CPCIA Draws Petrochemical Low-Carbon Economy Road Map     

In a bit to help China reach its carbon intensity reduction target, China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Association (CPCIA) is working on drafting an industry road map for low-carbon economy for the petrochemical sector.
   China aims to cut carbon dioxide emissions per unit GDP by 40% - 45% by 2020 from 2005's level. The road map prepared by CPCIA is expected to give new rules to encourage technological innovation and eliminating obsolete equipment.
    "We will encourage the development of those technologies that could help reduce pollution or carbon dioxide emissions and cut raw material and energy consumption," said an executive of CPCIA.
   The petrochemical industry is supported by resources and energy. Coal, petroleum and natural gas are the energy necessary for the petrochemical industry and also the raw material for its production.
   The association, in its earlier published guidance on the structural adjustment of the petroleum and chemical industry, has set goals for the industry its own in energy saving and pollutant reduction. By 2015, the petrochemical industry must achieve the energy saving and pollutant reduction goals required by the nation's 12th Five-Year Program. The comprehensive energy consumption should be reduced to 1 ton of standard of coal per unit (SCP) calcium carbide, to 7 tons of SCP for phosphorus, and 1.7 tons for synthetic ammonia. It also requires an 8% decline in COD emissions, a 15% drop in ammonia and nitrogen emissions and a 5% cut in sulfur dioxide emissions during manufacturing process from the end of 2010.
   "As the situation in the petrochemical industry is changing, the proposed road map may lift these earlier energy saving and pollutant reduction requirements. More outdated equipment could be phased out than what would have been under that existing guiding," the executive said.
   "We will mainly encourage the development of IGCC (Integrated Gasification Combined Circulation) polygeneration in power and chemical industries," he said. Such large-scale polygeneration systems integrate the upstream power generation and coking businesses with downstream chemical production. The waste heat and waste water produced through power generation, and the exhaust gas and coal tar, both byproduct of coking, could be recycled to be used as feedstock for chemical production. If every such segment could be linked in the petrochemical and coal-to-chemicals industries, it will better help pollutant reduction and higher economic benefits.
   According to a chief engineer at the Petroleum and Chemical Industry Planning Institute, the main research areas for carbon emission reduction are CO2 recycling and storage at present. But both carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) and IGCC in the country are just in the initial stage, which means costs will be very high.
   "Reasonably planning the petrochemical industry chain and production scale, and improving the added value of downstream products, it could be a realistic way to achieve carbon emission reductions." The engineer said.
   The power generation industry, if using the polygeneration systems, could reportedly have power generation efficiency increase about 10% and the cost down 30%. Polygeneration technology also enables chemical companies to lower production costs. For example, the cost for methanol production could be lowered by 40% compared with traditional methods.