INGENIEUR
INGENIEUR
Figure 1 : Carbonisation system simplified process flow
Energy ( JCCP ), had proposed a two-phase pilot programme to be conducted at selected PETRONAS sites . The proposal was realised after a pilot site in Malaysian Refining Company Sdn Bhd ( MRCSB ) was identified in 2021 , and further solidified with a pilot agreement signed between MRCSB and Shimizu Corporation in January 2023 , with JCCP as the pilot project sponsor . The pilot programme is important for concept proofing and to determine the technology readiness level for potential upscaling in the future . “ Assessing and testing our hazardous waste using Shimizu ’ s carbonisation technology will enable us to efficiently enhance 3R of our hazardous waste , giving a positive impact and reducing harm to the environment wherever we operate ,” said Dr Salmaan Hussain , Head of Environment , Social Performance & Product Stewardship .
Carbonisation Technology Process
Managing hazardous wastes , especially oily sludge from various industrial activities during explorations , production , transportation , storage and refining of crude oil , is a known challenge to be tackled globally due to the increase in crude oil production from 2,868 million tons in 1973 to 4.141 million tons in 2020 ( Niu et al ., 2022 ). Approximately five tons of oily sludge is generated from every 1,000 tons of crude oil ( Teng et al ., 2021 ). There is limited literature produced on this technology for oil and gas industries , and it was reported that a few companies have already ventured into this space , including PetroSA , PetroChina and Chevron . Studies reported the use of carbonisation for biomass ( Pelaez-Samaniego et al ., 2022 ) and other applications .
Carbonisation technology ( see Figure 1 ) is a process involving the heating of substance ( waste ) to 500 ° C – 600 ° C in the absence of oxygen which will convert the waste into carbonised materials . It also recovers almost 99 % of oil from oily sludge , which is used to heat the system ( energy recycling ), reducing almost 95 % of waste volume . The main advantages of waste carbonisation are , firstly , energy recovery , where the carbonisation of waste produces biogas or fuel gas which can be used as an energy source to energise the carbonisation unit . Secondly , it reduces the volume of waste
30 VOL 97 JANUARY - MARCH 2024