Hydrogen Production for Refineries

Refineries in the U.S. are processing increasingly heavy sour crudes, largely derived from the Western Hemisphere. Processing and upgrading these heavy feedstocks requires considerable quantities of hydrogen, which is needed to remove metals, sulfur, and nitrogen. Unfortunately, upgrading refineries to produce more hydrogen using conventional technologies is expensive and, therefore, not economically attractive for small independent refiners. This project will develop technology that will allow small refineries to produce their own hydrogen at a cost that is considerably lower than conventional technologies, and also less expensive than purchasing hydrogen from a third party. The technology will permit small refiners to convert less valuable ¿bottom of the barrel¿ material into valuable hydrogen while permitting more distillate fuels to be obtained from each barrel of oil, especially the heavy crudes that are available in greater quantity. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: Very large, fully integrated refineries find it easier to expand hydrogen generating capacity than do smaller refiners that lack such infrastructure. These smaller refiners represent the niche market for the proposed hydrogen generation technology.