Sustainable Optimization of Natural Gas Sweetening Using A Process Simulation Approach and Sustainability Evaluator

Abstract

Abstract Natural gas need to undergo processes in order to reach its highest purity. The objective of this paper is to determine which type of amines that can give a high removal percentage of H2S and CO2 from the gas stream and to evaluate the plant by using sustainability evaluator. Impurities such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) can be found inside natural gas and removal of these impurities are crucial as it can cause corrosion hence affecting the market value of natural gas. Mixtures of different amines are widely used for the removal of H2S and CO2 in gas sweetening process. In this study, three different types of amines which are Monoethanolamine (MEA), Diethanolamine (DEA) and Methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) are added to Aspen HYSYS® simulation in order to determine the efficiency of these three amines. This provides a fluid package where it is related with the process which is Acid Gas package. Data from the simulation were extracted and fed into sustainability evaluator which includes the economic, environmental and social analysis. Based on the simulation, it is proved that MEA is the most effective amine in removing CO2 and H2S from the natural gas stream. The most sustainable plant is among the three amines is MDEA. In a nutshell, sustainability evaluator can be one of the best evaluator to check the sustainability of the plant.