LAPSE:2023.5140
Published Article
LAPSE:2023.5140
Gas to Liquids Techno-Economics of Associated Natural Gas, Bio Gas, and Landfill Gas
Federico Galli, Jun-Jie Lai, Jacopo De Tommaso, Gianluca Pauletto, Gregory S. Patience
February 23, 2023
Methane is the second highest contributor to the greenhouse effect. Its global warming potential is 37 times that of CO2. Flaring-associated natural gas from remote oil reservoirs is currently the only economical alternative. Gas-to-liquid (GtL) technologies first convert natural gas into syngas, then it into liquids such as methanol, Fischer−Tropsch fuels or dimethyl ether. However, studies on the influence of feedstock composition are sparse, which also poses technical design challenges. Here, we examine the techno-economic analysis of a micro-refinery unit (MRU) that partially oxidizes methane-rich feedstocks and polymerizes the syngas formed via Fischer−Tropsch reaction. We consider three methane-containing waste gases: natural gas, biogas, and landfill gas. The FT fuel selling price is critical for the economy of the unit. A Monte Carlo simulation assesses the influence of the composition on the final product quantity as well as on the capital and operative expenses. The Aspen Plus simulation and Python calculate the net present value and payback time of the MRU for different price scenarios. The CO2 content in biogas and landfill gas limit the CO/H2 ratio to 1.3 and 0.9, respectively, which increases the olefins content of the final product. Compressors are the main source of capital cost while the labor cost represents 20−25% of the variable cost. An analysis of the impact of the plant dimension demonstrated that the higher number represents a favorable business model for this unit. A minimal production of 7,300,000 kg y−1 is required for MRU to have a positive net present value after 10 years when natural gas is the feedstock.
Keywords
ASPEN–Python, Fischer–Tropsch, GtL, Monte Carlo simulation, Technoeconomic Analysis
Suggested Citation
Galli F, Lai JJ, De Tommaso J, Pauletto G, Patience GS. Gas to Liquids Techno-Economics of Associated Natural Gas, Bio Gas, and Landfill Gas. (2023). LAPSE:2023.5140
Author Affiliations
Galli F: Polytechnique Montreal, Department Chemical Engineering, CP 6079, Succ CV, Montreal, QC H3C 3A7, Canada [ORCID]
Lai JJ: Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Rd, Da’an District, Taipei City 106319, Taiwan
De Tommaso J: Polytechnique Montreal, Department Chemical Engineering, CP 6079, Succ CV, Montreal, QC H3C 3A7, Canada
Pauletto G: SYPOX, Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, 85747 Garching, Germany
Patience GS: Polytechnique Montreal, Department Chemical Engineering, CP 6079, Succ CV, Montreal, QC H3C 3A7, Canada [ORCID]
Journal Name
Processes
Volume
9
Issue
9
First Page
1568
Year
2021
Publication Date
2021-09-01
Published Version
ISSN
2227-9717
Version Comments
Original Submission
Other Meta
PII: pr9091568, Publication Type: Journal Article
Record Map
Published Article

LAPSE:2023.5140
This Record
External Link

doi:10.3390/pr9091568
Publisher Version
Download
Files
[Download 1v1.pdf] (1.6 MB)
Feb 23, 2023
Main Article
License
CC BY 4.0
Meta
Record Statistics
Record Views
70
Version History
[v1] (Original Submission)
Feb 23, 2023
 
Verified by curator on
Feb 23, 2023
This Version Number
v1
Citations
Most Recent
This Version
URL Here
https://psecommunity.org/LAPSE:2023.5140
 
Original Submitter
Auto Uploader for LAPSE
Links to Related Works
Directly Related to This Work
Publisher Version