-
or air-assist rates
Refrigerated Use refrigerated condensers to Yes
Condensers increase product recovery and
reduce excess fuel gas
production
Cracking Units
Fluid Catalytic Cracking Units (see also: Stationary Combustion Sources; Fuel Gas System and Flares)
Power/Waste Heat Install or upgrade power Yes
Recovery recovery or waste heat boilers to
recover latent heat from the
FCCU regenerator exhaust
High-Efficiency Use specially designed FCCU Yes
Regenerators regenerators for high efficiency,
complete combustion of catalyst
coke deposits
14
Retrofit
Efficiency Capital
Improvement/ Costs Payback Demon-
GHG Control GHG emission ($/unit of time strated in Other
Measure Description reduction CO2e) (years) Practice? Factors
Hydrocracking Units (see also: Stationary Combustion Sources; Fuel Gas System and Flares; Hydrogen Production Units)
Power/Waste Heat Install or upgrade power 2.5 years Yes
Recovery recovery to recover power from
power can be recovered from the
pressure difference between the
reactor and fractionation stages
Hydrogen Use hydrogen recovery Yes
Recovery compressor and back-up
compressor to ensure recovery
of hydrogen in process off-gas
Coking Units
Fluid Coking Units (see also: Stationary Combustion Sources; Fuel Gas System and Flares)
Power/Waste Heat Install or upgrade power Yes
Recovery recovery or waste heat boilers to
recover latent heat from the fluid
coking unit exhaust
Flexicoking Units (see: Stationary Combustion Sources; Fuel Gas System and Flares)
Delayed Coking Units (see also: Stationary Combustion Sources; Fuel Gas System and Flares)
Steam Blowdown Use low back-pressure Yes
System blowdown system and recycle
hot blowdown system water for
steam generation
Steam Vent Lower pressure and temperature 50 to 80% Yes
of coke drum to 2 to 5 psig and reduction in direct
230°F to minimize direct venting steam vent CH4
emissions emissions
Catalytic Reforming Units (see also: Stationary Combustion Sources; Fuel Gas System and Flares; Hydrogen Production Units)
Sulfur Recovery Units
Sulfur Recovery Evaluate energy and CO2 Yes
System Selection intensity in selection of sulfur
recovery unit and tail gas
treatment system and a variety of
different tail gas treatment units
including Claus, SuperClaus®
and EuroClaus®, SCOT,
Beavon/amine,
Beavon/Stretford, Cansolv®,
LoCat®, and Wellman-Lord
Hydrogen Production Units
Hydrogen Implement a comprehensive Yes
Production assessment of hydrogen needs
Optimization and consider using additional
catalytic reforming units to
produce H2
Combustion Air Use heat recovery systems to 5% of total energy Yes
and Feed/Steam preheat the feed/steam and consumption for
Preheat combustion air temperature H2 production
15
Retrofit
Efficiency Capital
Improvement/ Costs Payback Demon-
GHG Control GHG emission ($/unit of time strated in Other
Measure Description reduction CO2e) (years) Practice? Factors
Cogeneration Use cogeneration of hydrogen Yes
and electricity: hot exhaust from
a gas turbine is transferred to the
reformer furnace; the reformer
convection section is also used
as a heat recovery steam
generator (HRSG) in a
cogeneration design; steam
raised in the convection section
can be put through either a
topping or condensing turbine
for additional power generation
Hydrogen Evaluate hydrogen purification Yes
Purification processes (i.e., pressure-swing
adsorption, membrane
separation, and cryogenic
separation) for overall energy
intensity and potential CO2
recovery.
Hydrotreating Units (see also: Hydrogen Production Units; Sulfur Recovery Units)
Hydrotreater Use energy efficient hydrotreater Yes
Design designs and new catalyst to
increase sulfur removal.
Crude Desalting and Distillation Units
Desalter Design Alternative designs for the Yes
desalter, such as multi-stage
units and combinations of AC
and DC fields, may increase
efficiency and reduce energy
consumption.
Progressive Progressive distillation process 30% reduction in Yes
Distillation Design uses as series of distillation crude heater
towers working at different emissions; 5% or
temperatures to avoid more refinery-wide
superheating lighter fractions of
the crude oil.
Storage Tanks
Vapor Recovery or Consider use of a vapor recovery 90-95% reduction Yes
Control for or control system for crude oil in CH4 from these
Unstabilized Crude storage tanks that receive crude tanks
Oil Tanks oil that has been stored under
pressure (“unstabilized” crude
oil)
Heated Storage Insulate heated storage tanks Yes
Tank Insulation
4.0 Energy Programs and Management Systems
16
Industrial energy efficiency can be greatly enhanced by effective management of the
energy use of operations and processes. U.S. EPA’s ENERGY STAR Program works with
hundreds of manufacturers and has seen that companies and sites with stronger energy
management programs gain greater improvements in energy efficiency than those that lack
procedures and management practices focused on continuous improvement of energy
performance.
Energy Management Systems (EnMS) provide a framework for managing energy and
promote continuous improvement. The EnMS provides the structure for an energy program and
its energy team. EnMS establish assessment, planning, and evaluation procedures which are
critical for actually realizing and sustaining the potential energy efficiency gains of new
technologies or operational changes.
Energy management systems promote continuous improvement of energy efficiency
through:
Organizational practices and policies,
Team development
Planning and evaluation,
Tracking and measurement,
Communication and employee engagement, and
Evaluation and corrective measures.
For nearly 10 years, the U.S. EPA’s ENERGY STAR Program has promoted an energy
management system approach. This approach, outlined in Figure 5, outlines the basic steps
followed by most energy management systems approaches.
(www.energystar.gov/guidelines)
17
Figure 5. ENERGY STAR Guidelines for Energy Management
In recent years, interest in energy management system approaches has been growing.
There are many reasons for the greater interest. These include recognition that a lack of
management commitment is an important barrier to increasing energy efficiency. Lack of an
effective energy team and an effective program result in poor implementation of new
technologies and poor implementation of energy assessment recommendations. Poor energy
management practices that fail to monitor performance do not ensure that new technologies and
operating procedures will achieve their potential to improve efficiency.
Approaches to implementing energy management systems vary. EPA’s ENERGY STAR
Guidelines for Energy Management are available for public use on the web and provide
extensive guidance (see: www.energystar.gov/guidelines). Alternatively, energy management
standards are available for purchase from ANSI, ANSI MSE 2001:200 and in the future from
ISO, ISO 50001.
While energy management systems can help organizations achieve greater savings
through a focus on continuous improvement, they do not guarantee energy savings or CO2
reductions alone. Combined with effective plant energy benchmarking and appropriate plant
improvements, energy management systems can help achieve greater savings.
There are a variety of factors to consider when contemplating requiring certification to an
Energy Management Standard established by a standards body such as ANSI or ISO. First,
energy management system standards are designed to be flexible. A user of the standard is able
to define the scope and boundaries of the energy management system so that single production
lines, single processes, a plant or a corporation could be certified. Beyond scope, achieving
certification for the first time is not based on efficiency or savings (although re-certifications at a
later time could be). Finally, cost is an important factor in the standardized approach. Internal
personnel time commitments, external auditor and registry costs are expensive.
