Ludwigshafen develops new technology and implements new steam supply concept

Currently, around 50% of the steam demand at the Ludwigshafen site comes from the steam production process, which emits large amounts of CO2, while the new approach is to use electricity to produce steam.

According to publicly available information, BASF is working with Siemens Energy on the first project at the polyethylene unit to use heat pumps and water vapour recompression to boost waste heat and thereby generate steam power to supply the steam network across the site.

The integration of this heat pump project will not only produce around 60 tonnes of steam per hour, but will also avoid around 160,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year and reduce cooling water consumption by more than 20 million cubic metres. This technology is scheduled to be commissioned in the second quarter of 2024 and the day-to-day operational experience gained through this project will streamline future roll-out to other sites.

Another project underway at the Ludwigshafen site is the development of an electrically heated steam cracker. The cracker is currently heated by gas and produces approximately 1 tonne of CO2 per tonne of olefin. BASF has signed an agreement with Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) and Linde to develop and test an electrically heated steam cracker.

The three parties are evaluating the construction of a multi-megawatt demonstration plant at the Ludwigshafen site, which could start as early as 2023, once the necessary funding has been approved. At the same time, BASF is also developing a new zero-carbon hydrogen production technology for methane pyrolysis.

Antwerp near net zero emissions by 2030

BASF's Antwerp site is the largest chemical production site in Belgium and BASF's second largest integration site worldwide after Ludwigshafen.

The integrated site is expected to reduce its CO2 emissions from 3.8 million tonnes in 2021 to nearly net zero by 2030. This target can be achieved through renewable electricity imported from offshore wind farms, combined with the deployment of new low-emissions technologies and a large-scale 'Carbon Capture and Storage' (or CCS) project planned for the Port of Antwerp.

Once this goal is achieved, the Antwerp integrated site will be the first petrochemical production site to reach net zero emissions by 2030.