Page 317 - Sustainability in the Process Industry Integration and Optimization

294 Cha p te r T w e l v e

proposals—which are often unconventional—to plant management,
investors, and contractors. This was a big problem when PI was just
beginning, and great strides in this area were made by UMIST, Bodo
Linnhoff, and his company Linnhoff March in the 1980s and 1990s.
PI has since proven itself and gained in popularity, so decision
makers have become more receptive.
Much of the situation’s improvement is due to multinational
companies that have incorporated PI into their design and operational
practice. Because the methodology has become widespread, it is not
possible to list all of these companies. However, among the pioneers
were members of the UMIST and, after the merger, the University of
Manchester Process Integration Research Consortium: Air Products,
Aspen, BASF, Bayer, BOC, BP, Canmet, Degussa, EDF, Engineers
India, Exxon Mobil, Hydro, IFP, JGC, KBC, Mitsubishi Chemical
Corporation, MOL, MW Kellogg, Petrobras, Petroleum Research
Centre, Petrom, Petronas, Saudi Aramco, Shell, Sinopec, Technip,
Total, UOP, and Vito. These firms were joined in the consortium by
several universities, including University POLITEHNICA Bucharest
and Petronas Technological University.
There have also been strong supporters of PI in the United
States, both at universities and in the industry; some of them are
listed in Chapter 13. A major goal remains a close collaboration and
smooth joint effort among PI specialists and the designers,
managers, and owners (or contractors) of processing plants. A
project’s best chance of success is when all these stakeholders share
the goal of developing an optimized and sustainable process.