Integrated enterprise input-output and carbon emission pinch analysis for carbon intensity reduction in edible oil refinery

Abstract

It is important to properly account for the emissions contribution of process units in order to develop cost-effective industrial decarbonization strategies. However, there is limited literature on this topic in the edible oil refining sector. This work addresses this research gap by developing a novel systematic technique for assessing decarbonization options in the palm oil refining process. This technique combines enterprise input-output analysis (EIOA) with graphical carbon emission pinch analysis (CEPA) into a unified approach to examining cost-effective decarbonization measures. Results show that the average carbon intensity of the system was 0.0432 kg CO2/$ while the total carbon footprint was 2339.97 kg CO2. Palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) has the highest carbon intensity contribution (0.0392 kg CO2/$) among the multiple products. Four scenarios to achieve a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions based on heat integration and process changes were examined. Economic evaluation was also conducted for each proposed strategy.