Balancing Energy Efficiency vs. Sulphur & Carbon Management in Middle Eastern Gas Processing Facilities

Balancing Energy Efficiency vs. Sulphur & Carbon Management in Middle Eastern Gas Processing Facilities

Type	Journal Article
Author	Angie Slavens
Author	UniverSUL Consulting
URL	Free Full Text Source:  http://www.universulphur.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Sulphur-2015-Dwindling-Sulphur-Emissions-At-What-Cost-Technical-Paper.pdf
Publication	ADNOC (Abu Dhabi National Oil Co.) Paper
Date	2016
Abstract	Governments worldwide have adopted increasingly strict clean air regulations on sulfur emissions from processing facilities, with a current industry benchmark of approximately 99.9% minimum recovery efficiency. However, this figure is on the rise with a greater number of facilities designing for higher sulfur removal rates, as evidenced by the World Bank Standard SO 2 emission specification, which currently sits at 150 mg/Nm 3 (equivalent to approximately 99.98% recovery efficiency). While striving for increasingly lower sulfur emissions may be beneficial, it does not come free of cost. As sulfur recovery efficiency increases, the energy required to remove each additional kilogram of sulfur escalates. As energy consumption increases, so too do CO 2 emissions, which is an undesirable outcome in a time when carbon emissions reduction is among the top objectives for corporate environmental management programs. Not only is the environmental impact of greenhouse gas familiar and visible to the public, it also carries a high potential for future regulation. This paper explores the relationship between SO 2 and CO 2 emissions in sulfur recovery facilities and investigates whether there is a point at which further increases in sulfur recovery efficiency results in diminishing returns, in terms of energy consumption and associated CO 2 footprint. Options for improving energy efficiency, thereby reducing carbon emissions, are discussed and views are presented regarding whether there are conditions under which carbon capture from sulfur recovery facilities can be a worthwhile endeavor. This paper is an extension of a previous paper entitled “Dwindling Sulphur Emissions, at What Cost?” The purpose of the new work is to apply the basic principles developed in the original paper to examine the SO 2 and CO 2 emissions for a specific regional example.