Plant layout and health and safety analysis of thermochemical conversion for rice straw-based second-generation bioethanol production in West Java

Abstract

Rice straw is one of the abundant lignocellulosic waste materials that potentially produce 205 billion liters bioethanol per year in Indonesia. This study examines the health, safety, and environmental aspects of a Bioethanol Production Plant. The main processes involved in the plant are pretreatment, gasification, water-gas shift reaction, carbon dioxide removal, alcohol synthesis, and purification. The plant will be located in Indramayu, West Java, Indonesia, with a total area of 3 hectares. The plant layout covers inside and outside the battery limit area, including but not limited to waste treatment area, office, QC Lab, and other supporting facilities. The HSE Assessment includes Hazard Identification, Hazard and Operability Study, Operational Details, Emergency Action Plant, and Waste Management. The paper discusses the 3D plant layout concerning HSE aspects. The most dangerous material in this plant is ethanol due to flammable risk. Hence, the most dangerous area is around the reactor to explosion risk. There are several types of equipment that need more attention due to its severe hazard effects, such as crusher, gasification reactor, char combustor, condenser, reboiler, distillation column, reflux drum, storage ethanol, also laboratory area. The plant layout is divided into several areas: production area, utility area, waste treatment area, and supporting area. The stable, liquid, and gas wastes will be treated in a waste treatment area. Measurements for reducing noise level includes performing regular maintenance and replacing parts causing the noise.