Small Scale Ethylene Oxide Plant

[GRB Chem]

Hi All,

This might be a bit of a crazy idea. We have availability of 1500-2000tons/year of cheap ethylene. There's a very remote plant producing PE, but their ethylene production capacity exceeds the polymerization reactor, so they are mostly flaring it. Does anyone know if it's possible to make a small ethylene oxide plant? The region consumes MEA and Ethanolamine in decent quantities, and it would be easy to place these on the market. But the issue might be in making these in such a small amount. Does anyone know if this is possible, and can recommend a reputable chemical design studio that would want to look at this scale project?
Thanks for your help and open mind

 

[georgeverghese]

Is it not possible to turndown the cracker plant to produce a lower rate of C2= ? What are reasons for limited turndown ? Is it cheaper to build a new EtO plant or to enable better turndown at ethylene (cracker?) plant to match polymerization demand? On the other hand, how about liquifying this excess C2= and transporting it to some facility that used C2= as feedstock ?

 

[shvet]

1/ When you write "cheap" do you consider the price of fuel substituted?
2/ You have said nothing about isthe C2= chemical pure or it is just an impurity in a vent gas and you have to waste an incredible amount of money to produce C2= able to be processed.
3/ Calculate the total production cost and storage cost. Also consider taxes, insurance, fees, working capital and so on. There is a high chance that bottom of the line might be surprisingly high.

Scale factor in capital management is crucial. Taken into account inputs you provided the idea seems a gamble.

 

[GRB Chem]

Hello,

Thanks for your feedback. The ethylene is of high purity, 99.9% or whatever is used in the polymerization reaction. But I think it would be necessary to reframe the question. Is it possible to have a small scale EO plant? We require need MEA for our production, and have a viable Ethylene supply, that's why producing EO and MEA is considered. The location is remote, so the costs of MEA transport is quite high. It would be much better to have security of supply with own production.

 

[shvet]

You believe that it will be economical to invest into a microscale production asset to substitute procurement of a minor reagent than recycle this stream back to process and produce a core product, correct?
Have you compared investment cost and labor&indirect costs for options associated?

Replying to your question - yes, such pilot (bench?) scale facility is technically possible, but indirect costs are going to be tremendous. The idea still seems a gamble. Independence from external supplies is expensive and not economical feasible in 99.9% cases.

 

[GRB Chem]

Hi shvet,

Yes probably you're right, but it's still worth to perform the study. Currently looking at what licensor would be most suitable to approach for a pilot scale plant cost estimate. We don't have any real estimate to the potential cost of such a facility, so difficult to evaluate the feasibility.

 

[shvet]

Here we are engineers, not politicians, journalists or like, correct? Engineers do engineering (cost, technical, value, environmental one or whatever), not a bla-bla or like, correct? So study is always worth to be performed intended to reveal and compare options available for decision making.
Licensing is not required as these processes are generic and are able to provided by an experienced engineering company. Pilot units of custom design and those manufacturing are provided by a lot companies, you may ask here to find one located in your region. I would say that certification and process supplementary features are most critical for your case.

 

[GRB Chem]

Yes absolutely, the study is necessary to get the numbers, and that will be the basis of the decision. But the decision can only be as good as the quality of the data provided. That's why it would be useful to get an estimate from a competent company. I was under the impression that EO plants are provided under license from Shell, DOW, SD. But if you know any reliable company that might execute this work, and have their own design, please do recommend? It doesn't mater where the design company is from (as long as competitive), as the local engineering will be done by local companies, and equipment sourcing can be done worldwide.

 

[georgeverghese]

Have you contacted any of these process licensors for EtO : Shell, Dow, Scientific Design

 

[GRB Chem]

We've decided to confirm exactly how much ethylene is available, before starting talks with licensors.