The potential for application of CO2 capture and storage in EU oil refineries

Report no. 7/11: CO₂ Capture and Storage (CCS) is a potential route to large scale reduction of CO₂ emissions to the atmosphere from large power generation and manufacturing facilities. It does, however, raise a number of technological, economic and legal challenges.

This report reviews the state of knowledge in the areas of transport and storage of CO2, to focus mainly on CO₂ capture in oil refineries. Sources of refinery CO₂ emissions, the capture technologies that can potentially be deployed in that environment and the particular issues facing refiners in the application of CCS are discussed from both a technological and an economic point of view.

One important conclusion is that the volumes and unit locations for CO₂ production in refineries are not conducive to CCS projects in individual refineries and will require alliances with other large CO₂  producers, particularly the power industry, in order to be commercially justified.