Study of Environmental and Economical Aspects in a Refinery towards Sustainable Development

摘要

Sustaining the earth economy through non-renewable resource conservation, environmental protection, prudently minimizing wasteful expenditure of income alongside sound economic growth is the need of the new millennium. This can be achieved by integrating economics, environment and conservation of resources under one roof in all spheres of developmental activities. The present study discusses and applies means and methods to achieve the above said features of sustainable development. The study was carried out on an issue of the flare gas system concerning sustainable development in M/s Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited, Mangalore. The existing flare system study was carried out across the plant. Samples of process gas that were to be flared were collected. The samples were then analyzed in gas chromatography and orsat analyzer. From the results obtained by the system study, the flare gas composition and the flare gas flow rate, a suitable recovery system was schematized. It comprises of a compressor and a gas treatment unit which would remove the pollutant and make it suitable to use it as fuel. The payback for the project was evaluated and could be recovered within first five months of operation. The net present value (NPV) for the project was estimated to be rupees 166 crores. Following the study, emission of hydrogen sulfide (H_2S) by 78 tons / year, of methane by 25 tons / year which has a bearing on green house effect and of some amount of sulfur dioxide could be reduced were estimated. Also resource conservation to the tune of 19,345 tones / year of fuel savings leading to monetary savings of rupees 7.1 lakhs / day which has a bearing on company's very existence in the present globalized economy and the reduction in thermal radiation which has a direct impact on subsurface water preservation would be achieved. This study was intended to show how resource conservation, environmental protection, corporate social obligations besides sound economic growth can all be achieved for realizing the goal of sustainable development.