Nov-2022

Sustainable energy management is becoming increasingly important for refineries (ERTC)

Energy is the big topic throughout Europe. Where does it come from, what is it used for, and how can we save it?

Raffinerie Heide

Article Summary

The efficient use of energy is also of great importance to Raffinerie Heide – and not just since the recent developments in the energy and gas sectors. Like all refineries and chemical companies around the world, Raffinerie Heide requires a lot of energy for production. This is why our company introduced an energy management system back in 2012, which is being continuously adapted and optimised. The aim is to use different energy sources as effectively and sustainably as possible.

Process technologist Marven Schmitz, the focal point for energy at Raffinerie Heide, is responsible for this system. “Paying attention to the conscious use of energy ensures that companies, including Raffinerie Heide, remain competitive,” he explains. In 2015, in addition to the economic necessity, a political commitment to save energy was made. At the Paris Climate Change Conference, in the so-called Greenhouse Gas Protocol, 195 countries, including Germany and the entire European Union, pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 to 95% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels, thereby limiting average global warming to well below two degrees by the end of the century.

Energy-intensive industrial companies have a key role to play in this regard. “We started addressing this task and implementing the first steps very early on,” says Stefan Nitzinger, head of process engineering at Raffinerie Heide. Among other things, these objectives led Raffinerie Heide to focus on the issue of transformation and decarbonisation – in other words, the reduction of CO₂ emissions – across its business areas ahead of many other refineries. The results of these many years of work include the Westküste100 and HySCALE100 hydrogen projects.

The Ukraine conflict and the associated gas shortage in Europe have given energy a new dynamic. “The prevailing gas shortage and the constantly rising energy costs since the end of last year are forcing all companies to constantly review and improve their energy efficiency,” continues Stefan Nitzinger. The major advantage of Raffinerie Heide is its flexibility. The gas turbine was shut down in the plant’s own power plant in August, both to contribute to security of supply and to reduce energy costs. However, as electricity generation with the gas turbine is very efficient, the gas turbine is to be converted from natural gas to propane. This means that the refinery will be able to generate electricity efficiently in the future, regardless of the natural gas market.

According to Raffinerie Heide’s energy expert Marven Schmitz, it is important to emphasise that companies will have to constantly adapt to new circumstances in the coming years. The global energy market is likely to remain unstable. However, it is also important that prudent energy management is not seen as a tool for achieving the energy revolution: “It provides companies with the means to survive during the time needed to transform their business. No more, no less.”

This short article originally appeared in the 2022 ERTC Newspapers, which you can view HERE