1st International Workshop

Socio-economic Development in the Era of Renewable

Energies3-4th of September 2012, Tunisia

Prof. Dr. Fatma AshourHead of the Chemical Engineering Department 

Faculty of EngineeringCairo University

Energy Problems and Implications

Global Energy Solutions

Recommendations

Local Solutions and Trends

The world depends mainly on fossil fuels This leads to Social and Environmental Issues

Depletion of Non-Renewable Sources

Fuel Crisis and unemployment problems

Worldwide increase in demand for liquid fuels

Fluctuating Prices and Instability in Supply and Production of

Petroleum

Foreign exchange savings

Air Pollution

Global Warming

SOx and NOx emissons causing acid rains

Smog

Depleting sources of locally produced petroleum and natural gas

Fuel subsidies affect negatively on economic growth.

Global and Local Energy Solutions and Trends

Global Energy Solutions Renewable Energies: Solar, Wind, Geothermal, PV

Biofuels: Biodiesel, Biogas, Bioethanol, Algae and Biomass to liquid

Related social issues such as community cohesion, employment, rural development, waste avoidance and health benefits can be of equal importance

Global Energy Solutions: US Fats and Oil Production - 2006

Biodiesel

8-10% of available US rendered fats are currently used for biofuels: yielding 450 Million liters of biodiesel

The International Energy Agency estimates biodiesel from animal fat is currently the cheapest option for producing biodiesel, at about $1.80 per gallon

The high cost of biodiesel is the major obstacle to its commercialization. Biodiesel usually costs over US$0.5/l, compared to US$0.35/l for petroleum- based diesel (Prokop, 2002; Lott, 2002)

Global Energy Solutions: Biodiesel

Global biodiesel production reached 3.8 million tons in 2005. Approximately 85% of biodiesel production came from the European Union

In 2007, in the United States, average retail (at the pump) prices, including federal and state fuel taxes, of B2/B5 were lower than petroleum diesel by about 12 cents, and B20 blends were the same as petrodiesel

Global Energy Solutions: Biodiesel

Global Energy Solutions : Biofuels Costs -2006

Ethanol from sugar cane can compete when the crude oil price is around USD 40-50 /bbl

biodiesel From animal fats around USD 60-70 /bbl without any government support measures

Other biofuels will only compete when oil is well above USD 70/bbl until the production costs can be significantly reduced as a result of returns on current and future R&D investment

Global Energy Solutions: Biofuels

15

Global Energy Solutions: Biodiesel Emissions and Greenhouse Gases

Global Energy Solutions: Employment Requirements for Energy Projects

Production of biodiesel in 2011 supported 39,027 jobs and more than 2.1 billion dollars in household income

In 2011, biodiesel created more than 3 billion dollars in GDP

The extension of the biodiesel tax incentive and the Growth in biodiesel production will create jobs, and lead to an increase in income and GDP by 2012 and 2013

(The National Biodiesel Board, 2011 )

Global Energy Solutions: Socio-Economic Impacts of Biodiesel Production

Green Engineering: Environmental Design, Gasification, Internal Heat Integration (HIDIC) and Retrofit and Revamping of refineries

Renewable Energy: Biodiesel from Waste vegetable oil, Bioethanol from waste, Biorefinery from algae

Water Desalination Solar Energy Storage Green Buildings

It is to design, commercialize and use processes

and products that are feasible and economical

while minimizing:

Risk to human health and environment

Generation of pollution at source

(20)

2.33 t/h of formalin (saturated water-solution of formaldehyde (50%)• Routes: dehydrogenation and partial oxidation of methanol over: (1)

Electrolytic silver catalyst or (2) Ferric molybdate catalyst• Objective : improving process design

Parameter FeMo Catalyst Ag Catalyst

Catalyst bed length 0.77 m 1 m

Tube internal diameter 0.021 m 1.7 m

Nº tubes 8326 1

Inlet temperature 220 ºC 425 ºC

Methanol feed flow rate 41.8 kmol/h 56.3 kmol/h

Methanol to air ratio 2.33 0.35

Feed ratio (explosive limits) Excess of Oxygen (<8% of methanol)

Excess of Methanol (>36% of methanol)

Steam requirements Excess heat for steam generation

Reaction heat insufficient to supply process steam requirements

Equipment Big size Additional equipment for the separation of CH2O

Rigorous Process ModelH2O

• Thermodynamic - calculated based on NRTL• Kinetics are based on experimental data

Environmental Index Based on Geometric Mean (D) FeMo

0,1

0,2

0,3

0,4

0,5

0,6

0,7

0,8

0,9

1

1,1

200 220 240 260 280 300 320 340

Reaction Temperature (ºC)

D &

Co

nv

ers

ion

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Pro

du

cti

on

kg

/h

D (Invironmental Index)

Conversion (kmol/kmol)

Production (kg/h)

Environmental Index Based on Geometric Mean (D) FeMo

0,4

0,5

0,6

0,7

0,8

0,9

1

2 2,5 3 3,5 4 4,5 5 5,5 6

Feed Ratio O2:CH3OH

D &

Co

nve

rsio

n

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

2200

2400

Pro

du

ctio

n (

kg/h

)D (Environmental Index)

Conversion (kmol/kmol)

Production (kg/h)

Formaldehyde Atmospheric Emissions

Absorber42,5%

Reactor Vent29,0%

Storage26,6%

Valves1,0%

Pumps0,2%

Relief valves0,3%

Handling0,4%

Fugitives2%

• Carcinogenic component • Total emissions of 6.07 kg/h • Similar distribution for Ag catalyst• Better control: 70% reduction

Water consumption MBEI indicates better environmental performance for FeMO catalyst option (58% less water use)

• Thermodynamic - calculated based on NRTL• Kinetics are based on experimental data

Biofuels have Social and Economic benefits Economic Benefits

Economic use of wasteland

Useful by-products

Carbon credit opportunities

Additional distribution channel for agricultural products

Social Benefits

Create employment opportunities

Reduce dependence on fossil fuels

Energy diversification

Sustainable use of problematic waste products

Less Toxic

Egypt generates 30 million tons of agricultural waste a year

Environmentalists say that 42 percent of autumnal air pollution is due to the burning of these wastes.

Farmers who burn rice straw are squandering a commodity that could generate as much as 300 Egyptian pounds a ton (Nawwar, NRC)

4 million tons of rice straw every season, emitting 80,000 tons of carbon dioxide on burning

Annual consumption of vegetable oil in Egypt exceeds MT/year (1,248,000 MT in 2005(official statistics of the Ministry of Internal trade in Egypt)

Millions of liters of oil used for frying foods are discarded each year into sewage systems causing blockages of sewer pipes when the oil solidifies

Extra costs of treating effluent or waterways

Chemical process design are key for green engineering applications

Green engineering is a gateway to a better environment

Use of renewable energies provides numerous socio-economic benefits by creating job opportunities and will lead to a healthier environment

Labor is required for operating and maintaining various renewable energy projects. Furthermore, bioenergy projects require additional labor to produce and deliver the biomass to the plant

Agricultural and industrial wastes are local drivers for socio-economic benefits to the Egyptian society

Recommendations

Thank YouProf. Dr. Fatma Ashour

Head of the Chemical Engineering Department Faculty of Engineering

Cairo Universityfhashour@eng.cu.edu.eg

+20 122 732 70 22