Solutions pour l’industrie pétrochimique

Global production of oil has been increasing at a rate of 1 % per year, while gas production is growing at about 3 %. It is expected that energy consumption from natural gas will surpass that of oil within 10 years. Proven oil and gas reserves are estimated to meet demand for the next 55 years. Historically however, production has continued to track closely with demand, as new sources and technologies are developed. The ‘Peak Production’ concept has shown to be misleading.

Energy is a very important cost factor in the chemical industry in general and the petrochemical industry is even more energy intensive than other sub-sectors within the chemical industry. The petrochemical industry is responsible for 70 % of the chemical industry’s expenditures on fuels and 40 % of the expenditures on electricity. Because energy is such an important cost factor, energy efficiency is a very important opportunity for cost reductions.

While it has been estimated that a refinery has an overall efficiency of approximately 90 %, many of the processes such as distillation and reforming, require high temperatures that are very energy intensive. Small efficiency improvements in these processes can improve yields and provide immediate return on investment. It is estimated that 5-15 % energy savings is possible in the near future.