(202b) Deliver the Challenges - Design and Operate Refining Plants More Efficiently to Minimize CO2 Footprint

Global warming is one of the most serious challenges facing us today. To protect the health and economic well-being of current and future generations, we must minimize green gas emissions by using the practical solutions at our disposal and developing innovative solutions.

Refining and petrochemical industry produces a large amount of green gas emissions from operation which contributes to global warming. CO2 regulation and tax which expect to come out in the future in US could have impact on refining operation and business. This presentation will assess the potential impacts and provide ways for reducing CO2 emissions from operation. In summary, there are three major ways for minimizing CO2 emissions from the industry. The first one is to revamp existing facility by better heat recovery and using appropriate technologies. The second one is to optimize operation by using process know-how supported with effective tools while the third one is to look for opportunities for CO2 capturing and trading.

When doing the above, one needs to understand the similarity and difference between improving energy efficiency and reducing green gas emissions. The difference lies in the fact that energy efficiency is to do with the amount of MMBtu burnt while gas emissions is to do with both MMBtu and carbon content in emitted gases. This difference calls for different solutions to be applied for abating green gas emissions. This presentation will demonstrate UOP's effort in this area and successful stories in achieving the goal for minimizing green gas emissions for the industry.