Abstract
1,4-Butanediol (BDO), an important organic chemical material, is primarily produced through the Reppe process. The process is known for being an industry with high energy consumption and pollution levels. A novel reconfiguration process coupled with renewable energy is proposed in this paper based on the analysis of the conventional coal-to-1,4-butanediol (CtBDO) process. A new calcium carbide production process, the Coal-Coke-Electricity Grading Substitution Method (GSM), and the coal-to-methanol (CtM) process with near-zero carbon emissions, the pulverized coal gasification integrated green hydrogen (PCGwGH-CtM) system, are introduced. Moreover, electrification is utilized to decrease indirect carbon dioxide emissions. The techno-environmental-economic evaluation of the reconfigured BDO production process is being analyzed. The results show that the carbon utilization rate increased from 34.03 % to 67.75 %. the direct CO2 emission intensity is reduced from 3,847 kg/t BDO and 837 kg/t BDO compared with the conventional process, and the indirect CO2 emission intensity is reduced from 1,824 kg/t BDO to 379 kg/t BDO. Energy efficiency is increased from 40.17 % and 43.28 %. Through economic analysis, the production cost of conventional and reconfiguration processes is 9,869 CNY·t-1BDO and 14,467 CNY·t-1BDO, respectively. When the renewable energy drops to 0.2 CNY·kWh-1, the reconfiguration process becomes economically feasible. This study provides an important reference for the CtBDO-coupled renewable energy and helps to promote sustainable development in the industry.
