Combination of renewable energy in the refinery, with carbon emissions approach

Abstract

With increasing global energy demand and lower energy efficiency for inverted energy (EROEI) for crude oil, global energy consumption by the O&G industry has increased dramatically in recent years. Moreover, this increased energy has led to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, which has had negative environmental impacts. On the other hand, generating electricity through renewable resources has become a relatively competitive cost for fossil energy sources in a "cleaner" way. In this study, renewable energy is optimally combined into the refinery, taking into account costs and carbon dioxide emissions. Using Aspen HYSYS, a refinery in the Middle East was stimulated to estimate energy demand by different processing units. The L.P. problem is formulated based on the existing solar energy systems and wind potential in the region. The multipurpose function, which reduces cost and CO2 emissions, was resolved using GAMS to determine the optimum energy distribution from each power source to units inside the refinery. Besides, an economic feasibility study was conducted to determine the feasibility of implementing a renewable energy technology project to bypass the refinery's energy requirements. Electricity generation through all renewable energy sources considered (i.e., solar P.V., CSP, and wind) was considered feasible based on the low cost of electricity (LCOE). The payback period for the CSP project, which has an annual capacity of about 411 GWh and a useful life of 30 years, was ten years. In contrast, the solar P.V. and wind recovery periods were calculated at 7 and 6 years, respectively. This opens up possibilities for incorporating renewable energy into the refining sector, as well as for improving multiple energy transmission systems in the crude oil industry.