Abstract
The production of synthetic motor fuels (SMF), which are an alternative to fuels of petroleum origin, is considered as an instrument for increasing the energy security of the State. The article is aimed at assessing the technical and economic indicators of organizing the production of SMF based on domestic coal and determining the conditions under which the relevant project will have investment attractiveness. As the main factors that ensure the efficiency of SMF production, the ratio of the amount of hydrogen and carbon monoxide in synthesis gas and the ratio of hard coal and crude oil prices (which determines the price of SMF) are considered. The uppermost efficiency of SMF production is achieved provided that the number of hydrogen molecules in the synthesis gas is at least 2 times higher than the number of carbon monoxide molecules. This is due to the composition of such fuel: a mixture of hydrocarbons with the generalized formula СnH2n and CnH2n+2, in the molecules of which the number of hydrogen atoms exceeds the number of carbon atoms by 2 times exactly. Gasification of hard coal does not allow obtaining synthesis gas of optimal composition, and therefore additional enrichment with hydrogen has been proposed. The proposed technical solution makes it possible to reduce the cost of coal for the production of SMF from 4.9 to 2.2 t/t. The performed calculations show that the profitability of operating activities is ensured with wide ranges of fluctuations in the price of coal ($100-200/t) and the price of crude oil (in the range of $70-140/barrel). However, when using credit resources for the implementation of the project, the discounted payback period can be provided in narrower ranges of price fluctuations for raw materials and finished products. Based on the calculations performed, a «line of indifference» is built, with the coordinates of the points corresponding to the level of coal and oil prices, according to which the discounted payback period will be 6.75 years after the enterprise is brought to the maximum use of production capacity.
Published Version
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