Optimal Industrial Symbiosis for the Jorf Lasfar Platform
The Jorf Lasfar Platform is a large, tightly integrated phosphate mineral processing facility comprising multiple fertilizer production lines with accompanying utilities such as steam generation, electrical power generation, seawater desalination, wastewater treatment, etc. This project will study the Jorf Lasfar Platform from the perspective of industrial symbiosis: specifically, how to plan current operation, retrofit, byproduct monetization and expansion of the Jorf Lasfar Platform in order to generate attractive returns on investment, while at the same remaining in balance with the environment in terms of energy and water consumption, making the best use of all the material and energy inputs to the system, and reducing waste production. The proposed approach is to develop suitable platform-wide process (engineering) models that will be deployed in mathematical optimization formulations to determine optimal operation, retrofit and development plans, incorporating the influence of uncertainty. Important and unique aspects are the availability of data from a real system, and the role of feedback from OCP personnel to refine and improve the results. The project plan involves close interactions and collaboration with key OCP personnel and the new Simulation Laboratory at UM6P.
