title: Understanding Variability To Reduce the Energy and GHG Footprints of U.S. Ethylene Production.
abstract: Recent growth in U.S. ethylene production due to the shale gas boom is affecting the U.S. chemical industry's energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions footprints. To evaluate these effects, a systematic, first-principles model of the cradle-to-gate ethylene production system was developed and applied. The variances associated with estimating the energy consumption and GHG emission intensities of U.S. ethylene production, both from conventional natural gas and from shale gas, are explicitly analyzed. A sensitivity analysis illustrates that the large variances in energy intensity are due to process parameters (e.g., compressor efficiency), and that large variances in GHG emissions intensity are due to fugitive emissions from upstream natural gas production. On the basis of these results, the opportunities with the greatest leverage for reducing the energy and GHG footprints are presented. The model and analysis provide energy analysts and policy makers with a better understanding of the drivers of energy use and GHG emissions associated with U.S. ethylene production. They also constitute a rich data resource that can be used to evaluate options for managing the industry's footprints moving forward.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Northwestern University , 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60201, United States.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Global Security Sciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory , 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, Illinois 60439, United States.
authors.forename: Diane J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Graziano
authors.affiliation: Energy Systems Division, Argonne National Laboratory , 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, Illinois 60439, United States.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Riddle
authors.affiliation: Advanced Manufacturing Office, U.S. Department of Energy , 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585, United States.
authors.forename: Joe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cresko
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Northwestern University , 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60201, United States.|Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University , 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60201, United States.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Masanet
mesh_terms: D004736:Energy-Generating Resources; D005030:Ethylenes; D017752:Greenhouse Effect; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D059206:Natural Gas / Q000032:analysis; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D005030:Ethylenes; D059206:Natural Gas; C036216:ethylene