Optimal SO ₂ reduction strategies in an oil refinery based on Arabian light crude oil

SO ₂ is considered a major pollutant from combustion to generate energy, e.g., in an oil refinery. An optimization model to select the least cost control technology for different reduction targets was developed. The refinery was modeled based on Arabian light crude oil as the feedstock to the distillation column. Options to reduce SO ₂ were considered in the model, i.e., fuel balancing, fuel switching, and flue gas desulfurization technology. For low reduction target of SO ₂, e.g., 30%, balancing or fuel switching was the option. On the other hand, higher reduction target required installation of more efficient technologies, e.g., flue gas desulfurization. Profit decreases by ≈ 26% if all SO ₂ emissions are controlled using the technology. This is an abstract of a paper submitted at the 21st Annual Saudi-Japan Symposium on Catalysts in Petroleum Refining and Petrochemicals (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia 11/27-28/2011).