(84ao) A Novel Approach to Develop Industrial Facility’s Life-Time Energy Efficient Design Zeeshan Farooq & Abdulrahman Hazazi, Energy System Division, P&csd Saudi Aramco, Dhahran

Industrial facilities are rapidly changing over the years, technical progressions and stratagems have led to break-through its performance. The revolution is brought from new inventions, development of urbane processes/technologies, automation, digitalization, the list is unremittingly growing. Numerous technological advances hard-pressed industries to realize it on the life-cycle basis and reconnoiter sustainability concepts within the scope. On the other hand, the mission to diminish Green House Gas (GHG) emissions to shield environment is required than ever before. Subsequently, the revolution and evolution of products, processes, technologies, and resources, and sustainability obligation to mitigate climatic anomaly congregates on the industrial sector and ordained it to cater an approach to optimize all efforts. The challenge is to develop a methodology by accommodating all the technological advances and sustainability requirements and transform facilities into a better performing asset with reduced emissions. The solution is to make industrial facilities energy efficient which enable them to be competitive and environmentally friendly.

Industrial sector is accountable for approximately one-third of world-wide energy usage that relies on fossil fuels as the primary source of energy. A significant percentage of energy consumed is disbursed to supply utilities for oil & gas facilities so that energy could be engendered for other sectors. The adverse impact of fossil-fuel combustion has instigated efforts to minimize carbon emissions, whilst environmental regulations have a substantial effect on the energy’s production cost. Furthermore, it is a competitive world with ever-increasing energy prices, industrial communities are convened to brainstorm over conservation of energy resources and profitability. Energy efficiency should be a foundational strategy to support plans to meet the climate policy goals as well as for being lucrative. Energy efficiency with its integral role in energy intensive industrial processes is critically essential to achieve desired energy-saving potential and reduction in Carbon Dioxide (CO₂₎ emissions.

Pinch technology imparts a systematic technique for saving energy in processes and on entire sites. This technique helps optimize thermal heat recovery, and immediately became popular as a theoretically elegant yet feasible approach to design Heat Exchanger Networks (HENs). The paper illustrates, through case studies, the ‘plant lifetime retrofit-ability concept in industrial plants. It demonstrates the impact of energy demand reduction by identifying design improvements which complement future enhancements, which was coined as “retrofit with retrofit in mind approach”. The case study objective is to develop the most energy efficient process design via arranging each future modification in phases for implementation to remain energy efficient throughout its lifecycle without topology change and utilizing minimum capital investments. Each energy saving’ modification is implemented in a way that it compliments future identified modifications. Finally, a methodology is proposed to develop inherently sustainable energy efficient design in order to cater the benefits throughout the industrial facility life-cycle.