This is a world first in the quest for decarbonized petrochemicals. In collaboration with the German Linde and the Saudi Sabic, BASF has started up an electric steam cracking demonstration unit.
Essential for transforming hydrocarbons into essential chemical intermediates and plastic precursors, steam crackers have a terrible carbon footprint. The cause: heating the loads to 850°C. For several years, some petrochemical companies have been working on their electrification. A few pilot units have been installed in Europe and the United States. Within its Ludwigshafen complex in Germany, the group has reached a milestone with this unique demonstration unit. It aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 90% with this process, with the supply of renewable electricity being a sine qua non condition.
Two electric furnaces were started up in the spring to compare two processes on an industrial scale. The first uses electricity directly, the second uses it via a radiant heat concept around the heating equipment. The project required three years of work and an investment of 69 million euros, including 14.8 million allocated by the German government. BASF has not set a timetable for a possible large-scale deployment once feasibility has been proven. “A period of two to three years is not unusual for a demonstration unit in the chemical industry,” says a spokesperson for the group. However, its partner Linde is preparing to launch this technology commercially at the end of the year.
You are reading an article from L’Usine Nouvelle 3731 – June 2024
Read the summary
Source: www.usinenouvelle.com
