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Petroleum industry - SRU

PETROLEUM INDUSTRY:
SULPHUR RECOVERY UNIT

SYNOPSIS SHEET

PREPARED IN THE FRAMEWORK OF EGTEI

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1 ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION AND EGTEI CONTRIBUTION – SUMMARY...............3

2 REPRESENTATION OF THE SECTOR IN RAINS...................................................3
3 STATUS OF EGTEI......................................................................................................3
4 METHODOLOGY DEVELOPED WITHIN EGTEI TO REPRESENT THE
SECTOR...............................................................................................................................4
4.1 DEFINITION OF REFERENCE INSTALLATIONS .................................................................................4
4.2 DEFINITION OF EMISSION ABATEMENT TECHNIQUES AND PROPOSED TECHNO-ECONOMIC DATA ..........4
4.2.1 Dust abatement techniques............................................................................................4
4.2.2 NOx abatement techniques ............................................................................................4
4.2.3 SO2 abatement techniques.............................................................................................4
5 COUNTRY SPECIFIC DATA TO BE COLLECTED .................................................5
6 APPLICATION RATE AND APPLICABILITY OF EACH ABATEMENT
TECHNIQUE ........................................................................................................................5
6.1 SO2 ABATEMENT MEASURES ......................................................................................................6
7 RELEVANCE OF EGTEI INFORMATION FOR INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT
MODELLING (IAM) .............................................................................................................6
8 PERSPECTIVE FOR THE FUTURE...........................................................................6
9 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...........................................................................................................6
ANNEXE: EXAMPLE OF DATA COLLECTION AND USE OF EGTEI DATA – CASE
OF FRANCE ........................................................................................................................7
A. COUNTRY SPECIFIC DATA COLLECTION AND SCENARIOS DEVELOPED...7

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1 Activity description and EGTEI contribution – summary

This sector covers emissions from sulphur recovery plants (Claus plants) in refineries. Sulphur
recovery refers to the conversion of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) to elemental sulphur. Hydrogen
sulphide is a byproduct of processing natural gas and refining high-sulphur crude oils.
Sulphur recovery refers to the conversion of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) to elemental sulphur. Hydrogen
sulphide is a byproduct of processing natural gas and refining high-sulphur crude oils.
In the widely used multistage Claus sulphur recovery process, a portion of the H2S in the feed gas is
oxidized to SO2 and water in a reaction furnace with air or enriched oxygen. After quenching the hot
gases to generate steam, the cooled gases are passed through a sulphur condenser to recover liquid
sulphur and the gases are reheated. The remaining non-combusted fraction of the feed gas H2S
reacts with SO2 in catalytic converters to form elementar sulphur, water and heat. The number of
catalytic stages depends on the level of conversion desired. [1]
Table 1.1: Efficiencies of the Claus process [1]
Number of Claus reactors Efficiency (%H2S converted)
1 90
2 94-96
3 97-98

This sector was not considered as an individual sector in the previous NOx and SO2 version of RAINS
[3, 4], and EGTEI has been able to develop an approach for representing this sector and to
estimate costs of reduction techniques. The methodology for this sector was developed in
close cooperation with CONCAWE and with experts from TOTAL, SHELL and ADEME.
The representative unit used is the ton of sulphur produced. One reference installation (RI) has been
defined. EGTEI defines different SO2 abatement measures. The most common process is the Claus
unit, which enables a recovery rate of sulphur amounting to 95-97%. To bring sulphur recovery yield
to 99% or more, a Claus Tail Gas Treating Process can be added to a Claus unit. Indeed gases
through Claus plants still contain substantially sulphur compounds
EGTEI provides default emission factors (EF) with abatement efficiencies, investments and variable
and fixed operating costs (OC) as well as unit costs (€/t pollutant abated and €/activity unit) for the
different abatement measures.
National experts only need to collect 3 country specific parameters (wages, electricity, catalyst cost)
and 4 country and sector specific parameters (activity level, SO2 emissions and the application rate
of two DeSOx application rates). EGTEI provides default costs for country and specific parameters
which can be used if no better data exist. Knowing the sector specific parameters then allows to
properly describe the sector and to calculate the application rate of each abatement technique.
Recently, this specific sector doesn’t properly exist in the RAINS modules. In the future however, new
technological developments should be considered by EGTEI to continuously update the background
document and hence the representation of the sector.

2 Representation of the sector in RAINS1

In the RAINS model of the year 2003, which has been used for elaborating the background document,
the sector of Sulphur Recovery Unit was part of the RAINS sector “PR_REF” (Other industrial
Processes – Petroleum Refining) [2, 3, 4].

3 Status of EGTEI

EGTEI has developed an approach for representing the Sulphur Recovery Unit sector and estimating
costs of reduction techniques. The methodology used for this sector was developed in close
cooperation with CONCAWE and with experts from TOTAL, SHELL and ADEME.

1
The latest modified versions of the RAINS modules have not been considered. Here we refer to the
RAINS model of the year 2003

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4 Methodology developed within EGTEI to represent the sector

4.1 Definition of reference installations

Table 4.1: Reference Installation

Plant size range
Reference Code Technique
[t /a]
Standard Claus Unit (one thermal and two
01 33,333
catalytic steps)

4.2 Definition of emission abatement techniques and proposed techno-

economic data

4.2.1 Dust abatement techniques

No dust abatement techniques are implemented in a Sulphur Recovery Unit.

4.2.2 NOx abatement techniques

No NOx abatement techniques are implemented in a Sulphur Recovery Unit.

