Impacts of defossilising downstream derivatives in petrochemical clusters – MTBE case study

Abstract

Using alternative carbon sources (ACS) to produce downstream derivatives (DDs) is a promising option for defossilising the chemical industry. However, the potential consequences of using ACS in interconnected petrochemical clusters are generally overlooked. This paper aims to develop a methodological approach for systematically analysing defossilisation impacts at the value chain level. For this, a single value chain for producing methyl-tert-butyl-ether (MTBE) was used as a case study. The individual components of the value chain were modelled in Aspen Plus v12. Both ACS- and fossil-based value chains were compared in terms of (i) changes in the structure of the value chain and (ii) the magnitude of the impacts. The results show that the defossilisation of a single value chain causes additional impacts at the cluster level.