Solvent-Based Simulation and Techno-Economic Evaluation of CO2/H2S Separation at Shurtan Gas Chemical Complex

Abstract

The separation of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) from sour natural gas is an important step in gas processing and emission control.This study applies a rate-based Aspen Plus simulation to examine solvent-based CO 2 /H 2 S removal under conditions representative of the Shurtan Gas Chemical Complex in Uzbekistan.Monoethanolamine (MEA) and methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) are evaluated as reference solvents with respect to separation performance and energy demand.The rate-based modeling framework accounts for reaction kinetics and mass transfer effects in the absorber-regenerator system.Simulation results indicate that both solvents achieve high acid gas removal efficiencies.From an engineering perspective, the results provide practical guidance for solvent selection and energy optimization in existing acid gas removal units, supporting pilot-scale deployment under industrial operating conditions.Sensitivity analysis suggests that increasing gas throughput beyond 30 t/h leads to a gradual reduction in CO 2 capture efficiency, primarily due to mass transfer limitations.From a techno-economic perspective, the lower energy demand of the MDEA-based system may imply reduced operating costs.The captured CO 2 stream reaches a purity of around 99.5%, which is compatible with downstream soda ash production.Overall, the results provide a screening-level assessment supporting further detailed evaluation.

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