BP Chemicals to produce green ethylene from biomass ethanol dehydration

25-Jul-13

Several companies have been researching ways to reduce the chemical industry’s dependence on fossil raw materials. The main goal is to find renewable-based or “green” chemicals products equivalents. A patent recently issued by BP Chemicals (Application US 2009/0082605) discloses a process to produce green ethylene from biomass ethanol dehydration. The patent proposes a process in which ethanol is dehydrated in a fixed bed reactor under mild conditions. According to BP Chemicals, milder reaction conditions lead to improved ethylene selectivity and yield, since moderate reaction temperatures reduce the formation of undesirable by-products, such as alkanes. Therefore, the use of some expensive cryogenic separation equipment could be limited, reducing associated capital requirements and operating costs. In its most recent publication, Intratec Solutions LLC evaluates the technical aspects and economic performance of this process based on capital and operating expenses estimates for a 190 kta plant utilizing the process patented by BP. The study, “Green Ethylene from Ethanol,” notes that the construction of such a plant demands investments of about US$ 230 million. In one of the process scenarios evaluated by Intratec, it was confirmed that the formation of by-products would require additional purification equipment, increasing the necessary investment by approximately US$ 20 million. A sensitivity analysis also evaluated the impact of the reaction conversion on both capital and operating costs (CAPEX and OPEX). In addition, an analysis of the plant operating costs showed that, at the current process development stage and under the pricing conditions of Q3 2012, green ethylene does not compete with petrochemical ethylene on pricing; however, there are niche consumer markets eager for the benefits of an environmentally friendly product and willing to pay more for them.