Recover Ethylene From Refinery off-Gas Via the Ole-SIVTM Process

Abstract: Many ethylene producers continue to look for competitive sources of ethylene to improve profitability.  Although recovery of ethylene in refinery off-gases has been practiced for many years, the common approach is to introduce the gas, after feed pretreatment, to the ethylene plant cracked gas compressor.  This practice could lead to constraints in the ethylene plant and especially the cold area of the ethylene plant, if the refinery off-gas contains appreciable amount of light ends.

SK Energy has recently developed a competitive adsorption process for the economic recovery of ethylene in off-gases.  With the use of the Ole-SIV process, up to 95% of the ethylene can be recovered in off-gases with only the use of propylene refrigeration.  This highly concentrated ethylene stream can then be introduced well downstream of the ethylene plant, thereby eliminating many of the bottlenecks in the plant compared to more conventional brute force processing.

SK Energy is developing the Process Design Package and plans to commercialize in 2013 at its Ulsan Complex, Korea.  The ethylene recovered from FCC off-gas by this technology will be used as the feedstock of EB Process.