Demand Response Operation of Electricity-Intensive Chemical Processes for Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Application to an Air Separation Unit

A recent push for reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has led (in part) to the addition of renewable electricity generation sources to the power generation mix. Renewables such as wind and solar are desynchronized from grid demand, requiring the use of fossil fuels to bridge the gap. We propose a novel production scheduling formulation, emissions-minimizing production (EMP), which utilizes time-based information on the nature of the power generation mix to lower GHG emissions related to the transmission and generation of electricity for industrial users. We demonstrate the application of EMP on a single-column air separation unit. The scheduling problem is cast as a mixed integer linear program that can be solved in a practical amount of time. Extensive numerical studies are used to place EMP in the context of other production scheduling methods (such as demand response), and demonstrate its potential for significant reductions in GHG emissions.