Mitsubishi Power Enhances Hydrogen Efficiency in Petroleum Refining Process

Mitsubishi Power, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), has launched an energy balance optimization service using its Tonomi suite of intelligent solutions to improve hydrogen utilization efficiency in the petroleum refining process. The service was initially implemented as part of a demonstration experiment at ENEOS Corporation's Sakai Refinery in Osaka, Japan.

MHI's cloud platform, Tonomi, incorporates Energy Cloud, an analytics platform that employs proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. The experiment successfully regulated hydrogen production and consumption volume in the oil refining desulfurization stage and efficiently used the by-product hydrogen obtained in subsequent refining processes. Based on these results, Mitsubishi Power began providing this solution to ENEOS in February 2023.

In the refining process, hydrogen is used for desulfurization to remove sulfur from crude oil, which varies according to the oil's region of origin. Refineries require advanced operations, including adjusting hydrogen production volume using unused source gas (off-gas), an operation that typically relies on the expertise of skilled staff. Tonomi's AI technology, trained on service usage data, lowers costs and maintains advanced operational technology. Moreover, the AI system determines the volume of by-product hydrogen recirculated to hydrogen production equipment after desulfurization.

The project aims to optimize overall facility operations and reduce CO₂ emissions by applying MHI Group's AI and IoT technologies, acquired through experience with chemical plants and power generation facilities, to the upstream fuel supply process in the value chain. MHI Group will offer this service under a subscription-type license agreement, providing solutions to support energy transition proposals requiring infrastructure expansion or new technology development.