Monitoring and reporting of CO2 emissions from oil refineries

The ‘Greenhouse gas emissions trading Directive’ (2003/87/EC), due to take effect in 2005, will require oil refineries to obtain permits for emitting CO₂ and, more generally, greenhouse gases (GHG). The scheme will be based on allocated or purchased emission permits that will need to match actual emissions. It will therefore rely on an accounting system for GHG emissions which must be based on a sound methodology for measuring actual emissions from industrial sites.

Accordingly, in January 2004 the EU Commission issued a set of Guidelines for the Member States and local authorities concerning monitoring and reporting of GHG emissions in installations covered by the emissions trading Directive1. The Guidelines contain a number of general provisions as well as a specific section for each of the trading sectors, oil refining being one of them.