Are there low-temperature ethane storage tanks for producing ethylene from ethane abroad?
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Due to their abundant ethane resources, the United States and the Middle East have built numerous facilities for the cryogenic separation of ethane from natural gas and the production of ethylene through ethane cracking. I would like to consult experts in the field of ethylene: do the ethylene plants in the United States and the Middle East have large storage tanks on site for liquefying and storing ethane separated from upstream processes, in order to prevent shutdowns of the ethylene plants due to reduced production or closure of the ethane separation plants. If any is available, the stockpile can meet the production needs for a few days.
Yes! Ethane is separated from natural gas streams in purification plants and cooled to 130 degrees Fahrenheit below zero. It is then transported to LPG receiving stations via ethane carrier ships (VLGCs), vaporized using vaporization units, and finally delivered to customers through pipelines.
The last edit to this post was made by Wise Ming on 2019-1-2 at 09:05. As for the liquefaction plants upstream, the United States currently has liquefaction terminals with an export capacity of 5.56 million tons per year ； As for the gasification plants at the downstream end, in China, in addition to the three major oil companies that have already built numerous LNG receiving stations, private companies such as Nanshan Group, Jueneng Heavy Industry, and Yangmei Group have signed long-term contracts for ethane with the United States, and have constructed LNG receiving stations in locations such as Longkou in Shandong, Yingkou in Liaoning, and Taizhou in Jiangsu. A reasonable scale for LEG receiving stations of 500,000 to 1.5 million tons per year offers significant cost advantages in small and medium-sized markets.
The last edit to this post was made by Zhi Zhe Ming on 2019-1-1 at 21:46. As for the capacity of LEG reception stations, the 83,000 m3 ultra-large fully refrigerated liquefied petroleum gas carriers (VLGCs) developed, designed, and built in our country have already been put into operation; currently, the largest domestically manufactured ones can hold up to 91,000 m3.
This post was last edited by Zhizhi Ming on 2019-1-1 at 22:02. Currently, domestic ethylene plants that have the means to do so build their own low-temperature storage facilities, usually in the form of low-temperature storage tanks with a capacity of 30,000 to 50,000 cubic meters.
The 400,000 cubic meter light hydrocarbon storage project of Xinpu Chemical, located in Taicang, Jiangsu, is under construction. This project is designed to provide import storage and transportation services for Xinpu Chemical’s 1.1 million tons per year light hydrocarbon comprehensive utilization project. The project includes 1 propane cryogenic tank with a capacity of 120,000 cubic meters, 2 ethane (propane) cryogenic tanks each with a capacity of 120,000 cubic meters, 2 propylene spherical tanks with a capacity of 3,000 cubic meters each, 2 mixed C4 spherical tanks with a capacity of 2,000 cubic meters each, 2 pyrolysis gasoline tanks with a capacity of 2,000 cubic meters each, and 12 liquid methane tanks with a capacity of 250 cubic meters each.
Thank you for your guidance! I have one more question for you: If an ethane separation plant in the United States supplies ethane to domestic ethylene plants via pipelines, and that plant operates with two units in parallel (one can be shut down for maintenance while the other continues to operate), so that there is no complete interruption in ethane supply (one unit being shut down still allows the other to meet 60% of the downstream production needs), does the ethylene plant still need to have cryogenic storage tanks for ethane? If an ethane storage tank is to be built, is it better to construct one that operates at normal pressure and low temperature in a cryogenic manner, or one that operates under pressure at low temperature?
This post was last edited by The wise on 2019-1-2 at 15:51. Is it still necessary to install ethane cryogenic storage tanks in ethylene plants in the United States? This needs to be determined based on the conditions of the project location. As far as I know, thanks to advances in fracturing technology, the shale gas revolution in the United States has led to an **increase** in oil and gas production; the ethane content in shale gas can range from 12% to 35%. Currently, the United States has a severe surplus of ethane production capacity, and it is making great efforts to sell it to India, Europe, and China. The situation abroad is different from that at home; domestic ethylene plants are short of raw materials and are in a desperate predicament. My suggestion is: there’s no need to take it at this stage! Production will proceed normally in the future; a decision will be made based on market conditions.
Ethane storage tanks, low-temperature tanks under pressure, have low energy consumption and save on operating costs.