Life Cycle Assessment of a Catalytic Steam Cracking (CSC) Process for Partial-Upgrading of Heavy Oil

Abstract

The development of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework that allows for direct comparison with current industrial pathways is required for characterizing GHG emissions impacts and informing economic energy systems decisions regarding an emerging Catalytic Steam Cracking (CSC) partial-upgrading process. Through characterization of the CSC partial-upgrading at a pilot plant scale, industrial scale process modeling and inclusion in a well-to-wheels (WTW) spreadsheet model, the relative emissions impacts of the emerging pathways are directly compared with current dilution and full-upgrading pathways. Consideration for current and future emissions policies allowed for the inclusion of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions costs in a project investment comparison of CSC partial-upgrading with full-upgrading and dilution options. The case study results for GHG emissions and subsequent economic evaluations suggest that CSC partial-upgrading could have a higher project net present value (NPV) under stringent economy wide carbon prices (>$80 per tonne CO2e).