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• 1 2017-12-01T18:09:37-08:00 The Future of Sustainable Refineries 10 By Bailey Klause image_header 2017-12-05T21:10:43-08:00 Image: IndianOil Refinery. By Kendash1987 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  
  One positive sign for the future of refineries is the new Davis refinery which will be located near Belfield, North Dakota. As described on the Davis Refinery website, Meridian Energy Group Inc.'s new refinery will implement many sustainable technologies, and the proposed project will be the “cleanest refinery in operation on the planet.” It plans to emit “near zero harmful green-house gasses so common at other refineries” while also being a “zero [water] discharge facility” (Meridian Energy Group Inc.). As has been established, refineries are a necessity for the near future. Nobody wants a refinery in their “backyard”, but the Davis refinery offers a way for Meridian Energy to economically refine Bakken oil without substantial drawbacks for the environment and people living nearby. This new refinery will reach a balance between the sustainability that our planet needs, and the oil products that society demands.
  Climate change is a major issue facing our society today, and refineries need to take action to reduce their environmental impact. The mass amounts of pollutants and greenhouse gases that are emitted from the refining process negatively affect the health of the environment and the people living near refineries. Also, the amount of fresh, clean water around the world is limited, and refineries put a major strain on these resources. Most oil companies are financially capable of investing in sustainable technology, but opt out in order to increase their profit. Without a major shift in the industry, refineries will continue to contribute to the destruction of our planet.
  • Meridian Energy Group Inc. Davis Refinery. Meridian Energy Group Inc. Web. 29 Nov. 2017.
     
• 1 2017-12-01T17:57:28-08:00 Technological Solutions 8 By Bailey Klause image_header 2017-12-05T20:44:45-08:00 Image: Naantali oil refinery 220514. By Xepheid (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  
  One of the technologies being implemented that will have a positive effect on refinery emissions is flare gas recovery and reuse. Oil refineries can compress and manipulate the flare gases that are produced during the refining process in order to use them for fuel. In the report, “Reducing Emissions in Plant Flaring Operations”, Brian Duck, flare systems business leader for Callidus Technologies, discusses the success of two flare gas recovery systems that were implemented in Dushanzi, China. As Duck notes, the systems were able to “recover 60 million British thermal units per hour (MMBTU/hr) of flare gas” (44). He also claims, “the plant prevented 32.5 metric tons of NO_x, 176.8 metric tons of CO and 67,000 metric tons of CO₂ from being emitted into the atmosphere each year” (45). These results are only from one refinery. Imagine if every refinery around the world decided to implement flare gas recovery systems.
  Business leaders may argue against the implementation of this technology based on its cost. But as Emam calculated, the Dushanzi refinery “will save more than $ 5,000,000 per year on fuel gas costs” (46), and will recover the costs of implementing the systems in “less than 9 months” (46). This goes to show that refineries really should be able to minimize their emissions. The flare gas recovery systems, despite a large upfront cost, will result in long term benefits for both the refinery through reduced fuel costs and the environment through reduced emissions.
  There are also other technologies that refineries can use to reduce their emissions. One of these technologies is infrared gas-imaging cameras. According to the EPA article written by Julia Valentine, “Oil Refiners to Reduce Air Pollution at Six Refineries Under Settlement with EPA and Department of Justice,” these cameras can be uses to detect VOC leaks that might otherwise go unnoticed. Another innovation that the article discussed was the implementation of “ultra-low NO_x burners” in furnaces used by refineries (Valentine). These burners will result in “significant quantifiable reductions in NO_x emissions.” Along with refinery cultural shifts towards sustainability, these measures can help to mitigate some of the pollution the industry causes. 
  As discussed earlier, the usage of water is a major issue in the refining industry. Daniel Sujo-Nava, Lisa A. Scodari, C. Stewart Slater, Kevin Dahm, and Mariano J. Savelski discuss a water treatment and reuse method in the article “Retrofit of Sour Water Networks in Oil Refineries: A Case Study”. Although many refineries already have water treatment systems in place, many of them are not as efficient as they could be. As Sujo-Nava et al. found, their water treatment method could obtain “almost zero freshwater consumption” (899). Overall, they were able to obtain sour water generation savings of 52%, freshwater consumption savings of 83%, energy usage savings of 54%, CO₂ emission savings of 54%, and operation cost savings of 54% (899). Similar to what was found with the flare gas recovery technologies, their water treatment process would cost $248,000, but would pay itself off in 131 days (Sujo-Nava et al. 899). With positive input and output figures like these, oil refineries should make more of an effort to upgrade their technologies and reduce their environmental impact. 
  This all goes to show that oil refining does not have to be the environmentally destructive industry that it is now. Near Belfield, North Dakota, Meridian Energy Group Inc. is currently in the process of building its new Davis Refinery which will implement many new sustainable technologies. As described on the Davis Refinery website, the proposed project will be the “cleanest refinery in operation on the planet.” It plans to emit “near zero harmful green-house gasses so common at other refineries” while also being a “zero [water] discharge facility” (Meridian Energy Group Inc.). As has been established, refineries are a necessity for the near future. Nobody wants a refinery in their “backyard”, but the Davis refinery offers a way for Meridian Energy to economically refine Bakken oil without substantial drawbacks for the environment and people living nearby. This new refinery will reach a balance between the sustainability that our planet needs, and the oil products that society demands.
  • Meridian Energy Group Inc. Davis Refinery. Meridian Energy Group Inc. Web. 29 Nov. 2017.
  • Duck, Brian. “Reducing Emissions in Plant Flaring Operations.” Hydrocarbon World 6.1 (2014): 43-45. Web. 22 Nov. 2017. 
  • Emam, Eman A. “Gas Flaring in Industry: An Overview.” Petroleum & Coal, International Journal for Petroleum Processing, Petrochemistry and Coal Processing 57 (2015): 532-555. Web. 17 Nov. 2017. 
  • Sujo-Nava, Daniel, Lisa A. Scoderi, C. Stewart Slater, Kevin Dahm, and Mariano J. Savelski. “Retrofit of Sour Water Networks in Oil Refineries: A Case Study.” Chemical Engineering and Processing: Process Intensification 48 (2009): 892-901. Web. 17 Nov. 2017.
  • Valentine, Julia P. “Oil Refiners to Reduce Air Pollution at Six Refineries under Settlement with EPA and Department of Justice.” EPA, 18 July 2016. Web. 17 Nov. 2017.