From a historical perspective, few companies have pursued certification according to the
ANSI energy management standards to date. One reason for this is that the elements of an
energy management system can be applied without having to achieve certification which adds
additional costs. The ENERGY STAR Guidelines and associated resources are widely used and
adopted partly because they are available in the public domain and do not involve certification.
Overall, a systems approach to energy management is an effective strategy for
encouraging energy efficiency in a facility or corporation. The focus of energy management
efforts are shifted from a “projects” to a “program” approach. There are multiple pathways
available with a wide range of associated costs (ENERGY STAR energy management resources
are public while the standardized approaches are costly). The effectiveness of an energy
management system is linked directly to the system’s scope, goals and measurement and
tracking. Benchmarks are the most effective measure for demonstrating the system’s
achievements.
18
4.1 Sector-Specific Plant Performance Benchmarks
Benchmarking is the process of comparing the performance of one site against itself over
time or against the range of performance of the industry. Benchmarking is typically done at a
whole facility or site level to capture the synergies of different technologies, operating practices,
and operating conditions and typically results in a calculation of the emissions intensity of a site,
which are the emissions per unit of product.
For a refinery, emissions intensity is influenced by a number of factors, including energy
efficiency, fuel use, feed composition, and products. While refineries all refine crude oil to make
a range of common products (gasoline, diesel, fuel oils, liquefied petroleum gases), they often
vary in size and the number of processing units that are operating. For example, refineries with
more simple configurations may not be able to process certain fractions into more energy-
intensive products. Likewise, refineries that process heavy sour crudes may require more energy
intensive processing. Benchmarking approaches have been used in the refining industry for
many years to improve efficiency and productivity. The European Union evaluated and
concluded that the Solomon’s complexity weighted barrel approach should be used to benchmark
refineries as part of their methodology for allocating emission allowances in the European Union
Emissions Trading System (Ecofys, 2009).
4.2 Industry Energy Efficiency Initiatives
The U.S. EPA’s ENERGY STAR Program (www.energystar.gov/industry) and U.S.
DOE’s Industrial Technology Program (www.energy.gov/energyefficiency) have led industry
specific energy efficiency initiatives over the years. These programs have helped to create
guidebooks of energy efficient technologies, profiles of industry energy use, and studies of future
technologies. Some states have also led sector specific energy efficiency initiatives. Resources
from these programs can help to identify technologies that may help reduce CO2 emissions.
EPA’s ENERGY STAR Program has conducted an energy efficiency improvement
assessment for petroleum refineries (Worrell and Galitsky, 2005). Many of the GHG reduction
measures provided in the following sections are a result of this industry-specific assessment.
4.3 Energy Efficiency Improvements in Facility Operations
4.3.1 Monitoring and Process Control Systems
Most refineries already employ some energy management systems. At existing facilities,
only a limited number of processes or energy streams may be monitored and managed.
Opportunities should be evaluated for expanding the coverage of monitoring systems throughout
the plant. New facilities should include a comprehensive energy management program (Worrell
and Galitsky, 2005).
Process control systems are available for essentially all industrial processes. These
control systems are typically designed to primarily improve productivity, product quality, and
efficiency of a process. However, each of these improvements will lead to increased energy
efficiency as well. Process control systems also reduce downtime, maintenance costs, and
processing time, and increase resource efficiency and emission control (Worrell and Galitsky,
2005).
19
Although specific energy savings and payback periods are highly facility-specific, the
application of monitoring systems to specific industrial applications have demonstrated energy
savings of 4-17 percent, and process control systems can reduce energy consumption by 2-18
percent over facilities without such systems. In general, cost and energy savings of about 5
percent can be expected through the implementation of monitoring and process control systems
(Worrell and Galitsky, 2005).
Valero and AspenTech have developed a system to model and control plant-wide energy
usage for refinery operations. The system was installed at a domestic refinery and is expected to
reduce overall energy usage by 2-8 percent (Worrell and Galitsky, 2005).
Process control systems for the CDU have been shown to reduce energy costs by $0.05-
0.12/barrel (bbl) of feed, with paybacks of less than 6 months. Another CDU control system
reduced energy consumption and flaring and increased throughput, resulting in a payback of
about 1 year. In Portugal, a refinery installed advanced CDU controls and realized a 3-6 percent
increase in throughput. The payback period for this control system was 3 months (Worrell and
Galitsky, 2005).
Process control systems for FCCU are supplied by several companies. Cost savings
range from $0.02-0 40.bbl of feed with paybacks ranging from 6-18 months. At one refinery, an
existing FCCU control system was updated at a 65,000 bpd unit and a cost savings of $0.05/bbl
of feed was realized. A refinery in Italy installed a control system on a FCCU and reduced cost
by $0.10/bbl of feed with a payback of less than 1 year. (Worrell Galitsky, 2005)
In South Africa, a refinery installed a multivariable predictive control system on a
hydrotreater. Hydrogen consumption was reduced by 12 percent and the fuel consumption of the
heater was reduced by 18 percent. Improved yield of gasoline and diesel were also realized. The
payback period was 2 months (Worrell and Galitsky, 2005).
4.3.2 High Efficiency Motors
Electric motors are used throughout the refinery for such applications as pumps, air
compressors, fans, and other applications. Pumps, compressors and fans account for 70 to 80
percent of the total electricity usage at the refinery (Worrell and Galitsky, 2005). As such, a
systems approach to energy efficiency should be considered for all motor systems (motors,
drives, pumps, fans, compressors, controls). An evaluation of energy supply and energy demand
could be performed to optimize overall performance. A systems approach includes a motor
management plan that considers at least the following factors (Worrell and Galitsky, 2008):
Strategic motor selection
Maintenance
Proper size
Adjustable speed drives
Power factor correction
Minimize voltage unbalances
Pumps are the single largest electricity user at a refinery, accounting for about half of the
total energy usage. One study estimated that 20 percent of the energy consumed by pump
motors could be saved through equipment or control system changes. Implementation of
20
maintenance programs for pump motors can reduce electricity use by 2-7 percent, with payback
periods less than 1 year (Worrell and Galitsky, 2005).
Motor management plans and other efficiency improvements can be implemented at
existing facilities and should be considered in the design of new construction. At existing
facilities, replacing older motors with high efficiency motors are typically cost-effective when a
motor needs replacement, but may not be economical when the old motor is still operational.
Payback periods from energy savings are typically less than 1 year (Worrell and Galitsky, 2005).
4.3.3 Variable Speed Drives
Energy use on centrifugal systems such as pumps, fans, and compressors is
approximately proportional to the cube of the flow rate. Therefore, small reductions in the flow
may result in large energy savings. The use of variable speed drives can better match speed to
load requirements of the motors. The installation of variable speed drives at new facilities can
result in payback periods of just over 1 year (Worrell and Galitsky, 2005).
4.3.4 Optimization of Compressed Air Systems
Compressed air systems provide compressed air that is used throughout the refinery.
