Letter from the CEO VP HES Letter Company Profile 2005 Highlights Financial Highlights Scope of Report Looking Forward Ceres Report Archive
 
Collaborating to Save Energy
Refinery and chemical plant management lead the energy conservation effort at Sunoco with the assistance of facility-level energy conservation coordinators. The energy conservation coordinators exchange information through an established company-wide network to:
  • Share experience and expertise;
  • Avoid "re-inventing the wheel";
  • Identify opportunities for facilities to work together in developing energy conservation solutions; and

Review daily operations with process area business teams to reduce energy usage.

Energy conservation techniques and knowledge are gained through numerous venues, including seminars, technical workshops, etc. and then shared in the business units through teleconferences and/or face-to-face meetings of appropriate facility personnel.

Connecting the steam systems involved installing 300 feet of 10" (diameter) pipe on a new pipe rack.
Improving the insulation on heat exchanger equipment reduced energy consumption.
Committed to Energy Conservation
Examples of energy conservation projects undertaken during 2005 include:

  • A computer-based utility model and optimization program, known as Visual MESA, was implemented at the Philadelphia Refinery.  In the last six months of 2005 nearly $200,000 worth of energy was conserved.
  • The Toledo Refinery reviewed their operations and were able to shutdown one of its boilers for the summer months. This reduced energy use saved $22,000 per day for six months.
  • The Tulsa Refinery was able to shutdown a steam driven turbine for the summer months. This resulted in a reduction of 600,000 pounds of steam per day. Over the year the energy savings averaged 187.2 million BTUs per day.
  • A project at the Eagle Point Refinery connected the steam systems of two adjacent process units. This enabled the refinery to transfer surplus steam from one process unit to another and save an estimated 226 billion BTUs per year in fuel, which translates to a savings of approximately $1.7 million per year.
  • A program to monitor steam turbine surface condenser efficiency was kicked off at the Philadelphia Refinery.  The monitoring indicates when condenser efficiency is dropping and heat exchangers are then scheduled to be cleaned. Maintaining a high efficiency reduces the amount of steam needed. During 2005 the program reduced fuel consumption with a savings of approximately $170,000 per month.
  • Upgrading of insulation in the Tulsa Refinery Crude Distillation Unit resulted in a reduction of 9.6 million BTUs per hour of heater fuel, a savings of $550,000 for the year.
  • The Eagle Point Refinery conducted a Crude Distillation Unit exchanger insulation integrity survey and developed a priority list for insulation replacement work on pre-heat equipment. A combination of permanent and removable insulation was specified and installed. The improved insulation, which cost $310,000, enabled the heaters to be run at a reduced rate for an estimated savings of $300,000 per year.

Energy planning and reporting are enabling the Bayport Plant to reduce their energy usage.
Bayport Plant Energy Project
The Sunoco Chemicals Bayport Plant hired MPC, an energy conservation and energy productivity improvement consulting firm, to review energy usage at the plant. A team of project engineers, system specialists, and others began their efforts in February of 2005.

The project encompassed three phases – Evaluation, Implementation, and Retention. The Evaluation and Implementation phases were completed in 2005, while the Retention phase (a period of shared savings from implemented opportunities) will run through 2008.

The project’s accomplishments include:

  • Development of Ratio Reports – a tool to review and track daily energy usage;
  • Creation of an Energy Requirement Plan – a plan involving calculations to help understand theoretical amounts of energy usage by plant, unit, area, and equipment;
  • Development/Implementation of Procedures and Controls - new procedures, and administrative and engineering controls to ensure sustainability of the energy management program;
  • Establishment of a Responsibility Matrix that defines each person’s roles and responsibilities in managing daily energy usage; and
  • Use of KVI Models/Savings Evaluation – energy usage models that predict future energy usage based on historical usage. The savings evaluation quantifies the savings generated from the KVI models. The savings come from a reduction in natural gas, steam, electricity, and nitrogen usage.

As a result of the project, the Bayport Plant experienced an estimated savings of $1.2 million in 2005.

The Haverhill Plant (pictured above) now uses steam from the nearby Sun Coke facility.
Haverhill Energy Savings
Construction of the Sun Coke cokemaking facility in Haverhill, Ohio was completed in early 2005 and the facility began producing steam from its steam boilers in April and May. The adjacent Sunoco Chemicals Haverhill Plant was able to use this steam and reduce its natural gas consumption by 2 billion BTUs in 2005. For more about these facilities sharing resources click here.

 
 

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