Improving the economic performance of AkzoNobel's EVB plant

Improving the economic performance of AkzoNobel's EVB plant

Borren, A.J.

Herder, P.M. (mentor)
Lukszo, Z. (mentor)
Stougie, L. (mentor)
De Bruijne, M.L.C. (mentor)

Technology, Policy and Management

Energy & Industry

SEPAM

2013-08-30

AkzoNobel Energie Voorzienings Bedrijf (EVB – Energy Supply Company) is located at the Botlek business park in Rotterdam. EVB produces and supplies energy and utilities to other production plants at the Botlek site. Due to the intertwined value chain and reuse of each other’s residual and waste products, the situation at the Botlek is complicated. This report describes the development of a decision support model that contributes to an improved economic efficiency of AkzoNobel’s EVB plant. The decision support model calculates the optimal production settings that minimize the variable costs and assure that at all times the critical operational conditions are met. By comparing the results of the optimization model with the base case model, it can be concluded that there is a savings potential of more than 6% of the variable costs of the EVB plant. From the optimized production settings a pattern is distinguished. This pattern is translated into a set of operational rules that can be applied to the EVB plant to realize the savings potential. The next step is to carefully analyze the consequences of the operational rules for the operations and the implications for customers. Only then the new operational rules can be incorporated and the savings potential can be realized.

optimization
decision support model
chemical industry
economic efficiency

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:1e5ca95d-df73-44aa-b856-855c142d84ef

2014-03-01

Student theses

master thesis

(c) 2013 Borren, A.J.