ExxonMobil’s next-generation H2 burner can help decarbonize a key industry
- New burner for steam crackers can run up to 100% hydrogen (H2) fuel
- Baytown Olefins Plant is the first to demonstrate this technology at industrial scale.
- Demonstration achieved a 90%* reduction in direct carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
ExxonMobil has reached another milestone in its mission to help reduce emissions from key industries.
Any list of “hard-to-decarbonize” sectors typically includes the chemical industry. That’s because producing olefins—the building blocks for plastics and other modern materials—requires a large amount of heat. In fact, temperatures inside the furnaces that “crack” hydrocarbon molecules into olefins exceed 2,000°F.
But what if these furnaces could run on H2, a fuel that produces no CO2 emissions when combusted?
That is exactly what ExxonMobil is doing right now at its olefins plant in Baytown, Texas, where the company has designed and installed pyrolysis burners that can operate on up to 100% H2 fuel. A total of 44 burners were installed in one of the plant’s steam cracking furnaces.
Commercial testing of these next-generation burners began in December. ExxonMobil tested at 98% H2, which is the maximum H2 concentration currently available for commercial demonstration at the site, and the company was able to produce ethylene and other olefins identical to those produced via traditional methods.
ExxonMobil is proud to be the first company in the world to successfully demonstrate this technology at industrial scale.
Three of the steam cracking furnaces at Exxonmobil’s Baytown Olefins Plants, each more than 200 feet tall.
“We’re leading the way on hydrogen because with global demand for plastics continuing to grow, finding ways to reduce emissions from olefins production is crucial,” said Dan Holton, Senior Vice President of ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions.
Getting “H2-ready.” What’s next? The company plans to install these 100% H2-capable burners in additional steam cracking furnaces at its Baytown Olefins Plant over the next few years.
The company is getting “H2-ready” because it is planning to build a plant at Baytown that would produce up to 1 Bft3d of H2. And not just any H2: ExxonMobil says that its H2 will have very low carbon intensity because it will capture and store more than 98% of the CO2 emissions associated with its production.
Switching to H2 can significantly reduce CO2 emissions. For example, at the furnace in which the company installed the new burners, it demonstrated a 90%* reduction in direct CO2 emissions from the furnace during its tests.
ExxonMobil hopes its successful commercial test can encourage other manufacturers to make a similar switch. By using H2 to reduce emissions from olefins production, the company can help reduce the carbon footprint of many essential products—everything from food packaging to car parts to medical equipment.
Today, pyrolysis burners are largely fueled by hydrocarbons, particularly natural gas.
The successful demonstration of these burners was the culmination of more than four years of work by ExxonMobil scientists, engineers and other specialists.
The company says it is proud to be leading the way on H2. As a landmark report by the National Petroleum Council said, H2 can reduce emissions at a lower cost to society than other options, while also supporting economic growth, creating jobs and strengthening energy security.
Here are a few more things to know about the new burner technology:
- They are big: Each burner has more than 500 times the heat output of the largest burners on a typical kitchen stove.
- They are advanced: Typical pyrolysis burners cannot handle the unique challenges posed by high concentrations of H2, which burns faster and hotter than traditional fuels like natural gas. The new burners can do this reliably and safely – and the furnaces are designed to withstand those temperatures.
- They are ExxonBomil’s design: The company doesn’t just operate these burners – it also designed them. ExxonMobil is the world’s only operator of steam cracking furnaces with in-house furnace and burner technology, with more than 45 years of design and operating experience.
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