4.2.3 SO2 abatement techniques

The most common process is the Claus unit, which enables a recovery rate of sulphur amounting to
95-97%. To bring sulphur recovery yield to 99% or more, a Claus Tail Gas Treating Process can be
added to a Claus unit. Indeed gases through Claus plants still contain substantially sulphur
compounds. There are different types of tail gas treatment units :
ü SULFREEN
This process is based on the Claus reaction. Here the sulphur produced is adsorbed on an active
alumina based catalyst.
ü CLAUSPOL
This process is based on the Claus reaction. The reaction takes place in a column with packed
beds, with the gas entering from the bottom of the column while a solvent with catalyst is distributed
in the top of the column.
ü SCOT process
The Claus tail gas is selectively hydrogenated to H2S, which is separated from the gas stream in
an amine absorber.
ü SUPERCLAUS
The tail gas is led through a reactor with a selective oxidation catalyst, which converts H2S with
excess oxygen to sulphur. [1]
ü Others techniques
Some other techniques exist also.

All these techniques will be considered defining three abatement technique categories, each one
having a specific category as described in the following table 4.2.3.1.

Table 4.2.3.1: SO2 abatement measures

Abatement Techniques Abatement Emission factor
technique efficiency (kg/t sulphur)
[%]
Uncontrolled 96 80
Category 1 SuperClaus,.. 99 20
Category 2 Clauspol, 99.5 10
Sulfreen,..
Category 3 SCOT,.. 99.9 2

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Table 4.2.3.2: Investments and Operating costs for SO2 abatement measures
Cost per
Fixed Total Cost per
Variable tonne of
Investment Operating Operating tonne of
Description Operating Sulphur
(k€) costs costs SO2 abated
costs (€/t) produced
(%/a) (€/t) (€/t) (1)
(€/t) (1)
Uncontrolled - - - - - -
Category 1 2,000 4 3.86 9.80 228 14
Category 2 5,000 4 2.83 24.5 390 27
Category 3 10,000 4 5.11 49 690 54
(1)
: Case of France

5 Country specific data to be collected

Different types of country specific data have to be collected to give a clear picture of the situation in
each Party. EGTEI proposes default values for the economic parameters which can be modified by
the national expert if better data are available.
For this sector, country specific economic parameters are used to calculate variable operating costs.
They are presented in table 5.1 as default costs proposed by EGTEI (these costs are entered only
once in the ECODAT database tool).

Table 5.1: Country specific costs

Default costs provided
Parameters Country specific costs
by EGTEI
Electricity [€/kWh] 0.0569 To be provided by national experts
Wages [€/h] 37,234 To be provided by national experts
Catalyst cost [k€/m³] 15 To be provided by national experts

Default data have been used to calculate variable and annual abatement costs presented in table
4.2.3.2.
Information concerning activity levels from 2000 to 2020 as well as the description of the control
strategy is also necessary (these data can be directly entered in the database ECODAT). A full
specification of the work to be done by national experts is provided in the general EGTEI
methodology.

Table 5.2: Activity levels for Reference Installations (t sulphur produced / year)
RIC 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020
01

National experts can also modify - in a range of ± 10% - the default unabated emission factor
proposed by EGTEI to represent the reference situation of the sector for all Parties.

Table 5.3: Unabated emission factor [kg/ t Sulphur produced]

Pollutants Default data mean User input mean
To be provided by national
EF SO2 80
expert

6 Application rate and applicability of each abatement technique

The national experts are kindly asked to provide for each abatement technique its application rate and
its applicability in 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020. If a national expert has this information at hand, he
can fill in the different tables described in paragraphs 6.1, 6,2 and 6.3.
If not, a methodology is described in the background document [5]

Table 6: Input parameters needed to calculate application rates

PARAMETER 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020

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Na: Activity level (t of sulphur produced per

year)
ESOx Emission of SO2 [t]
Application rate for one technical option
[%]
Application rate for another technical
option [%]

6.1 SO2 abatement measures

Table 6.1: Application rate and applicability for SO2 abatement measures
Application Application Applica Application Applica Application Applica Application Applica
Description rate in 2000 rate in 2005 bility rate in 2010 bility rate in 2015 bility rate in 2020 bility
[%] [%] [%] [%] [%] [%] [%] [%] [%]
None
Category 1
Category 2
Category 3

7 Relevance of EGTEI information for Integrated Assessment Modelling

(IAM)
In the RAINS model of the year 2003, which has been used for elaborating the background document,
the sector of SRU Unit was part of the RAINS sector “PR_REF” (Other industrial Processes –
Petroleum Refining) [2, 3, 4]. Thus, emission factors, abatement techniques and costs considered
were not specific to this sector and it was very difficult to define a reduction scenario.
EGTEI now provides an approach to specifically consider the sector. The approach has been
developed in close cooperation with industry.

8 Perspective for the future

In the future, new production technologies which could gain relevant market shares should be
considered by EGTEI in the background document to continuously develop the representation of the
sector.

9 Bibliography
[1] Reference document on best available techniques for mineral oil and gas refineries, IPPC,
Sevilla, 2001.
[2] Nitrogen oxides emissions, abatement technologies and related cost for Europe in the RAINS
model database, IIASA, 1998. http://www.iiasa.ac.at/~rains/reports/noxpap.pdf
[3] Sulfur emissions, abatement technologies and related cost for Europe in the RAINS model
database, IIASA, 1998. http://www.iiasa.ac.at/~rains/reports/so2-1.pdf
[4] Modelling Particulate Emissions in Europe, A framework to Estimate Reduction Potential and
Control Costs, IIASA, 2002. http://www.iiasa.ac.at/rains/reports/ir-02-076.pdf
[5] Draft Background document on the sector of the petroleum industry prepared in the framework
of EGTEI

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ANNEXE: Example of data collection and use of EGTEI data – Case of France
A. Country specific data collection and scenarios developed
For the moment, no French data has been collected for this sector.

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