EARLY ENTRANCE COPRODUCTION PLANT

Abstract

The overall objective of this project is the three phase development of an Early Entrance Coproduction Plant (EECP) which uses petroleum coke to produce at least one product from at least two of the following three categories: (1) electric power (or heat), (2) fuels, and (3) chemicals using ChevronTexaco's proprietary gasification technology. The objective of Phase I is to determine the feasibility and define the concept for the EECP located at a specific site; develop a Research, Development, and Testing (RD&T) Plan to mitigate technical risks and barriers; and prepare a Preliminary Project Financing Plan. The objective of Phase II is to implement the work as outlined in the Phase I RD&T Plan to enhance the development and commercial acceptance of coproduction technology. The objective of Phase III is to develop an engineering design package and a financing and testing plan for an EECP located at a specific site. The project's intended result is to provide the necessary technical, economic, and environmental information needed by industry to move the EECP forward to detailed design, construction, and operation. The partners in this project are Texaco Energy Systems LLC (TES), a subsidiary of ChevronTexaco, General Electric (GE), Praxair, and Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR) in addition to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). TES is providing gasification technology and Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) technology developed by Rentech, Inc. GE is providing combustion turbine technology, Praxair is providing air separation technology, and KBR is providing engineering. Each of the EECP subsystems were assessed for technical risks and barriers. A plan was identified to mitigate the identified risks (Phase II RD&T Plan, October 2000). The RD&T Plan identified catalyst/wax separation as a potential technical and economic risk. To mitigate risks to the proposed EECP, Phase II RD&T included tests of an alternative (to Rentech's Dynamic Settler) primary catalyst/wax separation device and secondary catalyst/wax separation systems. The team evaluated multiple technologies for both primary and secondary catalyst/wax separation. Based on successful testing at Rentech (outside of DOE funding) and difficulties in finalizing a contract to demonstrate alternative primary catalyst/wax separation technology (using magnetic separation technology), ChevronTexaco has selected the Rentech Dynamic Settler for primary catalyst/wax separation. Testing has shown the Dynamic Settler is capable of producing filtrate exceeding the proposed EECP primary catalyst/wax separation goal of less than 0.1 wt%. The LCI Scepter{reg_sign} Microfiltration system appeared to be best suited for producing a filtrate that met the EECP secondary catalyst/wax separation standards of 10 parts per million (weight) [ppmw]. The other technologies, magnetic separation and electrostatic separation, were promising and able to reduce the solids concentrations in the filtrate. Additional RD&T will be needed for magnetic separation and electrostatic separation technologies to obtain 10 ppmw filtrate required for the proposed EECP. The Phase II testing reduces the technical and economic risks and provides the information necessary to proceed with the development of an engineering design for the EECP Fischer-Tropsch catalyst/wax separation system.