Although the total energy used by compressed air systems is small compared to the facility as a
whole, there are opportunities for efficiency improvements that will save energy. Efficiency
improvements are primarily obtained by implementing a comprehensive maintenance plan for
the compressed air systems. Worrell and Galitsky (2005, 2008) listed the following elements of
a proper maintenance plan:
Keep the surfaces of the compressor and intercooling surfaces clean
Keep motors properly lubricated and cleaned
Inspect drain traps
Maintain the coolers
Check belts for wear
Replace air lubricant separators as recommended
Check water cooling systems
In addition to the maintenance plan, reducing leaks in the system can reduce energy
consumption by 20 percent. Reducing the air inlet temperature will reduce energy usage, and
routing the air intake to outside the building can have a payback in 2-5 years. Control systems
can reduce energy consumption by as much as 12 percent. Properly sized pipes can reduce
energy consumption by 3 percent. Since as much as 93 percent of the electrical energy used by
air compressor systems is lost as heat, recovery of this heat can be used for space heating, water
heating, and similar applications (Worrell and Galitsky, 2005, 2008).
Air compressor system maintenance plans and other efficiency improvements can be
implemented at existing facilities and should be considered in the design of new construction.
4.3.5 Lighting System Efficiency Improvements
Similar to air compressor systems, the energy used for lighting at a petroleum refinery
facilities represent a small portion of the overall energy usage. However, there are opportunities
for cost-effective energy efficiency improvements. Automated lighting controls that shut off
lights when not needed may have payback periods of less than 2 years. Replacing T-12 lights
21
with T-8 lights can reduce energy use by half, as can replacing mercury lights with metal halide
or high pressure sodium lights. Substituting electronic ballasts for magnetic ballasts can reduce
energy consumption by 12-25 percent (Worrell and Galitsky, 2005, 2008).
Lighting system improvements can be implemented at existing facilities and should be
considered in the design of new construction.
5.0 GHG Reduction Measures by Source
5.1 Stationary Combustion Sources
5.1.1 Steam Generating Boilers
According to Worrell and Galitsky (2005), approximately 30 percent of onsite energy use
at domestic refineries is used in the form of steam generated by boilers, cogeneration, or waste
heat recovery from process units. The U.S. DOE estimated steam accounts for 38 percent of a
refinery’s energy needs (U.S. DOE, 2002). However, off-site purchases of steam represent only
3 to 5 percent of the total energy consumption at petroleum refineries nationwide (EIA, 2009).
Given that steam accounts for 30 to 38 percent of a refinery’s energy needs, it is evident that
most refineries produce their own steam. As such, steam generation and distribution makes a
significant contribution to a petroleum refinery’s energy needs, and subsequently its on-site
GHG emissions.
5.1.1.1 Systems Approach to Steam Generation
A thorough analysis of steam needs and energy recovery opportunities could be
conducted to make the steam generation process as efficient as possible. For example, the
analysis should assure that steam is not generated at pressures or volumes larger than what is
needed. In those situations where the steam generation has limited adjustability, the excess
energy in the steam should be recovered using a turbo expander or steam expansion turbine.
Another option is to operate multiple boilers that are regulated according to steam demands. One
refinery that implemented a program including scheduling of boilers on the basis of efficiency
and minimizing losses in the turbines resulted in $5.4 million in energy savings (Worrell and
Galitsky, 2005).
5.1.1.2 Boiler Feed Water Preparation
Boiler feed water is typically pre-treated to remove contaminates that foul the boiler. A
refinery in Utah replaced a hot lime water softener with a reverse osmosis membrane treatment
system to remove hardness and reduce alkalinity. Blowdown was reduced from 13.3 percent to
1.5 percent of steam produced. Additionally, reductions were seen in chemical usage,
maintenance, and waste disposal costs. The initial investment of the membrane system was
$350,000 and annual savings of $200,000 were realized (Worrell and Galitsky, 2005).
5.1.1.3 Improved Process Control
Boilers are operated with a certain amount of excess air to reduce emissions and for
safety considerations. However, too much excess air may lead to inefficient combustion, and
energy must be used to heat the excess air. Oxygen monitors and intake air flow monitors can be
used to optimize the fuel/air mixture. Payback for such systems is typically about 0.6 years
(Worrell and Galitsky, 2005).
22
5.1.1.4 Improved Insulation
The insulation of older boilers may be in poor condition, and the material itself may not
insulate as well as newer materials. Replacing the insulation combined with improved controls
can reduce energy requirements by 6-26 percent. Insulation on steam distribution systems
should also be evaluated. Improving the insulation on the distribution pipes at existing facilities
may reduce energy usage by 3-13 percent, with an average payback period of 1.1 years (Worrell
and Galitsky, 2005).
5.1.1.5 Improved Maintenance
All boilers should be maintained according to a maintenance program. In particular, the
burners and condensate return system should be properly adjusted and worn components
replaced. Average energy savings of about 10 percent can be realized over a system without
regular maintenance. Additionally, fouling on the fireside of the boiler and scaling on the
waterside should be controlled (Worrell and Galitsky, 2005).
5.1.1.6 Recover Heat from Boiler Flue Gas
Flue gasses throughout the refinery may have sufficient heat content to make it
economical to recover the heat. Typically, this is accomplished using an economizer to preheat
the boiler feed water. One percent of fuel use can be saved for every 25 °C reduction in flue gas
temperature. In some situations, the payback for installing an economizer is about 2 years
(Worrell and Galitsky, 2005).
5.1.1.7 Recover Steam from Blowdown
The pressure drop during blowdown may produce substantial quantities of low grade
steam that is suitable for space heating and feed water preheating. For boilers below 100
MMBtu/yr, fuel use can be reduced by about 1.3 percent, and payback may range from 1-2.7
years. A chemical plant installed a steam recover system to recover all of the blowdown steam
from one process and realized energy savings of 2.8 percent (Worrell and Galitsky, 2005).
5.1.1.8 Reduce Standby Losses
It is common practice at most refineries to maintain at least one boiler on standby for
emergency use. Steam production at standby can be virtually eliminated by modifying the
burner, combustion air supply, and boiler feed water supply. Additionally, automatic control
systems can reduce the time needed to reach full capacity of the boiler to a few minutes. These
measures can reduce the energy consumption of the standby boiler by as much as 85 percent
Worrell and Galitsky, 2005).
These measures were applied to a small 40 tonnes/hr steam boiler at an ammonia plant,
resulting in energy savings of 54 TBtu/yr with a capital investment of about $270,000 (1999$).
The payback period was 1.5 years (Worrell and Galitsky, 2005).
5.1.1.9 Improve and Maintain Steam Traps
Significant amounts of steam may be lost through malfunctioning steam traps. A
maintenance plan that includes regular inspection and maintenance can reduce boiler energy
usage by up to 10 percent (Worrell and Galitsky, 2005).
23
5.1.1.10Install Steam Condensate Return Lines
Reuse of the steam condensate reduces the amount of feed water needed and reduces the
amount of energy needed to produce steam since the condensate is preheated. The costs savings
can justify the cost of the condensate return lines. Estimates of energy savings are as high as 10
percent, with a payback period of 1.1 years for facilities with no or insufficient condensate return
systems (Worrell and Galitsky, 2005).
5.1.2 Process Heaters
5.1.2.1 Draft Control
Excessive combustion air reduces the efficiency of process heater burners. At one
domestic refinery, a control system was installed on three CDU furnaces to maintain excess air at
1 percent rather than the previous 3-4 percent. Energy usage of the burners was reduced by 3-
6 percent and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions were reduced by 10-25 percent. The cost savings
due to reduced energy requirements was $340,000. Regular maintenance of the draft air intake
systems can reduce energy usage and may result in payback periods of about 2 months (Worrell
and Galitsky, 2005). Draft control is applicable to new or existing process heaters, and is cost-
effective for a wide range of process heaters (20 to 30 MMBtu/hr or greater).
