Shale gas for the petrochemical industry Incorporation of novel technologies

In this work, a new shale gas-based polygeneration system with essentially zero CO2 emissions is proposed that co-produces methanol, dimethyl ether (DME), olefins and power. The thermal and economic analysis of the proposed process is performed to determine the optimum product portfolio regarding current market prices. The optimization results show that production of methanol/DME and power can improve the performance of the olefin production section significantly. Therefore, the proposed plant can link the shale gas industry to the petrochemical sector efficiently and in an environmentally friendly way.