Summary of "LIVE - Day 2 - Hall A - 28th Energy Technology Meet"
Summary of “LIVE - Day 2 - Hall A - 28th Energy Technology Meet”
Overview
Day 2 of the 28th Energy Technology Meet (ETM) 2025 focused on cutting-edge technologies, innovations, and strategies in the refining, petrochemical, and sustainable energy sectors. The emphasis was on efficiency, integration, sustainability, and decarbonization. Sessions included technical presentations, panel discussions, and case studies from industry leaders, technology licensors, and research organizations.
Key Technological Concepts, Product Features, and Analyses
1. Crude to Chemicals (C2C) Technologies
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Thermal Crude to Chemicals (TC2C) (Chevron Lummus, Aramco, KBR)
- Converts up to 80-84% of crude oil into petrochemicals (olefins, aromatics, fuels).
- Features integrated crude conditioning and steam cracking with hydrogen recycling.
- Highly capex and opex efficient, energy-saving, and reduces CO₂ emissions.
- Flexible feedstock handling (light to heavy crudes, condensates).
- Allows phased capex deployment and product slate flexibility (olefins, aromatics, diesel).
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Catalytic Crude to Chemicals (CC2C) (Saudi Aramco, Axens, Technip)
- Uses a high-severity fluid catalytic cracking (HSFCC) platform.
- Employs dual downflow reactors for light and heavy feed fractions.
- Produces >70% chemical conversion with modular, scalable designs.
- Future-ready for sustainable feedstocks and carbon capture integration.
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Comparative Economics
- TC2C and CC2C offer better economics and lower energy intensity than conventional crackers.
- NEP (Naphtha to Ethane and Propane) process by Honeywell EOP improves light olefin yields by converting naphtha to ethane/propane, enhancing ethylene and propylene production with lower capex and CO₂ intensity.
2. Petrochemical Feedstock & Value Addition
- Challenges in feedstock availability, especially in India.
- Emphasis on maximizing value from C2, C3, and C4 molecules beyond commodity polymers.
- Valorization of C4 cuts into butyl and halobutyl rubbers, maleic anhydride derivatives, and biodegradable plastics (PBS).
- Technologies offered by companies like Concert (Italy) for specialty polymers and solvents.
3. Propane Dehydrogenation (PDH) Technology
- On-purpose propylene production from propane.
- Increasing global capacity, especially in China and the USA.
- Advantages: higher propylene yield, hydrogen byproduct, lower energy use than steam cracking.
- Indian Oil Corporation’s first PDH plant at Usar, Maharashtra, using Lummus technology.
- Challenges include catalyst deactivation, energy efficiency, and feedstock cost.
4. Refinery Integration & Sustainability
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Integration of fertilizer production with refinery and petrochemical complexes:
- Utilizes low-value streams like ammonia, H₂S, and CO₂ from refineries as feedstocks for fertilizer production.
- Reduces capex, improves operational efficiency, and lowers carbon footprint.
- Technologies exist for direct conversion of H₂S to sulfuric acid and ammonia recovery.
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WSA Technology (Topso)
- Converts sulfur emissions directly to sulfuric acid, reducing emissions and fuel oil demand.
- Reduces refinery CO₂ emissions by up to 9% per refinery.
- Proven technology with multiple global references.
5. Electric Cracking Furnaces (Starbridge Technology by Linde)
- Electrification of ethylene furnaces to reduce CO₂ emissions by 90-95%.
- Two variants: indirect (resistive heating on furnace walls) and direct (resistive heating on coils).
- Demonstration plant operational in Germany.
- Commercial designs available for small to medium scale furnaces.
- Maintenance and operational learnings indicate longer coil life and integration feasibility.
6. Waste Heat Recovery & Energy Efficiency (Honeywell EOP)
- Technologies for low-level heat recovery including heat pumps, mechanical vapor recompression (MVR), organic Rankine cycle, and innovative chemical looping (Qinch technology).
- Qinch technology uses phosphoric acid dimerization reactions to elevate waste heat temperature, achieving up to 50% heat recovery efficiency.
- Demonstrated in various chemical plants and renewable jet fuel units.
- Improves refinery energy efficiency and reduces CO₂ emissions.
7. Digital & AI Applications in Refining
- IPA’s analysis highlights schedule slippage (average 30-40%) as a major challenge in Indian refinery projects, emphasizing the need for better project planning and front-end loading.
- BPCL’s use of Aviva Spiral software for advanced refinery planning, including modeling of complex scenarios like slow processing, intermediate product purchase, and dynamic cutpoint constraints.
- Kinben Innovation’s Large Language Model (LLM)-powered AI for rapid crude blend yield prediction:
- Enables decision-making in seconds versus weeks.
- Maintains proprietary data privacy.
- Augments existing simulation tools for faster, more reliable crude procurement and blending.
8. Catalyst Development & Synthetic Fuels (HPCL Green R&D)
- Indigenous catalyst development (e.g., IZ N22 polypropylene catalyst) offering improved performance, flexibility, and sustainability.
- JP-10 high-density synthetic fuel for defense applications developed using DFT-based catalyst design and molecular modeling.
- JP-10 offers higher energy density than conventional jet fuel, improving payload and range.
9. Hydrogen-Ready Gas Turbines (Baker Hughes)
- Gas turbines capable of burning up to 100% hydrogen for zero-carbon power generation.
- Nova LT16 (17 MW) and Frame 5 turbines demonstrated with hydrogen fuel.
- Applications include blue/green hydrogen production, pipelines, data centers, offshore, and refining.
- Features: dry low NOx combustion, fast startup, fuel flexibility, and safety systems for hydrogen use.
- Challenges: NOx emissions management and hydrogen production cost.
10. Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Technologies
- Global SAF demand expected to grow sharply to meet net-zero targets.
- India’s SAF blending targets: 1% by 2027, 5% by 2030.
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Multiple pathways to SAF production:
- HEFA (Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids): Current dominant route, limited by feedstock availability (used cooking oil, animal fats).
- Ethanol to Jet (ATJ): Leveraging India’s ethanol ecosystem, commercial but limited scale.
- Fischer-Tropsch (FT): Biomass or waste gasification to syngas, then FT liquids to SAF; challenges in gasification scale and feedstock variability.
- Power to Liquid (PTL): Green hydrogen + CO₂ conversion; promising but high cost and technological complexity.
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Technology Providers and Innovations:
- Honeywell EOP: Comprehensive SAF portfolio including HEFA, FT, ATJ, pyrolysis, methanol to jet.
- Velocys: Microchannel FT reactors with superactive catalysts, modular design, high conversion efficiency, commercial references in US, UK, Japan.
- Topso: Leading licensor in HEFA, FT, ATJ; first SAF catalyst order in India; commercial projects underway.
- Sulzer Chem: Novel feedstock pre-treatment (thermal cracking + mild hydroprocessing) to enable co-processing of low-quality bio-feedstocks in refineries, increasing feedstock flexibility and reducing hydrogen demand.
- Visolis: Bio-based Aromatic SAF (AeroSAF) via MEV platform; produces aromatic molecules enabling 100% drop-in SAF with better properties and potential carbon-negative lifecycle.
- Lummus: Ethanol to jet technology licenser; integrated bio-refinery solutions; emphasizing self-reliance and leveraging India’s ethanol infrastructure.
- Lummus + Chevron JV: Isotera technology for HEFA and ethanol to jet; commercialized dehydration and oligomerization units.
Product Features & Innovations Highlighted
- High conversion, energy-efficient crude to chemicals technologies (TC2C, CC2C).
- NEP process for naphtha to ethane/propane conversion improving olefin yields.
- Advanced catalysts for polypropylene and synthetic fuels (JP-10).
- Electric furnaces for ethylene production reducing CO₂ emissions.
- Innovative heat recovery using chemical looping (Qinch).
- AI-powered rapid crude blend evaluation and refinery planning tools.
- Hydrogen-capable gas turbines for decarbonized power.
- SAF production via multiple pathways with modular, scalable technologies.
- Feedstock pre-treatment enabling co-processing of low-quality bio-feedstocks.
- Bio-aromatic SAF production enabling 100% drop-in fuels.
Guides, Tutorials, and Practical Insights
- Project execution best practices emphasizing schedule management and front-end loading.
- Refinery integration with fertilizer production for circular economy benefits.
- Case studies on PDH plant commissioning in India.
- Demonstration of electric furnace operation and commercial readiness.
- Use of advanced simulation and AI tools for operational optimization.
- SAF pathway selection considerations based on feedstock, economics, and technology readiness.
- Pre-treatment methods to maximize feedstock flexibility for SAF co-processing.
Main Speakers and Sources
- Mr. Rajiv Vagaral (Director Technical, Engineers India Limited) – Session Chair
- Mr. Sanjay Kumar Pnija (Executive Director, Indian Oil Corporation) – Session Chair
- Mr. Subraata Guru (Chevron Lummus Global LLC) – TC2C Technology
- Mr. Gopal Jutu & Mr. Alexis Pelle (Saudi Aramco & Axens) – CC2C Technology
- Mr. Abijit Pal (Honeywell EOP) – NEP Process
- Mr. Jing Wong (KBR) – Phenolics and Acetyl Chain Technologies
- Mr. Simon Moruni (Concert Portfolio) – C4 Valorization
- Mr. Pravin Lokand (GAIL India) – PDH Technology
- Mr. Halda & Mr. Mittal (Technip Energy & Topso) – Fertilizer Integration & WSA Technology
- Mr. Call (Linde) – Starbridge Electric Furnace
- Mr. Banerjee & Mr. Ajit Ram (Honeywell EOP & EIL) – Heat Recovery & Revamp Methodology
- Mr. Manoj Prabhakar (Independent Project Analysis) – Project Execution & Schedule Management
- Mr. Shaker Gunaral (BPCL) – Refinery Planning & Aviva Spiral Software
- Mr. Varun Nidi (Kinben Innovation) – AI & LLM for Crude Blend Prediction
- Mr. Naresh Kotari (HPCL Green R&D) – Catalyst Design for JP-10 Fuel
- Mr. Dal (Baker Hughes) – Hydrogen-Ready Gas Turbines
- Mr. Manish Saraswat (Leondel Basel) – Polypropylene Catalyst Innovations
- Dr. RK Malhotra & Mr. Sadhart Chen (Chairpersons) – SAF Session
- Mr. S Duray (Honeywell EOP) – SAF Technologies Overview
- Mr. Craig Harris (Velocys) – Microchannel FT Reactor for SAF
- Mr. Raju Chopra & Mr. Manish Das (Topso) – SAF Production Pathways
- Mr. Somitra Deshmuk (Sulzer Chem) – Feedstock Pre-treatment for Co-processing
- Dr. Palak Duger (Visolis) – Aromatic SAF via MEV Platform
- Mr. Vishal Vashni (Lummus) – Ethanol to Jet and SAF Pathways
Conclusion
Day 2 of ETM 2025 provided a comprehensive, in-depth exploration of emerging energy technologies with a strong focus on sustainable refining, petrochemical efficiency, and the future of sustainable aviation fuels. The event highlighted the convergence of advanced process technologies, digital innovation, and sustainability imperatives shaping India’s energy landscape and the global energy transition.
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Technology
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