What is the true cost of producing propylene from methanol? the role of externalities
File(s)
Accepted version
Supporting information
Author(s)
Rodríguez-Vallejo, Daniel F
Guillén-Gosálbez, Gonzalo
Chachuat, Benoît
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The demand for olefins has increased steadily in recent years, with a propylene demand around 100 million tons per year and an expected annual growth of 3–4%. Most propylene is presently produced via steam cracking of naphtha, but on-purpose processes based on selective propane dehydrogenation or utilizing methanol as an intermediate are also being investigated and deployed. The coal-to-propylene route in particular has gained wide interest in China. This paper presents an assessment of such emerging propylene production routes from methanol by combining detailed process simulation with life-cycle assessment and monetization of the environmental impacts. Though presenting a competitive direct production cost, the coal-to-propylene route has by far the highest total monetized cost after accounting for the human health and ecosystem quality externalities. As for the natural-gas-to-propylene route, it has about double the total monetized cost of conventional steam cracking of naphtha or propane dehydrogenation because of high human health and resource depletion externalities. These results provide a clear indication that both the coal-to-propylene and natural-gas-to-propylene routes are unsustainable. They also highlight the importance of accounting for negative externalities in assessing the techno-economic performance of industrial processes as it can radically change the outcome of the analysis.
Date Issued
2020-03-02
Date Acceptance
2020-01-01
Citation
ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2020, 8 (8), pp.3072-3081
ISSN
2168-0485
Publisher
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Start Page
3072
End Page
3081
Journal / Book Title
ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering
Volume
8
Issue
8
Copyright Statement
© 2020 American Chemical Society. This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.9b05516
Identifier
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acssuschemeng.9b05516
Subjects
0301 Analytical Chemistry
0502 Environmental Science and Management
0904 Chemical Engineering
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
acssuschemeng.9b05516
Date Publish Online
2020-01-22