Feasibility Study on Technical, Economic, and Environmental Aspects of Synthetic Diesel Production from Natural Gas throughout Its Life Cycle
DOI: 10.14416/j.ind.tech.2026.04.010
Keywords:
Fischer-Tropsch, Syngas, Synthesis diesel, Life cycle assessment, Techno-economic analysisAbstract
This study evaluates the technical, economic, and environmental feasibility of producing 2,500 bbl/d of synthetic diesel from natural gas via autothermal reforming coupled with the Fischer–Tropsch process. Two energy management approaches were compared: (1) releasing excess energy and (2) recovering excess energy for reuse. Results show that the second strategy significantly reduces resource consumption, including cooling water (8,948,042 kg/d), heat (2,241 MMBtu/d), and electricity (784,662 kWh/d), compared with the first strategy, which relies heavily on external energy. Moreover, the recovery strategy delivers superior economic performance, with a ROI of 13.66%, IRR of 13.81% per year, NPV of USD 65 million, and a payback period of 6 years and 10 months. Efficient energy management also mitigates environmental impacts, particularly human toxicity, fossil resource scarcity, and global warming. The study highlights the potential of clean fuel production processes to support sustainable energy goals and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Thailand.
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