While faced with a multitude of challenges, refineries around the world are increasingly recognizing the importance of energy efficiency at an operational level. Ahead of ESF North America, Sumit Chintawar, Fossil & Renewable Fuels BDM at Alfa Laval, recently shared some insights about their multi-faceted energy efficiency approach which brings refineries a multitude of benefits: from savings cost, increase productivity, enhance competitiveness to improve reliability and corporate reputation, reduce fossil fuels dependency and so much more.
1. What does Alfa Laval see as the first steps to be taken to create and implement an energy efficiency plan?
In Alfa Laval we believe that there are two ways of approaching an energy efficiency plan:
- Strategic approach
In this type of approach, refineries are focused on devising projects with the goal of optimizing energy efficiency. This approach is implemented to significantly reduce the Energy Intensity Index (EII). Examples may include redesigning the preheat train of crude to a tighter pinch, reducing the furnace duty, or utilizing waste heat from air coolers (condensers or product coolers) to heat boiler feed water. - Opportunistic approach
In this type of approach, a refinery seeks to combine energy efficiency with every expenditure opportunity. Whenever they plan to use money to run the unit reliably and safely, they consider whether it can be used instead to reduce emissions and utilities while also improving energy efficiency. For instance, when it is time to replace the shell and tube heat exchanger in a feed to bottoms exchanger position, they may choose to spend the approved maintenance funding to install a highly efficient plate heat exchanger technology instead, allowing them to recover more energy from the bottoms to feed.
2. What are the benefits of implementing energy efficiency solutions?
Refineries around the world are beginning to recognize the importance of energy efficiency for their operations. By implementing energy efficiency solutions, refineries can see multiple benefits, including cost savings, increased productivity, enhanced competitiveness, and environmental benefits. Not only that, but refineries can also improve their reliability, corporate reputation, and reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. With all these benefits, it is clear that energy efficiency solutions can help them bridge the gap between profitability and sustainability, making their operations more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable.
3. Crude oil refining accounts for 6-8 % of all global industrial energy consumption, with energy costs adding up to 50% of total OPEX for some refineries. Today’s high energy price presents a good opportunity to reinforce the role that energy efficiency plays in driving the longer-term energy transition. How is Alfa Laval helping companies in North America to reach their profitability goals through energy efficiency?
Alfa Laval is helping companies in North America to reach their profitability goals through energy efficiency by supporting downstream industry to identify energy-saving opportunities and implement them using Alfa Laval’s high-efficiency heat exchangers technology. These solutions are designed to improve the efficiency and reliability of refinery processes, reducing energy consumption and operating costs.
All stakeholders in a refinery—including process licensors, energy managers, process engineers, and plant managers—have a role to play in minimizing environmental impact and maximizing profitability. At Alfa Laval, we collaborate with these stakeholders to identify and exploit energy efficiency opportunities within their projects and process units.
We offer onsite training, webinars, and technical discussion sessions to guide stakeholders in the right direction so they can make informed decisions in their day-to-day activities that contribute to profitability and sustainability. Our thirty years of experience and installation of over 3,000 high-efficiency exchangers globally in refinery applications are proof of our competence when it comes to delivering high performance, energy savings, carbon emission reduction, reduced maintenance costs and improved profitability.
We recently helped a client reduce project CAPEX by 10%. Here's what we did: (Debottleneck naphtha hydrotreaters with highest project ROI | Alfa Laval)
A Midwest refinery was working on a crude flexibility project and found that their Naptha Hydrotreater would be a bottleneck to process an excess capacity of 40% through their existing unit. The bottleneck was around the capacity of their fired heater, and they were unable to increase the heater capacity by modification or replacement with a larger heater as the process unit was at part with their nameplate emission limits. In response, the refinery contacted Alfa Laval to work on a solution and, together with the process and project engineer, they decided to improve heat recovery in a feed/effluent exchanger before the reactor, which enabled the use of the existing heater and was within their emission limits. This solution involved two high efficiency and compact Compabloc plate heat exchangers, which had a performance equivalent to 12 Shell & Tubes in series. This solution also helped the refinery reduce project CAPEX by 10%, and with no extra emissions, reduced energy cost on the downstream air cooler, they were able to achieve their goal of processing an excess capacity of 40% through the asset.
4. What is holding the industry back from implementing energy efficiency practices?
Refineries are currently facing a multitude of challenges when it comes to energy efficiency: Technology Awareness, Traditional Thinking, Economics on Energy Efficient projects/Financial Risk, Management Will and the Lack of strong policies in the US. To overcome these issues, we must take a multi-faceted approach. Technology awareness is key to understanding and implementing the latest energy-efficient technologies and processes. Traditional thinking must be addressed by encouraging innovation, research and the exploration of new processes. Economics on energy efficient projects/financial risk can be reduced through value engineering & tech to reduce CAPEX. Management support will, and is essential for the successful implementation of energy efficiency measures. Finally, the lack of strong policies in the US is mitigated by joining energy-efficient movements to advocate and educate for stronger policies.
5. What do you hope the discussion from a conference like ESF North America will help your members and the wider industry to achieve over the next 12 months?
ESF North America can be a game-changer for the industry, providing a vital forum for members to stay up to date with the most pressing sustainability issues, collaborate on solutions, and explore creative strategies for progress. By inspiring members to take proactive steps, it can be a powerful force for real, lasting change, building a sustainable future for generations to come.
Would you like to hear more?
Don’t miss the opportunity to meet Sumit Chintawar during ESF North America, 31 May - 2 June, San Francisco, California, and learn more about the Profitability & Energy Efficiency nexus
For more info, visit: europetro.com/esfnorthamerica.
