Development and techno-economic study of methanol production from coke-oven gas blended with Linz Donawitz gas

• Published in: Energy (Oxford) Vol. 200; p. 117506
• Main Authors: Shin, Sunkyu, Lee, Jeong-Keun, Lee, In-Beum
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2020; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: COG-to-methanol; Coke; Coke oven gas; Coke ovens; Economic impact; Economics; Emissions control; Environmental impact; Exhaust gases; Gases; Impact analysis; Iron and steel plants; Methanol; Methanol reactor; Minimum selling price; Natural gas; Process development; Productivity; Steel industry; Steel production; Thermodynamic efficiency; Process development; COG-to-methanol; Methanol reactor; Minimum selling price
• ISSN: 0360-5442; 1873-6785
• DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2020.117506

Coke-oven gas and Linz Donawitz gas are pollutive by-product gases generated from steel plants. The gases are currently combusted or released to atmosphere, but those can be economically utilized as chemical product. Thus, this study proposes improved methanol production process from the gases, by considering two different strategies: efficiency (Case 1) and productivity (Case 2). Both processes are rigorously integrated using Aspen Plus V10 and evaluated from the perspectives of productivity, thermodynamic efficiency, environmental impact, and techno-economics. Compared to Case 1, Case 2 had 2.1 times the productivity but required 3 times natural gas. As a result, Case 1 showed better efficiencies of 58–68% (46–56% in Case 2), reduced larger carbon emission of 425 kmol/h (123 kmol/h in Case 2), and had lower minimum selling price of 371 $/tonne (398 $/tonne in Case 2). Two proposed processes are also economically superior than similar previous processes (550–712 $/tonne). This study confirms that both presented novel processes are sustainable and economically viable, and also improves the understanding of methanol production from the waste gases of steel production. •Improved methanol production system from by-product gases is proposed.•Two trade-off strategies are considered and compared in terms of various perspectives.•Proposed processes are sustainable, economically viable, and superior than previous processes.