TSA II Stenungsund - Investigation of opportunities for implementation of proposed energy efficiency measures

Report, 2011

A Total Site Analysis (TSA) study of the chemical cluster in Stenungsund was conducted during 2010. This previous study is hereafter referred to as the TSA I study. The study was conducted by CIT Industriell Energi and the Division of Heat and Power Technology at Chalmers together with the participating cluster companies (AGA Gas AB, Akzo Nobel Sverige AB, Borealis AB, INEOS Sverige AB and Perstorp Oxo AB). In the TSA I study, measures to increase energy efficiency by increased energy collaboration (i.e. increased heat exchange between the cluster plants) were identified. The measures were classified according to ease of implementation based on consultation with plant staff. In this report, conducted within the framework of the second stage of the TSA research project (hereafter referred to as the TSA II project) practical issues associated with implementation of the identified measures are investigated. The investigation is limited to category A measures, considered by plant staff to be relatively easy to implement from a technical perspective. A conceptual design of a possible hot water system for exchanging heat between the different sites is presented. Since the steam systems of the different plants are at present only partly connected, or not at all, the overall reduction in steam use that would results from introduction of a hot water system would lead to steam surplus at certain sites. Therefore introducing a hot water system is only beneficial if new steam lines are also implemented so that it becomes possible to exchange steam between the individual plant sites. The exchange of steam is only possible if steam demand and steam excess are at the same pressure level. To avoid excess steam at low pressure level, demand of low pressure steam must increase. In order to increase the possibility to use more low pressure steam, the opportunities to decrease utility steam pressure in individual process heaters are analyzed. The implementation of energy efficiency measures in the refrigeration systems is also investigated. In practice this can be achieved by changing steam as heating utility to a fluid that can operate below ambient. In addition to the steam saving, the heat transfer fluid can transport energy from the current cooling systems and decrease the amount of compressor work required to operate the existing refrigeration system units. In order to achieve a reduction of purchased fuel for firing in boilers it is necessary to implement both a common site-wide circulating hot water system and a reduction of utility steam pressure used in several process heaters . The results show that if all measures that are considered by plant energy engineers to be feasible by moderate changes are carried out as suggested, fuel usage in boilers could be reduced by 89 MW (corresponding to 200 MSEK/year if fuel gas is valued at 270 SEK/MWh and year-round operation is assumed). A rough estimate of the total investment costs for the implementation of category A measures is 660 MSEK.