A chemical complex for oxidative dehydrogenation of lower alkanes, the chemical complex comprising in cooperative arrangement: i) at least one oxidative dehydrogenation reactor, comprising an oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst and designed to accept, optionally in the presence of an inert diluent, an oxygen containing gas and a lower alkane containing gas, and to produce a product stream comprising the corresponding alkene and possibly one or more of: a. unreacted lower alkane; b. oxygen; c. inert diluent; d. carbon oxides, including carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide; e. oxygenates, including acetic acid, acrylic acid and maleic acid; and f. water; ii) a quench tower for quenching the product stream and for removing water and soluble oxygenates from said product stream; iii) an amine wash for removing carbon dioxide from said product stream; iv) a dryer for removal of water from said product stream; v) a distillation tower for removing C2/C2+ hydrocarbons from said product stream to produce an overhead stream enriched with C1 hydrocarbons; vi) optionally, a means for introducing a combustible fuel into said overhead stream; and vii) an oxygen separation module comprising: a. an oxygen transport membrane housed inside a sealed vessel and having a retentate side and a permeate side; b. a first inlet for introducing said overhead stream, combustible fuel, or both into said retentate side; c. a second inlet for introducing said overhead stream, combustible fuel, or both into said permeate side; d. an air inlet for introducing air into the retentate side; e. an exhaust for discharge of oxygen depleted air and combustion products from said retentate side; and f. an outlet for removing oxygen enriched gas and combustion products from said permeate side; wherein the components in i) through vii) are connected in series in the sequence described, such that the complex is adapted to direct the overhead stream from v) into said retentate side, said permeate side, or both said retentate side and said permeate side, and the complex is optionally adapted to direct the oxygen enriched gas and combustion products from said permeate side back to i) as, or as part of, the oxygen containing gas introduced into the at least one oxidative dehydrogenation reactor; wherein the term "lower alkane" includes saturated hydrocarbons with from 2 to 6 carbon atoms, and the term "lower alkene" includes hydrocarbons with from 2 to 6 carbon atoms having a single carboncarbon double bond. i) at least one oxidative dehydrogenation reactor, comprising an oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst and designed to accept, optionally in the presence of an inert diluent, an oxygen containing gas and a lower alkane containing gas, and to produce a product stream comprising the corresponding alkene and possibly one or more of: a. unreacted lower alkane; b. oxygen; c. inert diluent; d. carbon oxides, including carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide; e. oxygenates, including acetic acid, acrylic acid and maleic acid; and f. water; a. unreacted lower alkane; b. oxygen; c. inert diluent; d. carbon oxides, including carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide; e. oxygenates, including acetic acid, acrylic acid and maleic acid; and f. water; ii) a quench tower for quenching the product stream and for removing water and soluble oxygenates from said product stream; iii) an amine wash for removing carbon dioxide from said product stream; iv) a dryer for removal of water from said product stream; v) a distillation tower for removing C2/C2+ hydrocarbons from said product stream to produce an overhead stream enriched with C1 hydrocarbons; vi) optionally, a means for introducing a combustible fuel into said overhead stream; and vii) an oxygen separation module comprising: a. an oxygen transport membrane housed inside a sealed vessel and having a retentate side and a permeate side; b. a first inlet for introducing said overhead stream, combustible fuel, or both into said retentate side; c. a second inlet for introducing said overhead stream, combustible fuel, or both into said permeate side; d. an air inlet for introducing air into the retentate side; e. an exhaust for discharge of oxygen depleted air and combustion products from said retentate side; and f. an outlet for removing oxygen enriched gas and combustion products from said permeate side; a. an oxygen transport membrane housed inside a sealed vessel and having a retentate side and a permeate side; b. a first inlet for introducing said overhead stream, combustible fuel, or both into said retentate side; c. a second inlet for introducing said overhead stream, combustible fuel, or both into said permeate side; d. an air inlet for introducing air into the retentate side; e. an exhaust for discharge of oxygen depleted air and combustion products from said retentate side; and f. an outlet for removing oxygen enriched gas and combustion products from said permeate side;