Design of Plant for Industrial Production of Ethylene in Kazakhstan

Abstract

This capstone project presents the design of an industrial-scale ethylene production plant in Kazakhstan using the steam cracking of ethane. Ethylene is one of the most important raw materials in the petrochemical industry due to its extensive applications in polyethylene and other chemical products. The proposed process was selected after comparing several ethylene production routes, including ethanol dehydration, methanol-to-olefins, and oxidative coupling of methane. Steam cracking was determined to be the most suitable method for Kazakhstan because of the country’s abundant natural gas reserves, industrial feasibility, and lower production cost.

The designed plant has a production capacity of approximately 220 kta and aims to satisfy a significant portion of the projected CIS ethylene demand. The process flow diagram includes feed preparation, steam cracking in a tubular plug flow reactor, water removal, gas compression, cryogenic separation, acetylene hydrogenation, and final ethylene purification. Aspen Plus simulations and Python calculations were used to validate the reaction kinetics and material balances. The reactor and major separation units were designed based on industrial standards and engineering correlations.

Economic analysis demonstrated that the project is technically feasible and economically promising under projected market conditions. Safety and environmental considerations, including HAZOP analysis and emission control systems, were also incorporated into the plant design. Overall, the project demonstrates the viability of establishing a large-scale ethylene production facility in Kazakhstan to support the growing petrochemical industry in the CIS region.