Going for green refining technology

With such refineries, Pakistan can meet its demand, export green oil and chemicals

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MELBOURNE:

Pakistan's oil and chemical sectors are at a critical juncture. With increasing imports of petroleum products and petrochemicals and the global shift towards green fuels and chemicals, the country, though confronted with enormous challenges, has a unique opportunity to capitalise on.

By adopting a green refinery industrial base, Pakistan could not only meet its national demand but also build the capacity to export green oil and chemicals, turning a challenging situation into a strategic advantage.

Pakistan does not have an extensive petrochemical industry compared to many developed countries. This presents a unique opportunity to bypass traditional petrochemical infrastructure, similar to how mobile phone technology leapfrogged landlines. Transitioning to green refineries also promises to align with global environmental standards, ensuring a cleaner and more efficient energy future.

Green refineries are facilities that use green energy to process crops, wastes, air, and water to produce a diverse array of oils, chemicals and fertiliser products. Much like traditional petroleum refineries, green refineries integrate various processes and technologies. Bioethanol plants are the most well-known example of green refineries, albeit now considered the older generation of such facilities.

Many green refinery projects are currently at various stages of development, with a strong global focus on producing ammonia, methanol, aviation fuel, and diesel. Numerous refineries are expected to become operational by the end of the decade, with some larger projects anticipated to have an annual production capacity of up to one million tonnes.

Recent advancements in green refining technologies in Australia have shown the production of plastics from carbon dioxide using microbes, which not only mitigates climate change but also has the potential to reverse it. This technology also produces dimethyl ether, a viable replacement for natural gas. Various trials of dimethyl ether usage have already been conducted worldwide, from powering natural gas grids to vehicles.

As the world grapples with the urgent need to combat climate change, carbon dioxide utilisation technology is expected to emerge as a pivotal solution, effectively removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and reducing greenhouse gas concentrations.

These developments demonstrate a global focus on establishing green refineries, with continuous research advancing the technology. In this context, there is already a list of ideal candidates for Pakistan, including aviation fuel, ammonia, dimethyl ether, methanol, acetic acid, diesel, and even plastics.

A sustainable aviation fuel refinery requires water and crops or crop waste as inputs. The land supplying these inputs should be fertile enough to yield two or three crops a year or provide a continuous waste supply to ensure the refinery's smooth operation.

The energy requirements are met within the refinery itself. For a green ammonia refinery, the input feeds are water and air, providing hydrogen and nitrogen, respectively, and are powered by green energy sources such as solar or wind. Therefore, a green ammonia refinery requires land suitable for solar or wind energy, or it should be powered by a hydropower station.

While green ammonia and sustainable aviation fuel refineries can be scaled up to produce a million tonnes or more, newer technologies like green plastics are currently suitable for smaller-scale production. However, as commercial plants come into operation worldwide, these technologies are expected to become suitable for large-scale production in the future.

To embark on this journey, policymakers in Pakistan need to pay attention to two critical issues: machinery and the availability of qualified and competent human resources. The country lacks not only the capacity to produce the machinery needed for green refineries but also the HR base.

Therefore, foreign partnerships will be essential, at least for the initial projects. Europe, China, and North America are the leading technology providers for the current generation of green refineries.

Regarding developing a skilled workforce, the existing local workforce with relevant experience can upgrade their expertise to support the initial green refineries. Simultaneously, universities, in collaboration with overseas institutions, can develop courses and training programmes to educate the next generation of the workforce locally. Given the continuous technological advancements in this field, partnering with countries leading in research and development to utilise the best technologies would be highly beneficial. Building research collaborations between local and foreign research institutions will be essential.

Financing green refinery projects is generally more accessible than financing traditional fossil fuel projects. This is due to several factors, including global interest, investment trends, governmental incentives, private sector interests, green bonds, international grants and aid, and carbon credits.

Ideally, Pakistan needs a dedicated apex body solely focused on the "green refining industry." Such an autonomous but accountable body should then, in consultation with multiple stakeholders, develop a 10-year roadmap for the adoption and development of green refining infrastructure in the country.

With coordinated efforts under the guidance of such an apex body, Pakistan can successfully develop a nascent green refining industry.

The world is on the brink of a green refining boom, similar to the telecom boom. Pakistani political leadership and policymakers should seriously explore all possibilities to facilitate the development of an indigenous green refining industry.

This would be one of the most significant achievements in the goal of producing critical products indigenously, ensuring energy security, employment-oriented economic growth, and environmental sustainability for Pakistan.

The writer, based in Australia, is the chief technology officer of a biorefinery and is also the author of books