5.1.2.2 Air Preheating
The flue gases of the furnace can be used to preheat the combustion air. Every 35 °F
drop in exit flue gas temperature increases the thermal efficiency of the furnace by 1 percent.
The resulting fuel savings can range from 8-18 percent, and may be economically attractive
when the flue gas temperature is above 650 °F and the heater size is 50 MMBtu/hr or more.
Payback periods are typically on the order of 2.5 years. One refinery in the United Kingdom
installed a combustion air preheater on a vacuum distillation unit (VDU) and reduced energy
costs by $109,000/yr. The payback period was 2.2 years (Worrell and Galitsky, 2005). Air
preheating would require natural draft system to be converted to a forced draft system requiring
installation of fans, which would increase electricity consumption and typically increase NOX
emissions. Consequently, several factors, including process heater size and draft type as well as
secondary impacts, need to be considered retrofitting existing process heaters. Air preheating is
often much more economical and effective when considered in the design of a new process
heater.
5.1.3 Combined Heat and Power (CHP)
The large steam requirements for refining operations and the continuous operations make
refineries excellent candidates for combined heat and power (CHP) generation. Refineries
represent one of the largest industry sources of CHP today with 103 active CHP plants with an
electric generation capacity of 14.6 gigawatts (ICF, 2010). Currently, about 60-70 percent of the
137 refineries operating at the beginning of 2010 use CHP (ICF International, 2010; EIA, 2009).
About 75 percent of the refinery CHP capacity comes from natural gas-fired combined
cycle power plants consisting of large combustion turbines with heat recovery steam generators
(HRSG) producing power and steam. A portion of the steam produced is used to generate more
power in back pressure steam turbines. These plants meet the facility steam loads but often
produce much more power than is needed by the facility itself, and, therefore, export power to
the electric grid. The next most common type of CHP system is a combustion turbine with heat
24
recovery. These systems make up about 11 percent of the existing refinery CHP capacity.
Again, these systems are fueled mostly with natural gas, but internally generated fuels (i.e.,
refinery fuel gas) are also used. Most of the remaining system CHP capacity is boilers producing
high pressure steam that run through a back-pressure steam turbine to produce power and lower
pressure steam for process use. These systems generally do not use natural gas but, instead, are
fired with a variety of internally generated fuels, waste fuels, and even coal.
While CHP systems are already in use at the majority of domestic refineries, there are
significant remaining opportunities to add CHP-based on evaluation of steam requirements met
by boilers and by CHP (Worrell and Galitsky, 2005). In addition, there are opportunities to
repower existing CHP plants making them larger and more efficient by adding newer, more
efficient combustion turbines and by converting existing simple cycle plants to combined cycle
operation by adding steam turbines for additional power. Additionally, as refineries install flare
gas recovery systems, they may need to install CHP systems to provide a productive source for
utilizing the recovered fuel gas. There may be no direct CO2 reductions at refineries from this
technology, but indirect reductions from displacing grid power. The level of reduction is a
function of the CO2 intensity of the displaced external power production.
CHP systems require a fairly substantial investment ($1,000-2,500/kilowatt (kW));
however, the economics of CHP operation at refineries is generally very attractive. One refinery
installed a 34 megawatt (MW) cogeneration unit in 1990 that consisted of two gas turbines and
two heat recovery steam boilers. All facility electricity needs are met by the unit, and
occasionally excess electricity is exported to the grid. Cost savings resulting from the onsite
production of electricity were about $55,000/day. CHP can also be economical for small
refineries. One study for an asphalt refinery showed that a 6.5 MW gas turbine CHP unit would
reduce energy costs by $3.8 million/yr with a payback period of 2.5 years (Worrell and Galitsky,
2005).
5.1.4 Carbon Capture
The post-combustion technologies listed below are generally end-of-pipe measures. It
should be noted that petroleum refineries emit CO2 from a number of different process, and the
exhaust stacks for these emission points are numerous and scattered across the facility. The
consideration of CO2 capture and control at a refinery would likely be limited to the larger CO2
emitting stacks, such as the FCCU, the fluid coking unit, the hydrogen plant, and large boilers or
process heaters.
5.1.4.1 Oxy-Combustion
Oxy-combustion is the process of burning a fuel in the presence of pure or nearly pure
oxygen instead of air. Fuel requirements are reduced because there is no nitrogen component to
be heated, and the resulting flue gas volumes are significantly reduced (Barker, 2009).
The process uses an air separation unit to remove the nitrogen component from air. The
oxygen-rich stream is then fed to the combustion unit so the resulting exhaust gas contains a
higher concentration of CO2, as much as 80 percent. A portion of the exhaust stream is
discharged to a CO2 separation, purification, and compression facility. The higher concentration
of CO2 in the flue gas directly impacts size of the adsorber (or other separation technique), and
the power requirements for CO2 compression. This technology is still in the research stage. The
25
Petroleum Environmental Research Forum (PERF) is focusing on large refinery combustion
sources, particularly the FCCU and crude oil process heaters.
5.1.4.2 Post-Combustion Solvent Capture and Stripping
Post-combustion capture using solvent scrubbing, typically using monoethanolamine
(MEA) as the solvent, is a commercially mature technology. Solvent scrubbing has been used in
the chemical industry for separation of CO2 in exhaust streams (Bosoaga, 2009).
5.1.4.3 Post-Combustion Membranes
Membrane technology may be used to separate or adsorb CO2 in an exhaust stream. It
has been estimated that 80 percent of the CO2 could be captured using this technology. The
captured CO2 would then be purified and compressed for transport. Initial projections of specific
costs range from $55-63/tonne CO2 avoided for cement manufacturing. The current state of this
technology is primarily the research stage, with industrial application at least 10 years away.
Positive aspects of membrane systems include very low maintenance (no regeneration required)
(ECRA, 2009).
5.2 Fuel Gas Systems and Flares
5.2.1 Fuel Gas Systems
Many process units at the refinery, particularly atmospheric crude oil distillation,
catalytic cracking, catalytic hydrocracking, thermal cracking, and coking processes, produce fuel
gas that is commonly recovered for use in process heaters and boilers throughout the refinery.
Typically a compressor is needed to recover the fuel gas at the fuel gas producing unit. The fuel
gas generally needs to be treated to remove H2S using amine scrubber systems. The remainder
of the fuel gas system consists of piping and mix drums to transport the fuel gas to the various
combustion sources at the refinery. Rather than repeating the GHG reduction measures for each
potential fuel gas producing units, the GHG reduction measures for the fuel gas system are
summarized here.
5.2.1.1 Compressor Selection
Different types of compressors have different propensities to leak. Based on emission
factors for natural gas compressors, reciprocating compressors generally have approximately
one-half the fugitive emissions of centrifugal compressors (U.S. EPA, 1999). Rod packing (e.g.,
Static-Pac) can be used to reduce fugitive emissions from reciprocating compressors, and dry
seal centrifugal compressors have lower emissions (i.e., are less likely to leak) than those with
wet seals (U.S. EPA, 1999). Thus, the projected methane emissions from fuel gas compressors
could be considered in the selection of the type of compressor and fugitive controls used.
