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LG Chem is Korea's first and largest vertically integrated chemical company. Founded in 1947, the company has emerged as one of the world's top 30 chemical makers. LG Chem produces a variety of chemical products ranging from petrochemicals to specialty chemicals, as well as electronic materials.
Last year, ARC interviewed Mr. Chang-Hoon Kang, project manager at the Petrochemicals Division's Daesan ethylene plant. Mr. Kang told us that, previously, the plant had problems meeting corporate goals due to a variety of issues such as variability of feedstock quality. However, using an advanced process control-based (APC) solution, the engineering team solved the problem to achieve plant operational stability, increase production, and decrease energy consumption. In doing so, the benefits more than paid for the investment.
Plant operations needed stability.
LG Chem's Daesan ethylene plant is an important asset in LG Chem's Petrochemicals unit. The plant was experiencing difficulty in meeting its corporate operations goals due to a variety of issues. The naphtha feed typically varies considerably in quality, and the plant has issues related to furnace decoking, and tank and dryer swings. Since ethylene crackers are major energy-consuming units, the dynamics of the process further prohibited any attempts at comprehensive energy management. This all contributed to a process that was seldom in steady state.
Through a quality improvement program called "gaisen," the company had previously improved the process, more than...