Detlef Kratz from BASF SE discusses challenges of energy efficient processes in practice at the BASF Science Symposium: smart energy for a sustainable future held on March 9th 2015 in Ludwigshafen, Germany. For more information https://creator-space.basf.com/content/basf/creatorspace/en/events/symposium-ludwigshafen.past.html.

1. Detlef Kratz, BASF SE, Corporate Technology and Operational Excellence
March 9th 2015, Ludwigshafen
Putting Energy into Chemistry and Making Chemistry from Energy
Energy efficient Processes in Practice -
Challenges of today and tomorrow

2. High complexity due to diverse business, technology and site structure
BASF Site and technology portfolio
Constant change over 150 Years through acquisitions and growth
Operations Footprint
~ 350 Sites
~ 1200 Plants
~ 500 Technologies
~ 70 Bn € Assets
~ 30.000 People
Raw Material and Energy Footprint
~ 44 Mio tons of Raw Material
~ 59 Mio MWh
… to make
~ 37 Mio tons of Products
> 10.000 Products
~ 17 Mio tons CO2
~ 0.023 Mio t emissions into waste water
2

3. 3
Operational Excellence
Continuously improving asset performance and production costs
Asset Performance
 Improved reliability
 Optimized maintenance
 Increased catalyst performance
 More capacity
 Reduced raw materials and utilities
 Avoided waste and CO2 emission
 …
Energy
Savings
Assetperformance
Original design or
current status
Reality without
Operational Excellence
Reality with
Operational Excellence
Time

4. “LEAN is...”
Off gas scrubber Optimization
Current situation
 Off-gas containing traces of acids
is treated in a caustic scrubber
 Scrubber operated at pH ~ 12
OpEx solution
 Reduce excess caustic consumption
by stepwise adaption of the pH value:
set point to lower values (pH ~ 10.5)
Current situation
 Distillation towers running with fixed reflux
 Plant trials with reduced reflux flows
without negative impact
OpEx solution
 Install reflux ratio control instead
of flow control
Distillation tower Optimization
Current situation
 Process: MeOH used in excess and
recycled via distillation
 Fresh MeOH distilled prior to usage
OpEx solution
 Energy saving via bypassing of MeOH
distillation tower as specifications fulfilled
Routing Optimization Batch Optimization
Current situation
 Blending performed in adjustment tank
OpEx solution
 With additional, inexpensive static
mixer, availability of tank is increased
leading to a higher production
Process Overview
Adjustment tank as mixing vessel
→ static mixer
4
Technical Process Optimization
Big value for small money!

5. Operational Excellence Database
Collect ideas, identify measures, share best practices and capture value
5
# measures
Continuous effort of operations and R&D
community
 To date over 5.000 measures identified
 High implementation rate
 Pay-back significantly under one year
 Driven by innovation and creativity
 R&D supports process optimization
Benefits
Expenses
2013 to 2017

6. 6
CO2
CO2
20132014
-50 kt / year -230 kt / year-50 kt / year
-120 kt / year -380 kt / year-90 kt / year
Electricity/Fuel Raw MaterialsSteam
-330 kt / year
-590 kt / year
Total Savings
Contribution to sustainability
Energy and raw material savings significantly contribute to a reduction of CO2 emissions
Total CO2 reduction grows with new and sustainable Operational Excellence measures!

7. 7
BASF’s chemistry in a nutshell
Making chemistry from energy and natural resources
Sum formula of all BASF sales products
(C H3.2O0.3N0.2 ... )n
Coal
Gas
Oil
Plants
O2
N2
CO2
Steam
Electricity
H2O

8. Plant Oil
Crude Oil
Natural Gas
Coal
Corn
Nutrition
Energy /
Mobility
Nutrition
Cracking
Syngas
or
Acetylene
Starch
Hydrolysis
(Petro-)
Chemical
Verbund
Fermen-
tation
Oleo-
chemistry
 Oleochemicals
 Ethanol
 Alanine
 …
 Enzymes
 Butane Diol
 Acrylic Acid
 Amines
 ...
 Fipronil
8
Verbund Types based on different feedstock
BASF uses primary energies to produce key intermediates
 Ethylene
 Propylene
 Benzene
 ...

