Distributed clean energy opportunities for US oil refinery operations

Journal Article · 02 November 2023 · Frontiers in Energy Research

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fenrg.2023.1244010 · OSTI ID:2229074

Krah, Kathleen  ^[1]; Ericson, Sean ^[1]; Li, Xiangkun ^[1]; Olawale, Opeoluwa Wonuola ^[2]; Castillo, Ricardo ^[1]; Newes, Emily  ^[3]; Engel-Cox, Jill  ^[3]

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1. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
2. Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)
3. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Joint institute for Strategic Energy Analysis, Golden, CO (United States)

The oil and gas industry is increasingly seeking operational improvements to reduce costs and emissions while improving resilience. This study describes techno-economic analysis of opportunities for distributed energy resources that could be integrated to support oil and gas companies’ economic, environmental, and energy resiliency goals. Specifically, the analysis evaluates solar photovoltaics, wind turbines, battery energy storage, landfill gas, biomass, municipal solid waste-to-energy, solar steam for process heat, combined heat and power, and electrolyzers for hydrogen production at two hypothetical refineries, one located in Louisiana and the other in southern California. These technologies could reduce the sites’ consumption of grid electricity and/or natural gas and thus can help reduce emissions. This study employs the ReOPT tool and System Advisor Model to evaluate the techno-economic potential for clean energy technologies to support refineries in achieving energy goals, including energy cost savings, resiliency, and emissions reductions. Results indicate that the associated costs of emissions reductions via several distributed clean energy technologies are competitive with other emissions reduction strategies such as energy efficiency, reducing flaring, direct carbon capture and sequestration, and markets under certain conditions. There are also cost beneficial opportunities for the use of renewable energy for refining, especially for resilience, depending on local conditions such as resources and utility costs.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC36-08GO28308
• OSTI ID: 2229074
• Report Number(s): NREL/JA--6A50-78429; {UUID:f3a22596-fcde-416e-ad0b-8ddfee0092d1,"Journal ID: ISSN 2296-598X",MainId:32346,MainAdminID:71191}
• Journal Information: Frontiers in Energy Research, Journal Name: Frontiers in Energy Research Vol. 11; ISSN 2296-598X
• Publisher: Frontiers Research FoundationCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English