5.2.1.2 Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR)
LDAR programs have been used to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds
(VOC) from petroleum refineries for years. However, CH4 is not a VOC, so current regulations
do not generally require LDAR for refinery fuel gas systems or other high CH4-containing gas
streams. Leaks can be detected using organic vapor analyzers or specially designed cameras.
LDAR programs commonly achieve emission reduction efficiencies of 80 to 90 percent;
however, CH4 emissions from leaking equipment components is expected to have a minimal
contribution to the refinery’s total GHG emissions.
26
5.2.1.3 Selection of Fuel Gas Sulfur Scrubbing System
Hydrogen sulfide in fuel gas is commonly removed by amine scrubbing. The scrubbing
solution is typically regenerated by heating the scrubbing solution in a stripping column,
typically using steam. The regeneration process can use significant energy, and the energy
intensity (impacting CO2 emissions) of the different processes should be considered (in
conjunction with the sulfur scrubbing efficiencies) in selecting scrubbing technology. Some fuel
gas, such as fuel gas produced by coking units, contain a significant quantity of other reduced
sulfur compounds, such as methyl mercaptan and carbon disulfide, that are not removed by
conventional amine scrubbing. The impact of these other reduced sulfur compounds on the
resulting sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from process heaters and other fuel gas combustion
devices using coker-produced fuel gas should be considered for both energy efficiency (for GHG
emission reductions) and total sulfur removal efficiency (for SO2 emission reductions).
Alternatives to conventional amine scrubbing (which uses dimethylethylamine, DMEA), include
the use of proprietary scrubbing systems, such as FLEXSORB®, Selexol®, and Rectisol®, as
well as using a mixture of solvents as in the Sulfinol process, additional conversion of sulfur
compounds to H2S prior to scrubbing, or using a direct fuel gas scrubbing/sulfur recovery
technology like LoCat® or caustic scrubbers.
CO2 is also removed by amine scrubbing; however, this will not really impact the CO2
emissions from the plant unless sulfur recovery occurs offsite because the CO2 will be emitted
either from the combustion unit receiving the fuel gas or from the sulfur recovery unit receiving
the sour gas from the amine scrubbers. Therefore, the CO2 scrubbing efficiency of the amine
scrubbers is not important; however, some light hydrocarbons may also dissolve in the amine
solution and subsequently sent to the sulfur recovery plant in the sour gas stream. Most
hydrocarbons in the sour gas will eventually be oxidized in the sulfur recovery plant, so
entrainment of hydrocarbons does lead to additional CO2 emissions. Therefore, scrubbing
systems could be evaluated based on their sulfur removal efficiency, energy efficiency, and
ability to not entrain hydrocarbons. Note that higher sulfur removal efficiencies may have an
energy penalty (i.e., requiring more regeneration steam per pound of treated fuel gas), so a
holistic analysis is needed when selecting the sulfur scrubbing system.
5.2.2 Flares
5.2.2.1 Flare Gas Recovery
Flaring can be reduced by installation of commercially available recovery systems,
including recovery compressors and collection and storage tanks. Such systems have been
installed at a number of domestic refineries. At one 65,000 bpd facility in Arkansas, two flare
gas recovery systems were installed that reduced flaring almost completely. This facility will
use flaring only in emergencies when the amount of flare gas exceeds the capacity of the
recovery system. The recovered gas is compressed and used in the refinery’s fuel system. The
payback period for flare gas recovery systems may be as little as 1 year (Worrell and Galitsky,
2005). Similar flare gas recovery projects have been reported in the literature (John Zinc Co,
2006; Envirocomb Limited, 2006; Peterson et al., 2007; U.S. DOE, 2005), reducing flaring by
approximately 95 percent. Based on emission inventory presented by Lucas (2008), nationwide
CO2 emissions from flaring at petroleum refineries were estimated to be 5 million metric tons.
Provided that the recovered fuel can off-set natural gas purchases, flare gas recovery is generally
cost-effective for recovering routine flows of flare gas exceeding 20 MMBtu/hr (approximately
27
0.5 to 1-million scf per day, depending on heat content of flare gas). Based on these estimates,
flare gas recovery could reduce nationwide CO2 emissions from flares by 3-million metric tons.
The cost-effectiveness of flare gas recovery is highly dependent on the heating value of the flare
gas to be recovered and the price of natural gas. For refineries that may have excess fuel gas, a
flare gas recovery system may also need to include a combined heat and power unit to
productively use the recovered flare gas as described in Section 5.1.
5.2.2.2 Proper Flare Operation
Poor flare combustion efficiencies generally lead to higher methane emissions and
therefore higher overall GHG emissions due to the higher global warming potential (GWP) of
methane. Poor flare combustion efficiencies can occur at very low flare rates with high
crosswinds, at very high flow rates (i.e., high flare exit velocities), when flaring gas with low
heat content, and excessive steam-to-gas mass flows. Installing flow meters and gas composition
monitors on the flare gas lines and having automated steam rate controls allows for improved
flare gas combustion control, and minimizes periods of poor flare combustion efficiencies.
5.2.2.3 Refrigerated Condensers for Process Unit Distillation Columns
For refineries that are rich in fuel gas, an alternative to a flare gas recovery system and
CHP unit may be the use of a refrigerated condenser for distillation column overheads. Product
recovery may be limited by the temperature of the distillation unit overhead condenser, causing
more gas to be sent to the refinery fuel gas system and/or flare. The recovery temperature can be
reduced by installing a waste heat driven refrigeration plant. A refinery in Colorado installed
such a system in 1997 on a catalytic reforming unit distillation column and was able to recover
65,000 bbl/yr of LPG that was previously flared or used as a fuel. The payback of the system
was about 1.5 years (Worrell and Galitsky, 2005).
5.3 Cracking Units
5.3.1 Catalytic Cracking Units
5.3.1.1 Power/Waste Heat Recovery
The most likely candidate for energy recovery at a refinery is the FCCU, although
recovery may also be obtained from the hydrocracker and any other process that operates at
elevated pressure or temperature. Most facilities currently employ a waste heat boiler and/or a
power recovery turbine or turbo expander to recover energy from the FCCU catalyst regenerator
exhaust. Existing energy recovery units should be evaluated for potential upgrading. One
refinery replaced an older recovery turbine and saw a power savings of 22 MW and will export 4
MW to the power grid. Another facility replaced a turbo expander and realized a savings of 18
TBtu/yr (Worrell and Galitsky, 2005).
5.3.1.2 High-Efficiency Regenerators
High efficiency regenerators are specially designed to allow complete combustion of
coke deposits without the need for a post-combustion device reducing auxiliary fuel combustion
associated with a CO boiler.
5.3.1.3 Additional Considerations
Catalytic cracking units are significant fuel gas producers. As such, an FCCU can
significantly alter the fuel gas balance of the refinery and may cause the refinery to be fuel gas
rich (produce more fuel gas than it consumes) or increase the frequency of flare gas system over-
28
pressurization to the flare. GHG measures for fuel gas systems could be considered. Flare gas
recovery for the impacted flare(s) could also be considered. Also, an FCCU will have a process
heater to heat the feed, so GHG reduction measures for process heaters may also need to be
considered. Finally, as FCCUs are one of the largest single CO2 emission sources at a refinery,
carbon capture techniques (Section 5.1.4) could be considered.