9. 9
Chemistry is energy and energy is chemistry
Raw materials contain value as carbon, as energy and from their functionality
600
25 Coal (China West)
Ethanol
Naphtha
Glucose
Methanol
Propane
Natural Gas
23
1
carbon world
[€/mmBTU][€/mt]
and energy world

10. Simplified energy diagram
Heatmap of key raw materials
10
Renewables
CO2
H2O
(C H3.2O0.3)n

11. Chemistry is energy and energy is chemistry
Naphtha cracking as conventional source for olefins
11
(CH2)n → C2H4 + C3H6 + ...
Olefins

12. Chemistry is energy and energy is chemistry
Natural gas for olefins production
12
CO
CH4 + ½ O2 → CO + 2 H2
CO + 2 H2 → CH3OH
plus gasoline as
by-product
Methan to Methanol to Propylene (MMTP)
 A Propylene route with detours
 Large production of steam
 Significant Gasoline production
3 CH3OH → C3H6 + 3 H2OH2OOlefins

13. plus gasoline as
by-product
3 CH3OH → C3H6 + 3 H2O
Chemistry is energy and energy is chemistry
Using coal as chemical feedstock
13
CO
2 (CH)n + O2 → 2 CO + H2
Coal to Methanol to Propylene (CMTP)
 A Propylene route with detours
 Large production of CO2
 Significant Gasoline production
2 CO + H2 + H2O → CO + 2 H2 + CO2
CO2
H2O CO + 2 H2 → CH3OHOlefins

14. Challenge 1: Direct coupling of C-C bonds
Selective C-C coupling avoiding CO and MeOH steps
14
3 CH4 → C3H6 + 3 H2
 No or low conversion
 Target other products such as
benzene
 Energy/Chemical interface
with H2 consumer and…
 … potentially fuels as side product
Olefins
Benzene

15. Challenge 2: Activation of aliphatic CH-bonds
Selective functionalization of C-H to MeOH
15
CH4 + ½ O2 → CH3OH
3 CH3OH → C3H6 + 3 H2O
H2O
 Heterogeneous or Bio-catalysis ?
 Functionalization of Alkanes
- Cyclohexanol 
- Butanol ?
- Ethanol ?
Olefins

16. Challenge 3: Direct transformation of coal to olefins
Avoid oxidative activation of coal to save energy and avoid CO2 emission
16
Hydrogen
3 (CH)n + 2 H2 → C3H6
1.5 (CH)n + 1.5 CH4 → C3H6
But where does the H2 come from?
 Hydrocarbon energy transformation
 Rethink sources of Hydrogen
Olefins

17. Challenge 4: Carbon-free production of hydrogen
Developing a holistically sustainable approach
H2
CO2
Efficiency 70-90 %
Oil
Gas
Coal
(Renewables)
Partial
Oxidation
Reforming
O2
Efficiency 45-60 %
CO2 / H2O
Power Plant
O2
Electricity
O2
Efficiency 60-70 %
H2O
Electrolysis
17

18. 18
Challenge 5: Renewables for functionalized products
Intelligent chemistry from renewables
H2O
Renewables
C6H12O6 → 2 C2H5OH + 2 CO2
C6H12O6 + 2 CO2→ 2 C4H6O4
Succinic Acid
Ethanol
CO2CO2

19. Carbon Footprint OlefinsFull Cost Olefins
19
Putting Energy into making Olefins
Sustainability: Environmental and Cost Aspects
22
1
Propane
Naphtha
Coal (China West)
Natural Gas
Glucose 3
10
[€/mmBTU] Specific CO2 Emission
Raw Materials
Capital Cost
Energy
Cost of Energy

20. C-C Coupling
C-H Functionalization
„Direct Coal“
processes
Carbon-free
Hydrogen
Renewables for
functionalized
Products
Energy/Chemical
and Chemical/Energy
Interface
Energy efficient Processes - Challenges of today and tomorrow
Putting Energy into Chemistry and Making Chemistry from Energy
20
 Succinic acid (Succinity)
 Methane to benzene
 Methane pyrolysis
 FCC Catalysts ?

21. 150 years
21