Assessment of energy efficiency measures in the petrochemical industry in Thailand

Abstract

Petrochemical industry is one of the most important industries that contribute to Thailand's economic growth. Its energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission were approximately 170,000 TJ and 8300 ktCO2e/year in 2010. This research assessed 35 energy conservation measures implemented in the Thailand's petrochemical industry, categorized into the six following categories: 1) steam saving and steam loss reduction, 2) steam optimization, 3) cogeneration, 4) power saving by efficient chillers, 5) energy efficiency, and 6) waste energy recovery. The analyses were performed in energy, environmental, and economic perspectives using five indicators: 1) reduction in energy intensity, 2) reduction in carbon intensity, 3) energy consumption reduction on investment,4) greenhouse gas emission reduction on investment, and 5) abatement cost. The results show that, from energy and environmental perspectives, the cogeneration is the most capable of reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission which accounted for 82% of the total reduction, followed by the waste energy recovery and energy efficiency categories. From economic point of view, the most cost effective measure category was steam saving and steam loss reduction, followed by waste energy recovery and energy efficiency categories. The cogeneration category is found to have the low cost effectiveness due to its high investment required. The abatement costs of the energy conservation measures was calculated to assess the economic feasibility. Almost all measures were economically feasible, except for some measures under the energy efficiency category. To encourage non-cost-effective measures, carbon credits should be promoted to cover the implementation cost of the measure. The results in this research will be useful for industrial sector, petrochemical companies, and other interested parties for transformation towards industrial sustainability.