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Abstract
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Gas sweetening is a key process in gas refineries. The equipment involved in gas sweetening generally
consume a considerable amount of energy, leading to negative impacts in terms of economic and
environmental prospects. This research work includes simulation, analytical, and numerical modeling
approaches to evaluate exergy, energy, economic, and environmental analysis of a gas sweetening plant
(GSP). Various compositions of methyl-di-ethanolamine (MDEA) and di-ethanolamine (DEA) blend are
studied to mitigate exergy destruction, energy loss, and CO2 emissions in the sweetening process. According
to the results, the absorber and stripper are responsible for 37% of the total exergy destruction
and 29% of the total energy loss, respectively. DEA concentration plays an imperative role in exergy and
energy management of the GSP. The optimum amine concentration of 40 wt% decreases the total exergy
destruction from 6.6 MWto 4.8MWand lowers the energy loss by 36.7%. This optimization strategy then
results in a substantial reduction in CO2 emissions by 2893.6 tons per year (t/y), compared to the current
operation state. The economic assessment confirms the profitability of the plant to be operated at the
optimal amine concentration. This research study provides an efficient strategy to optimize a variety of
industrial plants that include energy consuming sections.
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