H2Tech - Q1 2022 - 44

INFRASTRUCTURE AND DISTRIBUTION
Utilities
Power
Treated NG
feedgas
Air
water
compression
CO2
1,757
tpd
NG
2 x SMR +
CCS units
4,278 tpd
CO2
556
tpd
H2
Power
Toluene
hydrogenation
Heat
reinjection
CO2
8,262
tpd
Tol
FIG. 15. MCH block flow diagram with material balance.
TABLE 12. MCH dehydrogenation
Value chain block
MCH dehydrogenation
H2 capacity required
Toluene capacity
Toluene loss
Toluene for shipping
MCH capacity
Number of units
Capital cost
O&M
Power consumption
Natural gas consumption
Total operating cost
Total cost
Capacity
194,449 metric tpy of H2
2,962,382 metric tpy toluene
70,533 metric tpy toluene
2,891,849 metric tpy toluene
3,156,766 metric tpy MCH
1
-
-
30.5 MWe
13,600 kWh/metric t of H2
-
-
No BOG management
is required,
and it is assumed the ships are fueled by
LNG to keep this option comparable to
the other vectors.
MCH dehydrogenation (TABLE 12) is
the final process to revert the MCH back
to toluene and release the H2
. Similarly,
to NH3 reconversion, MCH dehydrogenation
is a particularly challenging and
energy intensive process. MCH reconversion
is an endothermic reaction that
takes place at a temperature range of
400°C-500°C in the presence of catalyst.
The aforementioned company has
developed a novel dehydrogenation process
as part of the proprietary MCH hydrogenation
technologya
, providing the
dehydrogenation process with a reduced
operating temperature of 350°C using a
recently developed catalyst. The sche44
Q1 2022 | H2-Tech.com
Specific value,
$/metric t of H2
UK
-
-
-
3
-
-
-
TOL
97
117
96.7
162
376
473
matic in FIG. 17 indicates a process flow
diagram of the dehydrogenation process.
The MCH feed is initially vaporized in
the MCH vaporizer and superheated in a
heat exchanger before entering the fixedbed
reactor, like that of the hydrogenation
unit. The dehydrogenation of the MCH
to H2
gas and toluene is the reverse reaction
of the hydrogenation and, therefore,
is endothermic. In this study, the heat
required is supplied by natural gas as the
fuel. The reactor product gas is cooled in
heat exchangers and the H2
gas is separated
from the toluene in a condenser separator.
The H2
meet the H2
The total specific value for the whole
value chain is $1,956/metric t of H2
, split
between a CAPEX of $360/metric t of H2
and an OPEX of $1,596/metric t of H2
.
gas is eventually purified to
product specification.
[4]
FIG. 16. Toluene hydrogenation to MCH.a
Results and discussion. The total
specific values for each of the four vectors
plus the optimistic LH2
future case
are plotted in FIG. 18 and tabulated in
TABLE 13. It should be remembered these
values have been calculated on a comparative
basis rather than absolute values for
the full well-to-grid value chain.
The following should be considered
when comparing the different processes:
* Fluid condition for transportation
° LNG, -162°C at
atmospheric pressure
° LH2, -253°C at
atmospheric pressure
° NH3, -33°C at
atmospheric pressure
° MCH, ambient temperature
at atmospheric pressure
° CO2, -50°C at 7 barg
* Volumetric energy density of
different fuels.
For the four transport vectors and
at the
value chains, maintaining the LNG infrastructure
and producing H2
MCH
1
5
6
4
Notes
[4]
2
Cooling
medium
Hydrogen
7
Recycle hydrogen
Storage and
loading
8,262
tpd
Tol
Ship
transportation
8,262
tpd
Tol
Storage and
unloading
8,262
tpd
Tol
9,019
tpd
MCH
Make-up
toluene
Power
Storage and
loading
Power
9,019
tpd
MCH
Fuel
Ship
transportation
Fuel
9,019
tpd
MCH
Power
Storage and
unloading
Power
Power
9,019
tpd
MCH
MCH
dehydrogenation
loss
H2
Tol
loss
489 tpd
H2
Utilities
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