An assessment of Energy Sources Economics And Environmental Impacts

Abstract

In the present work energy and utility patterns for one of the Egyptian gas processing plants (Amerya Liquefied Petroleum Gas Recovery Plant) have been studied and evaluated with respect to the international norms. Preinvestigations of the considered plant have indicated that considerable savings •md a more reliable operation can be achieved by the installation of on site combined heat and power station. The study main objectives are; introducing a more

I reliable and efficient source of electricity, optimizing the cost of energy, and an assessment of the environmental and economic aspects of the different suggested new sources of power compared with the existing source. The study provides a step by step approach for evaluating •• ( technically, economically, and environmentally ) the energy optimizing project. After I giving a brief description of Amerya LPG Plant and a general guideline scope of work a series of steps was followed to systematically analyze thermal and electrical load data in addition to

the plant supply and demand figures.

The first step was to develop the process material balance. This balance is a schematic and numerical accounting of the supply and distribution of different in and out gas streams to know the annual percentage loss of the handled materials. The material balance included combustion process of the plant direct-fired heaters to get acquainted by these heaters direct emissions and the needed fuel gas quantities. Then heat and electricity balances have been carried out for different energy patterns of the plant utilities. Then evaluating the coincidence of the existing thermal and electrical loads as a function of monthly average values. This was done by computing average values of fuel and electric energy consumption for each month based on plant log books and the theoretical estimations through plant energy •demand to assure the reliability of the used data. The graphing and results of monthly load profiles have shown that the electric and thermal load proftles are relatively flat.

The second step was to study and select the optimum system that could satisfY the plant energy requirement and achieve the highest possible reliability. A ten stage approach has been presented for the implementation of Combined Heat and Power CHP project. The factors affecting the viability of small-scale cogeneration systems have been studied for Amerya case.