MOL GROUP
SUSTAINABILITY CASE STUDY
PROJECT NAME: Reduction of energy costs and emissions of CO2 at Algyő Gas Plant
LOCATION: Algyő Gas Plant, Hungary
DURATION: 2009-2012
TOTAL INVESTMENT: HUF 2.2bn
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OUTCOME: 41 TJ energy (fuel gas) consumption reduction per 1 million m compressed gas, HUF 8,672 mn operational cost
saving (until 2020), reduced CO2 emissions
1, PROJECT BACKGROUND
Algyő field is currently one of the largest oil & gas producing fields in Hungary, located near to Szeged in the southern part of the country. The
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Field processes gas at a capacity of up to 12 million m /day. The project – as part of a large energy rationalization program called ENRAC – was
launched to mitigate the negative impacts of challenges it faces such as rising energy prices (fuel gas and electricity), decreasing volumes of
production, increasing unit costs and CO2 emission costs.
2, PROJECT HISTORY
After a comprehensive assessment of the local operations of the Algyő Gas Plant the
management decided to implement new technical processes to create a more reliable,
efficient and controllable heat production system at the Algyő site. Furthermore, the
business unit expected a significant reduction in fuel gas consumption as well as CO2
emissions through these technological modifications.
The goal of the project was to make operational savings of HUF 8,672mn by replacing the
steam supply with a thermo oil system in the period of 2008-2020.
The idea was to use the waste exhaust gas heat from locally-operated gas engines to heat the thermo oil system instead of using steam heating.
Another feature of the project included massive development of the process automation system that optimizes the operations of the
Fractionation Unit.
MOL GROUP
SUSTAINABILITY CASE STUDY
3, MAIN RESULTS AND OUTCOME OF THE PROJECT
MOL implemented all three elements of the project resulting in financial savings and process optimization that go beyond the planned outcomes.
Annual energy savings amount to nearly HUF 500mn (EUR 1.6mn) from APC (Advanced Process Control System) process optimization alone; this
amounts to a 1.2 month ROI period for this project element. The reduction of energy consumption allowed us to cease the use of some existing
furnaces as the heat demand can be replaced by thermo oil waste heat.
The site has also successfully managed to optimize the quality and throughput of HC production through use of APC. The application of a dynamic
process model in the APC system allows the site to achieve the optimal reflux ratios and column pressures.
Overview of results by
project elements
Energy saving in 2013
APC optimization,
(Interconnection of the two hot
oil systems)
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Utilisation of the waste heat of
gas motors in NF compressor
plant (thermo oil system)
Stopping operation of C-boiler
(replacement with thermo oil
system)
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4,554,666 m fuel gas
10,629.57 MW heat energy
4,816,125 m fuel gas
9,109 tons
Only indirect impact
9,632 tons
CO2 emission reduction in 2013
Other benefits include: Column pressures are optimized; site fuel consumption has been reduced by over 40%, plant controllers are now able to
deal with disturbances without operator intervention
4, FURTHER STEPS
MOL’s Exploration & Production division would like to continue the modernization process through installing a compression heat recovery unit on
the DEMAG compressor and a new heat-balance APC on the hot oil system and the thermo oil system as well.