5.3.2 Hydrocracking Units
5.3.2.1 Power/Waste Heat Recovery
For hydrocracker units, power can be recovered from the pressure difference between the
reactor and fractionation stages. In 1993, one refinery in the Netherlands installed a 910 kW
power recovery turbine to replace the throttle at its hydrocracker unit at a cost of $1.2 million
(1993$). The turbine produced about 7.3 million kilowatt hour per year (kWh/yr) and had a
payback period of 2.5 years (Worrell and Galitsky, 2005).
5.3.2.2 Hydrogen Recovery
The hydrocracking unit is a significant consumer of hydrogen. Therefore, it is likely that
a hydrocracking unit will significantly impact hydrogen production rates at the refinery (if the
hydrogen production unit is captive to the refinery, i.e., under common ownership or control).
The off-gas stream of the hydrocracker contains a significant amount of hydrogen, which is
typically compressed, recovered, and recycled to the hydrocracking unit. When the recovery
compressor fails or is taken off-line for maintenance, this high hydrogen gas stream is typically
flared. A back-up recovery compressor could be considered for this high hydrogen stream.
Although the flaring of hydrogen does not directly produce GHG, if natural gas is added to
supplement the heating value of the flare gas, then flaring of the gas stream generates GHG.
More importantly, the recovery of the hydrogen in this off-gas directly impacts the net quantity
of new hydrogen that has to be produced for the unit. As hydrogen production has a large CO2
intensity, continuous recovery of this high hydrogen gas stream can result in significant CO2
emission reductions. At one Texas refinery, replacement of the hydrogen gas stream recovery
compressor took 6 months, over which period approximately 7,000 tonnes of H2 was flared,
which corresponds to 63,000 to 70,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions from additional hydrogen
production. Considering the annualized capital cost of a back-up recovery compressor, the costs
associated with the GHG emission reductions in this instance would be approximately $20 per
tonne of CO2 reduced.
5.3.2.3 Additional Considerations
Hydrocracking units produce fuel gas. As such, GHG measures for fuel gas systems are
likely applicable for hydrocracking units. Additionally, flare gas recovery for the impacted
flare(s) could be considered. The hydrocracking unit will have a process heater to heat the feed,
so GHG reduction measures for process heaters may also need to be considered.
5.4 Coking Units
5.4.1 Fluid Coking Units
5.4.1.1 Power/Waste Heat Recovery
The fluid coking unit is an excellent candidate for energy recovery at a refinery. A CO
boiler is used to combust the high CO off-gas from the fluid coking unit. Steam generation
and/or a power recovery turbine or turbo expander could be used to recover energy from the CO
29
boiler and its exhaust stream. Existing energy recovery units could be evaluated for potential
upgrading.
5.4.1.2 Additional Considerations
Fluid coking units are significant fuel gas producers; GHG measures for fuel gas systems
should be considered. Flare gas recovery for the impacted flare(s) could also be considered. The
fluid coking unit will have a process heater to preheat the feed. Heat recovery systems could be
considered for feed preheat; GHG reduction measures for process heaters may also need to be
considered. Finally, as fluid coking units are one of the largest single CO2 emission sources at a
refinery, carbon capture techniques (Section 5.1.4) could be considered.
5.4.2 Flexicoking Units
Flexicoking coking units primarily produce a low-heating value fuel gas. Heat recovery
from the produced gas stream should be used to preheat feed or to generate steam. The low-
heating value fuel gas is typically combusted in specialized boilers and the GHG reduction
measures for boilers could be reviewed. Also, flare gas recovery for the impacted flares and
GHG reduction measures for process heaters may also need to be considered.
5.4.3 Delayed Coking Units
5.4.3.1 Steam Blowdown System
Delayed coking units use steam to purge and cool coke drums that have been filled with
coke as the first step in the decoking process. A closed blowdown system for this steam purge
controls both VOCs and methane. The steam to the blowdown system from a DCU will contain
significant concentrations of methane and light VOCs. These systems could be enclosed to
prevent fugitive emissions from the offgas or collected water streams. The noncondensibles
from the blowdown system could be either recovered or directly sent to a combustion device,
preferably a process heater or boiler rather than a flare to recover the energy value of the light
hydrocarbons. Note that the sulfur content of this gas may prevent its direct combustion without
treatment to remove sulfur.
As noted previously in Section 5.1.1.7 (regarding steam generating boilers), the
blowdown system could be designed to operate at low pressures, so the DCU can continue to
purge to the blowdown system rather than to atmosphere for extended periods. Also, a recovery
unit to recycle hot blowdown system water for steam generation should be evaluated to improve
the energy efficiency associated with the DCU’s steam requirements.
5.4.3.2 Steam Vent
The DCU “steam vent” is potentially a significant emission source of both methane and
VOCs. While not completely understood, the emissions from this vent are expected to increase
based on the coke drum vessel pressure and the average temperature when the steam off-gas is
first diverted to the atmosphere at (rather than to the blowdown system) at the end of the coke
drum purge and cooling cycle. Generally, cycle times of 16 to 20 hours are needed to purge,
cool, and drain the coke drum vessels, cut the coke out, and preheat the vessel prior to receiving
feed. In efforts to increase throughput of the unit, reduced cycle times are used, but this
generally requires depressurization of the coke drum at higher temperatures and pressures
leading to higher emissions. While larger coke drums may have slightly higher emissions than
smaller coke drums, the temperature of the coke drum when the drum is first vented to
30
atmosphere will have a more significant impact on the volume of gas vented to the atmosphere
than does the size (volume) of the coke drum. Cycle times of less than 16 hours are an indicator
that the purging/quench cycles may be too short, leading to excessive and unnecessary VOC and
CH4 emissions. 40 CFR Part 60 subpart Ja requires new DCU to not vent to the atmosphere until
a vessel pressure of 5 psig or less is reached. At this pressure, the equilibrium coke bed
temperature should be approximately 230°F. However, as the vessel will be continuously
purging to the blowdown system, the bed temperature may be significantly higher even though
the pressure of the vessel is below 5 pounds per square inch gauge (psig) depending on the cycle
time. A DCU could be designed to allow depressurization to very low pressures (e.g., 2 psig)
prior to having to go to atmosphere (which will impact the blowdown system design) to allow
flexibility in operation. Analysis of the CH4 and VOC emissions at different temperatures and
pressures could be conducted to determine operational parameters for the DCU
depressurization/steam vent.
5.4.3.2 Additional Considerations
Delayed coking units are significant fuel gas producers. As such, GHG measures for fuel
gas systems and flares could be considered. The fluid coking unit will have a process heater to
preheat the feed. Heat recovery systems could be considered for feed preheat; GHG reduction
measures for process heaters may also need to be considered.
5.5 Catalytic Reforming Units
The catalytic reforming unit is a net producer of hydrogen, so it can be considered as a
means to produce hydrogen needed for other processes at the petroleum refineries; more detailed
discussion of this is provided in Section 5.7. The reforming reaction is endothermic, so the
catalytic reforming unit has large process heaters to maintain the reaction; GHG reduction
measures for the process heaters could be considered. The catalytic reforming unit will also
produce fuel gas so that GHG reduction measures for fuel gas systems and flares could be
considered.
