Effect of product quality changes on energy consumption and CO2 emissions from European refineries

Report no. 6/95: This report quantifies the impact of demand arid product quality changes on refinery energy consumption, and therefore CO₂ emissions, covering the period from 1980 through to 2010. Refinery energy consumption remained relatively constant during the period 1980 to 1990 as an investment in conservation measures compensated for increases due to additional processing for product quality and demand changes. This situation will not be mirrored in the period 1990 to 2010.

Refinery specific energy consumption is forecast to grow by 50% to 75% by the year 2010, from 5.8% to between 8.7% and 10.2% of refinery intake, to meet future product quality and demand changes with limited economic opportunities for further energy conservation Absolute CO₂ emissions are very dependent on the product demand projections and therefore refinery intake. In the two scenarios evaluated, CO₂ emissions by the year 2010 are forecast to range from 98 Mtlyr to 156 Mtlyr, an increase of between 4% and 65% on 1990 levels.