Energy Savings for Steam Cracking Furnaces By Gas Turbine Integration

Ethylene plants can benefit in numerous ways by integrating gas turbines (GT) with cracking furnaces. This synergy improves the power efficiency of the GT due to the furnace acting as a heat recovery unit for the exhaust gas and at the same time, the fuel demand of the furnace is substantially reduced as it is supplied with a large amount of heat and oxygen. These advantages extend to the whole plant. The plant can reduce or fully eliminate its dependence on electricity from the grid. This can be a major factor if imported power is expensive and/or unreliable. Additionally, depending on the source of imported electricity, gas turbine integration can be a way of lowering the cracker’s CO₂ footprint and GHG emissions.

Technip Energies recently executed an EPC cracking furnace - gas turbine integration project in Asia. This paper discusses the advantages resulting from this project, including savings in energy, reduced emissions and the impact on NOx. It also provides a good insight into how the integration influences cracking furnace design and operation.