5.6 Sulfur Recovery Units
Nearly all refineries use the Claus-based sulfur recovery units, although some small
refineries use LoCat™ system. There are, however, some variations on the traditional Claus
system (e.g., SuperClaus® and EuroClaus®) and a variety of different tail gas treatment units
that are used in conjunction with the Claus sulfur recovery systems (e.g., SCOT, Beavon/amine;
Beavon/Stretford; Cansolv®, LoCat®, and Wellman-Lord). The energy and CO2 intensities of
these different systems could be evaluated (in conjunction with their sulfur recovery efficiencies)
for sulfur recovery systems.
5.7 Hydrogen Production Units
Hydrotreating and hydrocracking units consume hydrogen. Hydrogen is produced as a
by-product in catalytic reforming units. Hydrogen may also be produced specifically in captive
or merchant hydrogen production units, which typically use steam methane reforming (SMR)
techniques. Due to the importance of hydrogen for key processes and the interlinking of
processes, a facility-wide hydrogen assessment could be performed to assess energy and GHG
improvements that can be made. This assessment could include an assessment of whether
additional catalytic reforming capacity can meet the hydrogen needs. Although both catalytic
reforming and SMR are endothermic and require significant heat input, catalytic reformers
31
produce high octane reformate (cyclic and aromatic hydrocarbons) rather than CO2 as a result of
the reforming reactions. Therefore, catalytic reforming provides a less CO2-intensive means of
producing hydrogen as compared to SMR hydrogen production. However, there is a limited
quantity of naphtha and a limited need for reformate, so catalytic reforming may not be a viable
option for meeting all of the hydrogen demands of the refinery.
If a hydrogen production unit is necessary, SMR technology appears to be the most
effective means of producing additional hydrogen at this time. The following technologies could
be considered for SMR hydrogen production units.
5.7.1 Combustion Air and Feed/Steam Preheat
Heat recovery systems can be used to preheat the feed/steam and combustion air
temperature. If steam export needs to be minimized, an increase in the combustion air and
feed/steam temperature through the convective section of the reformer is an option that can
reduce fuel usage by 42 percent and steam export by 36 percent, and result in a total energy
savings of 5 percent compared to a typical SMR (ARCADIS, 2008).
5.7.2 Cogeneration
Cogeneration of hydrogen and electricity can be a major enhancement of energy
utilization and can be applied with SMR. Hot exhaust from a gas turbine is transferred to the
reformer furnace. This hot exhaust at ~540 °C still contains ~13-percent oxygen and can serve
as combustion air to the reformer. Since this stream is hot, fuel consumption in the furnace is
reduced. The reformer convection section is also used as a HRSG in a cogeneration design.
Steam raised in the convection section can be put through either a topping or condensing turbine
for additional power generation. This technology is owned by Air Products and Technip, and
has been applied at six hydrogen/cogeneration facilities for refineries (ARCADIS, 2008).
5.7.3 Hydrogen Purification
There are three main hydrogen purification processes. These are pressure-swing
adsorption, membrane separation, and cryogenic separation. The selection of the purification
method depends, to some extent, on the purity of the hydrogen produced. Pressure-swing
adsorption provides the highest purity of hydrogen (99.9+ percent), but all of these purification
methods can produce 95 percent or higher purity hydrogen stream. When lower purity (i.e.,
95%) hydrogen gas is acceptable for the refinery applications, then any of the purification
methods are technically viable. In such cases, the energy and CO2 intensity of the various
purification techniques could be considered. The purification technique also impacts the ease by
which CO2 recovery and capture can be used. See also the carbon capture techniques in Section
5.1.4.
5.8 Hydrotreating Units
A number of alternative hydrotreater designs are being developed to improve efficiency.
New catalysts are being developed to increase sulfur removal, and reactors are being designed to
integrate process steps. While many of these designs have not yet been proven in production,
others such as oxidative desulfurization and the S Zorb process have been demonstrated at
refineries. The design of both modifications and new facilities could consider the current state of
the art (Worrell and Galitsky, 2005). Hydrotreaters consume hydrogen, so new hydrotreating
units may also increase hydrogen production at the facility (see Section 5.7). Hydrotreaters also
32
produce sour gas so the GHG reduction options discussed for sulfur scrubbing technologies
(Section 5.2.1.3) and sulfur recovery units (Section 5.6) could be considered.
5.9 Crude Desalting and Distillation Units
Before entering the distillation tower, crude undergoes desalting at temperature ranging
from 240 to 330 °F. Following desalting, crude enters a series of exchangers, known as preheat
train to raise the temperature of the crude oil to approximately 500 °F. A direct-fired furnace is
typically then used to heat the crude oil to between 650 and 750 °F before the crude oil is
transferred to the flash zone of the tower. The crude oil furnaces are among the largest process
heaters at the refinery; GHG reduction measures for these furnaces could be considered. Also, as
the crude distillation unit employs among the largest process heaters at a refinery, carbon capture
techniques (Section 5.1.4) could be considered. Additional GHG reduction measures are
described below.
5.9.1 Desalter Design
Alternative designs for the desalter, such as multi-stage units and combinations of AC
and DC fields, may increase efficiency and reduce energy consumption (Worrell and Galitsky,
2005).
5.9.2 Progressive Distillation Design
In the conventional scheme, all the crude feed is heated to a high temperature through the
furnace prior to entering the atmospheric tower. Some lighter components of crude are
superheated in the furnace, resulting in an irreversible energy waste. The progressive distillation
process uses a series of distillation towers working at different temperatures (see Figure 6). The
advantage of progressive distillation is that it avoids superheating of light fractions to
temperatures higher than strictly necessary for their separation. The energy savings with
progressive distillation has been reported to be approximately 30 percent (ARCADIS, 2008).
Crude heaters account for approximately 25 percent of process combustion CO2 emissions
(Coburn, 2007); therefore, progressive distillation can reduce nationwide GHG emissions from
petroleum refineries by almost 5 percent.
33
LPG
Light Naphtha
Medium Naphtha
Heavy Naphtha
Rectification
Flash Column
Kerosene
Heat Exchanger Train
Gasoil
Crude oil
Flash Column
Furnace Vacuum
Heat Exchanger Train gas oil
Atmospheric Distillation
Residuum
Furnace
Vacuum Distillation
Figure 6. Process schematic of a progressive distillation process (from ARCADIS, 2008).
5.10 Storage Tanks
5.10.1 Vapor Recovery or Control for Unstabilized Crude Oil Tanks
Crude oil often contains methane and other light hydrocarbons that are dissolved in the
crude oil because the crude oil is “stored” within the wells under pressure. When the crude oil is
pumped from the wells and subsequently stored at atmospheric pressures, CH4 and other light
hydrocarbons are released from the crude oil and emitted from the atmospheric storage tanks.
Most refineries receive crude oil that has been stored for several days to several weeks at
atmospheric pressures prior to receipt at the refinery. These stabilized crude oils have limited
GHG emissions. If a refinery receives crude oil straight from a production well via pipeline
without being stored for several days at atmospheric pressures, the crude oil may contain
significant quantities of methane and light VOC. When this “unstabilized” crude oil is first
stored at the refinery at atmospheric conditions, the methane and gaseous VOC will evolve from
the crude oil. Common tank controls, such as floating roofs, are ineffective at reducing these
emissions. If a refinery receives unstabilized crude oil, a fixed roof tank vented to a gas recovery
system of control device could be considered to reduce the GHG (particularly CH4) emissions
from these tanks.
