The new Cracker Plants

There is much talk about the plants that are in the planning stages for either Pa, Ohio, or WVa. This article talks about the site of the old J+L  Steel Works in Aliquippa Pa as a possible location being looked at by two Companies. The interesting thing is that one of the companies uses current steam technology while the other one is going to use a completely new technology.

"However, RMG and Aither officials said they have high hopes for their plant, which would be the first of its kind, because it would use patent-pending technology that would cost less to build and operate than a steam-cracking facility and take a shorter time to process ethane.

Abolina said the new technology also consumes 80 percent less energy than steam cracking and produces 60 percent less carbon dioxide output."

The green folks ought to be trumpeting this leap forward, but alas they don't want any carbon based products, period. Strange lot indeed.

Of course building either plant, or both would be beneficial to our areas .

Drill Baby, Drill

http://www.timesonline.com/news/business/second-chemical-company-mi...

 

 

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Permalink Reply by George Brown on January 20, 2012 at 5:27am

Exciting times, indeed!

Permalink Reply by Dan on January 21, 2012 at 4:49am

Selling the NG today at $2.50 is still just icing on the cake.

Permalink Reply by Jim Litwinowicz on January 20, 2012 at 10:02am

Good to hear there is more than one company looking for a location here. And since it will use new technology that is much more energy efficient and environmentally safer is a huge plus.  Hope they both go through.

One caveat to the article.  In the insert, it stated that cracking is when " heavy hydrocarbons such as ethane are broken down into light hydrocarbons such as ethylene" which is incorrect. Ethane is C2H6 which makes it one of the lightest of all the gasses extracted. And ethane is not broken down but is converted to C2H4 by removing two H atoms.

I know this is nit-picking but things like this always make me question the accuracy of the rest of the articles. If the author doesn't understand this, one wonders what else they misunderstood.

Permalink Reply by Nelson Roe on January 20, 2012 at 10:20am

It is a fairly vague statement, but I would guess that they are basing the comparison off of the other elements compared to Methane which is I believe the primary element of Nat. Gas.  In comparison, most or all of the other common elements are "heavier" than Methane which would to a certain extent validate their statement.   Just my take on it...

Permalink Reply by gary smith on January 20, 2012 at 10:53am

i hope the epa and the state entities don't hold up the construction of these things. big pipelines, long pipelines need built.  keystone xl being fresh in everybody's minds.

Permalink Reply by mike on January 21, 2012 at 7:00pm

WOW

Permalink Reply by craig on January 21, 2012 at 7:09pm

"Comes a time  to develope cleaner sources of energy such as NG and not dirtier."

Now if we could just find a handful of upright Congress folks to get the ball rolling on CNG for transportation fuel.....oops, sorry I was dreaming : )

Permalink Reply by Todd Charles on January 22, 2012 at 11:47am

I'm with you, tk, on "nixing" the Keystone XL pipeline - let Canada keep that toxic waste, or ship it to China !

Permalink Reply by Billy Park Whyde on January 21, 2012 at 5:06am

  I will guess that Shell knows exactly where they are putting the cracker plant at. My guess is it will be in Ohio  between Bridgeport and Marietta, more than likely utilizing property that was owned by  American Electric Company. That could give them river frontage for barge transportation, a possible rail link and with the Moundsville WVA  coal burning power plant to be scraped a good possibility of a gas turbine facility to be placed there as it has a connection to the grid.

  I wonder how accurate my guess will be?

Permalink Reply by gary smith on January 21, 2012 at 5:58am

same reasons chesapeake started drilling down there i'll bet.

Permalink Reply by mark o on January 21, 2012 at 7:01am

my vote, west aliquippa pa.   old j & l site.  everything already at site and room for 10 other plastic plants.  beaver county could sure use the shot in the arm!

Permalink Reply by Billy Park Whyde on January 21, 2012 at 9:13am

There is more than one company wanting to build a plant. My bet is for Shell to locate where I said and my guess is Ohio will give them a tax deal sweeter than Texas tea.!

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