Assessment of Technical and Economic Viability in the Transformation of Refinery Vacuum Residue Waste into Cleaner Fuels

Methanol and hydrogen, as cleaner fuel options, hold significant potential for decarbonizing the petrochemical industry (Hamid et al., 2020). This study aims to establish a process integration framework for the simultaneous production of methanol and hydrogen from vacuum residue while minimizing sulfur and carbon emissions (Gudiyella et al., 2018). This investigation involves the development of two distinct process models. In the first case, vacuum residue is subjected to gasification using oxygen and steam, with the resulting syngas being processed to yield both methanol and hydrogen. The second case follows a similar process model to the first but places a stronger emphasis on methanol production from vacuum residue. Both models are subjected to a comprehensive techno-economic comparison, considering various factors such as methanol and hydrogen production rates, specific energy requirements, carbon conversion, CO₂ emissions, overall process efficiencies, and project feasibility. The comparative analysis reveals that the second case, focused on methanol production, offers several advantages. It reduces the specific energy requirements by 86.01% compared to the first case. Additionally, CO₂ emissions are reduced by 69.76% in the second case compared to the first. Overall, the second case demonstrates superior project feasibility, showcasing enhanced process performance and reduced production costs in comparison to the first case.