Environmental Considerations for a Natural Gas Plant

The manufacture of methanol from natural gas using steam reforming is a relatively clean and environmentally safe process. Methanol is a chemical that is manufactured in large quantities, and compared with other chemical and petrochemical processes, the methanol process is not found to be a serious polluter. Despite a long record of clean operation, attention is being focused on all chemical manufacturing processes, including methanol. Table 9 lists the contaminants present in various effluents of a methanol plant. 

CQ2 is generated in the reformer furnace combustion zone as natural gas is burned to produce the heat required for the endothermic reforming reaction. The reduction of C02 emissions is an environmental objective of modem methanol processes. By reducing C02 generation, the impact of methanol production on global warming can be reduced. 

The flue gas from the reformer contains NO, C02, and occasionally volatile or nic carbon (VOC) and particulates. Since the VOC and particulates are not present in any significant amount in a reformer using natural as fuel, they present no danger to the environment. 

CQ2 emissions are of concern and are directly related to the energy consumption of the proeess. Therefore, most of the effort to reduce C02 emissions parallels the effort to make the processes 

Methanol plant eflfcients Reformer flue g s Process condensate Upends Fusel oil Process water Storage tank vent Spent catatyst Steam drum bbwdown Cooling tower bbwdown Surfece water 

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