Abstract
Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) technologies have the potential to convert associated flare gases into premium transport liquids, creating a market for the otherwise stranded resource. However, the capital cost of GTL plants has over the years hampered the choice of the project. The drive for GTL is improved by optimization of the plant such that its efficiency and profitability is increased. One such notable improvement in GTL plant configuration is the integration of power production unit in the GTL process plant such that GTL liquids production and electricity production can occur concurrently in the same plant. This method generally called GTL-power co-production will increase the overall efficiency and profitability of existing GTL plant process and present ways to economically optimize the heat loss through the by-product streams (steam and flue gas streams). The utilization of the by-product streams will account for reductions in thermal inefficiencies within the GTL plant process. In this work, additional unit is added to the 863.3 m3 /d GTL product plant configuration to utilize the by-product steam stream for electricity generation. This additional electricity unit generated 10 MW of electricity increasing the net present value (NPV) of the plant by 4.72% while the net cash recovery (NCR) increased by 3.87%. Furthermore the pay-out time reduced by 2%. The GTL-Electricity co-production has proven to be a means of optimizing GTL plant, having capability to yield more profits due to reduced capital and operational expenses than if the plants were operated separately.
Highlights
Through gas-to-liquids technology, small and/or medium sized gas reserves that were uneconomical or difficult to bring to the market because of their remoteness could be facilitated and several sulphur free premium products are produced for local and international markets
The result for the yield of the GTL plant yield and the electricity produced is given in table 7
In the economic analyses the following economic indicators shall be determined for the GTL plant and for the GTL and electricity coproduction: Net present value (NPV), Net cash recovery (NCR), pay-out-time (POT), internal rate of return (IRR), profit per dollar invested (P/$)
Summary
Through gas-to-liquids technology, small and/or medium sized gas reserves that were uneconomical or difficult to bring to the market because of their remoteness could be facilitated and several sulphur free premium products are produced for local and international markets. The GTL technology process mainly is with the intention of producing transport fuels. This method makes it possible to utilize and monetise gases waste waters. Thermal inefficiencies and high cost of GTL processes have discouraged investors from participating in stranded gas monetisation via GTL technologies [2]. GTL have been regarded as capital intensive venture whose profitability requires adequate plant scheduling and optimisation techniques aimed at integrating processes and units to enhance profitability through high performance and technically improved operations [2]. Thermal losses in steam stream and tail gas stream have resulted to high energy requirement for GTL operations which makes the overall plant capital intensive. The combined production of electricity with GTL liquids concurrently in a GTLpower plant ensures a means of improving the thermal efficiency of the GTL plant while providing
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