A pathway towards net-zero carbon emissions in Oil Refineries:
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), if we have to
limit future temperature increases to 1.5degree Centigrade., we must do more than just
increase efforts to reduce emissions – we also need to deploy technologies to remove
CO2 from the atmosphere.
Emission Reduction Goals: Around 1.3 gigatons of Co2 emissions need to be
reduced annually from oil refineries to achieve the net zero goal.
We can use advanced developed technologies to meet this objective:
1. Carbon Capture and Storage:
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a technology designed to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by capturing carbon dioxide from large point sources like power plants and
industrial processes, transporting it to a storage site, and depositing it underground
where it will not enter the atmosphere.
There are three major steps in the CCS process:
1. Capturing CO2: Firstly, CO2 is separated from other gaseous products emitted
during various industrial activities. Capturing technologies include post-combustion,
pre-combustion, and oxyfuel combustion.
2. Transporting CO2: Once the CO2 is captured, it is compressed into liquid form and
transported via pipelines, ships, or trucks to storage locations.
3. Storage of CO2: CO2 is injected into underground geological formations, such as
depleted oil and gas fields, deep saline aquifers, or unmineable coal seams, for long-
term storage.
There are 3 plants in India, that have implemented CCS to cut CO2 emissions.
CCUS:
There is a related concept to CCS that is CCUS which stands for Carbon Capture
Utilisation and Storage. The idea is that, instead of storing CO2, it could be re-used in
industrial processes by converting it into plastics, concrete biofuel, etc.
PROS OF CCS:
1. The primary benefit of CCS is that it reduces carbon dioxide emissions. These
emissions are responsible for a significant portion of global warming and climate
change. We can reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by adopting this technology.
2. CCS can also help to improve our energy security. As we transition away from fossil
fuels, we need to find new sources of energy that are reliable and affordable. CCS can
help to make renewable sources of energy such as wind and solar energy.
3. Carbon capture projects increase financial potential in the form of carbon credits.
4. They can be used for Enhanced Oil Recovery projects, where CO2 is injected into oil
reservoirs to increase oil production.
LIMITATIONS:
1. This technology is very expensive. This technology requires significant investments
in research, development, and infrastructure, which can be prohibitively expensive. So,
research is very important in order to help reduce such costs. ($60 to $90 per ton of CO2
captured)
2. This technology requires a lot of energy to capture carbon dioxide and transport it to
other storage sites.
3. There are several environmental risks associated with this technology. As this
technology includes injection of CO2 into geological formations, so it can lead to
leakage chances or seepage into groundwater or the atmosphere.
4.This technology has high potential but still it is limited to limited scale. This is because
of the high costs, technical challenges and other hurdles which are associated with it.
5. Injections of CO2 gas into the geological formations is not so easy.
6. Strong policy support and regulatory frameworks are necessary to drive the adoption
of this technology but in today’s scenario, we lack here.
2. ELECTRIFICATION:
Transitioning from fossil fuel-based processes to electric ones powered by renewable
energy can reduce emissions. This include using electric heaters, boilers, and other
equipment.
3. USE OF HYDROGEN:
Replacing conventional hydrogen production (which emits Co2) with green hydrogen
(produced using renewable energy) can significantly cut emissions.
4. USE OF BIOENERGY:
Integrating bioenergy, such as using biomass or biofuels, can reduce the carbon
footprints of refineries.
