Study Proposes Seawater-Driven Ethane and LPG Recovery from LNG Receiving Terminals
A study from The University of Western Australia highlights a method for efficiently recovering ethane and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from LNG receiving terminals using ambient seawater as a heat source. The research indicates that optimizing regasification facilities can yield both pipeline-quality natural gas and valuable petrochemical feedstocks, with one design achieving the highest ethane recovery despite requiring more operational energy. This approach could transform LNG terminals into economically beneficial hubs while potentially reducing carbon emissions.
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A study from The University of Western Australia demonstrates the efficient recovery of ethane and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from LNG receiving terminals using ambient seawater as the heat source. The study evaluates three process configurations through simulation and optimization, revealing that regasification facilities can deliver both pipeline-quality natural gas and high-value petrochemical feedstocks.
The research indicates that recovering higher hydrocarbons is economically advantageous, especially in areas with high petrochemical demand. The optimized designs showed that while all configurations were profitable under long-term price conditions, one design achieved the highest ethane recovery but required higher operational energy. The proposed systems can transform LNG terminals into value-generating hubs, minimizing additional energy input and potentially reducing carbon emissions while maintaining comparable environmental impacts.
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