【Ten Years of Great Progress in Chemical Engineering Technology】167-2022: The “excess pressure power generation” technology was used for the first time in domestic natural gas purification plants

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Ten years of rapid development in chemical technology – praise for the prosperous and strong China. This is just a starting point; more participation from everyone will make things even more lively. HaiChuan becomes even better with your involvement; we welcome everyone to take part more actively in the forum discussions. Be careful with fire risks as the heat increases in July. --------------------------------------------- On January 27, 2022, the Natural Gas Purification Plant of China National Petroleum Corporation’s Southwest Oil and Gas Field Company installed a device for generating electricity from the excess pressure of natural gas. Since its official operation on September 9 of last year, this device has generated over 1 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, resulting in energy savings of 334 tons of standard coal, a reduction of 1,225 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, and cost savings of over 600,000 yuan in electricity costs. The electricity generated is sufficient to meet the daily energy needs of approximately 140,000 families with three members each in the Sichuan and Chongqing regions. In recent years, Southwest Oil and Gas Field Company has actively implemented the **\"dual carbon\" strategy**, putting forward a three-step green energy development plan based on the principles of \"replacing traditional fuels with cleaner alternatives, establishing strategic alternatives, and achieving green transformation\", with the aim of creating a green energy model in the southwest region that combines natural gas with new energy sources. “\"Excess pressure power generation\" represents an important effort by the Natural Gas Purification Plant to focus on the development of green and low-carbon technologies, as well as to enhance the utilization of new energy sources. Natural gas \"excess pressure power generation\" makes use of the pressure difference between the pressure of the natural gas product and that in the downstream pipeline network; this pressure difference is used to convert pressure energy into mechanical energy through a turbine expander, with the generated electricity being available for use in the facility’s operations. “The “excess pressure power generation” technology was used for the first time in domestic natural gas purification units, with no existing cases to draw from; thus, trial and error became the norm. Through countless discussions, studies, and attempts, Southwest Oil and Gas Field Company overcame the problem of equipment \"surge\" and resolved the issue of \"noise\" pollution. The interlock logic and automatic synchronization system were optimized, enabling a disturbance-free switchover between the production unit and the power generation unit, and thus ensuring the safe and stable operation of the \"excess pressure power generation\" system. Calculations show that with this device, an annual electricity generation of 2.38 million kWh can be achieved, resulting in a reduction of 2,910 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. It is reported that the utilization of natural gas pressure energy in China is still in its initial stages. The \"excess pressure power generation\" system at the natural gas purification plant has gone through the entire process from concept to implementation, marking the first time in China that power has been generated using natural gas pressure differences. This experience has provided valuable insights into the operation, maintenance, and management of such systems, and three corporate standards are currently being developed. Additionally, one technical paper on this topic has been published in a **high-impact journal, thereby helping to advance the development of new energy sources and the achievement of the \"dual carbon\" goals.