IRPC Process Technologies showcase: Making a difference now and into the future
Sulzer GTC kicked off Hydrocarbon Processing’s International Refining and Petrochemical Conference (IRPC) Process Technologies event by showcasing several leading technologies in refining and petrochemicals processing. The Innovation Showcase, held virtually on Tuesday, June 1, featured six presentations, ranging from clean fuels production and petrochemicals production to plastics recycling.
Joe Gentry, Senior Vice President, Licensing and Technology, began the event with a look at the refinery of the future from a licensor’s point-of-view. “We see the refinery of the future having three essential elements, said Mr. Gentry. “These elements include changes in feedstocks and product mix, an intense drive to optimize energy efficiency, and the creation of an environmentally-sound facility.”
Mr. Gentry continued by detailing the three elements that are shaping the future refinery. First, the conventional refinery’s feedstock is crude oil; however, new feedstocks are being introduced into the mix. These include non-conventional raw materials, bio-oils, etc., which produce fuels such as sustainable aviation fuel, renewable diesel and low-carbon fuel oil. As fuels demand wanes, refineries are incorporating more petrochemicals production into existing assets. This is enabling owner/operators to supply growing global demand for plastics.
To mitigate carbon emissions, the refinery of the future will place a significant emphasis on energy efficiency, as well as be environmentally sound. These initiatives are spurring new techniques, processes and equipment to maximize production and mitigate wasted energy. As new technologies are employed to reduce energy waste, licensors, such as Sulzer GTC, are producing new technologies to upgrade wastes to products, adhere to clean fuels regulations and produce safe solvents.
Mr. Gentry’s speech was followed by presentations on fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) naphtha upgrading and innovative hydrotreating solutions. Charlie Chou, Business Segment Leader, Refining, Aromatics and Derivatives, provided a detailed look at how Sulzer GTC’s GT-BTX PluSSM is used to produce Euro-5 ultra-low-sulfur FCC gasoline without losing Reid octane number, as well as for aromatics and propylene production.
Matthew Clingerman, Business Segment Leader, Hydrotreating, provided a detailed overview of Sulzer GTC’s BioFlux® technology for renewable diesel production. The technology’s benefits included:
- Lower capital and operating expense vs. conventional processes
- Efficient and flexible process for producing renewable diesel from a range of feedstocks
- Produces a drop-in renewable diesel fuel with no blending limits.
The last three presentations focused on chemical recycling of plastics, isomerization and propylene production. These presentations provided technological solutions that can aide with recycling plastics, the benefits of utilizing Sulzer GTC’s Isomalk processing technology and maximizing FCCU propylene production at minimum capital expenditure.
IRPC Process Technologies’ Innovation Showcase can viewed on-demand by visiting the IRPC Process Technologies’ events page: https://web.cvent.com/event/737a1ab9-93eb-4234-83a5-60444d81f228/summary. IRPC Process Technologies will run June 2-3.
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