34
5.10.2 Heated Storage Tank Insulation
Some storage tanks are heated to control viscosity of the stored product. A study at a
refinery found that insulating an 80,000 bbl storage tank that is heated to 225 °F could save
$148,000 in energy costs (Worrell and Galitsky, 2005).
6.0 References
1. ARCADIS. 2008. Air Pollution Control and Efficiency Improvement Measures for U.S.
Refineries. Prepared for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park,
NC. Contract No. EP-C-04-023. August 8.
2. Barker, D.J., S.A. Turner, P.A. Napier-Moore, M. Clark, and J.E. Davison, 2009. “CO2
Capture in the Cement Industry,” Energy Procedia, Vol. 1, pp. 87-94.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=MImg&_imagekey=B984K-4W0SFYG-F-
1&_cdi=59073&_user=10&_orig=browse&_coverDate=02%2F28%2F2009&_sk=999989
998&view=c&wchp=dGLbVlz-
zSkWA&md5=12853bece66323782f9a46335b4b213c&ie=/sdarticle.pdf
3. Bosoaga, Adina, Ondrej Masek, and John E. Oakey. 2009. CO2 Capture Technologies for
Cement Industry, Energy Procedia, Vol. 1, pp. 133-140.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=MImg&_imagekey=B984K-4W0SFYG-N-
1&_cdi=59073&_user=10&_orig=browse&_coverDate=02%2F28%2F2009&_sk=999989
998&view=c&wchp=dGLzVlz-
zSkWA&md5=b9ba07fff56e3ad43069658cb689db9e&ie=/sdarticle.pdf
4. Coburn J. 2007. Greenhouse Gas Industry Profile for the Petroleum Refining Industry.
Prepared for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. Contract No. GS-
10F-0283K. June 11.
5. Ecofys. 2009. Methodology for the free allocation of emission allowances in the EU ETS
post 2012. Sector report for the refinery industry. November.
6. ECRA (European Cement Research Academy). 2009. Development of State of the Art –
Techniques in Cement Manufacturing: Trying to Look Ahead, June 4, 2009, Düsseldorf,
Germany.), Cement Sustainability Initiative.
http://www.wbcsdcement.org/pdf/technology/Technology%20papers.pdf
7. EIA (Energy Information Administration). 2006. Refinery Capacity Report 2006. Prepared
by the Energy Information Administration, Washington, DC. June 15.
8. EIA (Energy Information Administration). 2009. Refinery Capacity Report 2008. Prepared
by the Energy Information Administration, Washington, DC. June 25. See on-line HTML
version of Table 12a: http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_pnp_capfuel_dcu_nus_a.htm.
9. Envirocomb Limited. 2006. Zero flaring by flare gas recovery. Presented at the Gas
Processors Association 1st Specialized Technical Session: Zero Flaring Seminar. Al-
35
Khobar, Saudi Arabia, November 29. Available at: http://www.gpa-gcc-
chapter.org/PDF/Zero%20Flaring%20By%20Flare%20Gas%20Recovery.pdf
10. Gary, J. H. and G.E. Handwerk. 1994. Petroleum Refining Technology and Economics. 3rd
Edition. Marcel Dekker, Inc. New York, NY.
11. ICF International. 2010. CHP Installation Database, Maintained for U.S. DOE and Oak
Ridge National Laboratory.
12. IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change). 2006. 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National
Greenhouse Gas Inventories. Prepared by the National Greenhouse Gas Inventories
Programme. Edited by H.S. Eggleston, L. Buendia, K. Miwa, T. Ngara, and K. Tanabe.
IGES: Japan.John Zinc Company. 2006. Flare gas recovery (FGR) to reduce plant flaring.
Presented at the Gas Processors Association 1st Specialized Technical Session: Zero Flaring
Seminar. Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia, November 29. Available at: http://www.gpa-gcc-
chapter.org/PDF/Flare%20Gas%20Recovery%20White%20Paper.pdf.
13. Lucas, Bob. 2008. Memorandum to Petroleum Refinery New Source Performance
Standards (NSPS) Docket No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2007-0011 from Bob Lucas, USEPA
regarding Documentation of Flare Recovery Impact Estimates. April 26.
14. Peterson, J, N. Tuttle, H. Cooper, and C. Baukal. 2007. Minimize facility flaring.
Hydrocarbon Processing. June. Pp. 111-115. Available at:
http://www.johnzink.com/products/flares/pdfs/flare_hydro_proc_june_2007.pdf.
15. U.S. DOE (Department of Energy). 2002. Steam System Opportunity Assessment for the
Pulp and Paper, Chemical Manufacturing, and Petroleum Refining Industries. U.S.
Department of Energy, DOE/GO-102002-1640. October 2002.
16. U.S. DOE (Department of Energy). 2005. Petroleum Best Practices Plant-wide Assessment
Case Study. Valero: Houston refinery uses plant-wide assessment to develop an energy
optimization and management system. DOE/GO-102005-2121. Available at:
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/bestpractices/pdfs/valero.pdf
17. U.S. DOE (Department of Energy). 2007. Energy and Environmental Profile of the U.S.
Petroleum Refining Industry. Prepared by Energetics, Inc., Columbia, MD. November
2007.
18. U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). 1995. EPA Office of Compliance Sector
Notebook Project: Profile of the Petroleum Refining Industry. EPA/310-R-95-013.
Washington, DC. September 1995.
19. U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). 1998. Petroleum Refineries-Background
Information for Proposed Standards, Catalytic Cracking (Fluid and Other) Units, Catalytic
Reforming Units, and Sulfur Recovery Units. EPA-453/R-98-003. Washington, DC:
Government Printing Office.
36
20. U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). 1999. U.S. Methane Emissions 1990–2020:
Inventories, Projections, and Opportunities for Reductions. EPA 430-R-99-013. Section 3.
Natural Gas Systems and Appendix III. Washington, DC. September 1999.
21. U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). 2008. Technical Support Document for the
Petroleum Refining Sector: Proposed Rule for Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases.
Docket Item EPA-HQ-OAR-2008-0508-0025. Office of Air and Radiation. Office of
Atmospheric Programs, Washington, DC. September 8.
22. Worrell, Ernst and Christina Galitsky. 2005. Energy Efficiency Improvement and Cost
Saving Opportunities for Petroleum Refineries (Report No. LBNL-56183). Ernest Orlando
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA. February 2005.
http://www.energystar.gov/ia/business/industry/ES_Petroleum_Energy_Guide.pdf
23. Worrell, Ernst and Christina Galitsky. 2008. Energy Efficiency Improvement and Cost
Saving Opportunities for Cement Making (Report No. LBNL-54036-Revision). Ernest
Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA. March 2008.
http://www.energystar.gov/ia/business/industry/LBNL-54036.pdf
37
EPA Contact
Brenda Shine
U.S. EPA
OAQPS/SPPD/CCG
Mail Code E143-01
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
Phone: 919-541-3608
shine.brenda@epa.gov
38
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