Analysis of a Solar‐Assisted Crude Oil Refinery System with Onsite Green Hydrogen Generation: A Case Study

Abstract

With the growing urge to decarbonize the energy sector, actions toward reducing emissions of the oil and gas sector can contribute to bringing large cuts to carbon emissions. One of the routes to achieve this goal is sustainable hybrid energy systems involving renewable energy sources integrated with conventional energy systems. Employing solar energy to drive crude oil refineries is one of the investigated pathways for using renewable energy sources to support lowering the carbon emissions and environmental impact of operating the processing of fossil-based fuels. This paper proposes a solar-assisted method for a petrochemical refinery, considering hydrogen production deployed in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, as a case study to greenize oil refineries. The integrated technologies are: concentrated solar tower, radiative heat tube, steam power cycle, hybrid solar and oil-fired steam generator, and alkaline electrolysis. The system is analyzed thermodynamically to provide a good understanding of its control and performance. An optimized design of the heliostat field, solar tower, and solar receiver is implemented as part of the hybrid system. Based on the solar data for the selected case study, the fuel oil consumption rate and the temperature profile are determined. It is found that the proposed integrated system can save about 131 tonnes per day of fuel oil, thus mitigating the emission of 414 tonnes per day of carbon dioxide while maintaining energy and exergy efficiencies of 82.4% and 55.5%, respectively. These results present an opportunity for the urging transition to more sustainable energy systems.