A Case Study on an UK Oil Refinery During Day-To-Day and Turnaround
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Sustainability and waste management: a case study on an UK oil refinery during day-to-day and turnaround operations Gledys González A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Philosophy in sustainability engineering and energy systems Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences University of Surrey November 2015 © Gledys González 2015 Declaration of originality Declaration of originality This thesis and the work to which it refers are the results of my own efforts. Any ideas, data, images or text resulting from the work of others (whether published or unpublished) are fully identified as such within the work and attributed to their originator in the text, bibliography or in footnotes. This thesis has not been submitted in whole or in part for any other academic degree or professional qualification. I agree that the University has the right to submit my work to the plagiarism detection service TurnitinUK for originality checks. Whether or not drafts have been so-assessed, the University reserves the right to require an electronic version of the final document (as submitted) for assessment as above. Student’s name: _________________ Date: _______________ 2 Summary Summary To achieve sustainability in the global economy requires all organisations to operate in ways which are equitable and socially acceptable, technological viable, economically affordable and with minimum impact to the environment. Worldwide, and in particular in the UK, the sustainability of the oil refining industry has come under increasing scrutiny in an environment with high energy demand and stringent regulations. The oil refining sector processes large amounts of raw materials and produces substantial quantities of waste which need to be treated, mostly at facilities away from the refinery site. Waste management represents a challenge to the industry not only because of the impacts to the environment but also due to high treatment costs. This thesis describes research carried out to investigate and address some of the problems related to sustainability, in particular the management of raw materials and waste, based on the Valero Refinery, Pembroke, Wales as a specific example. The starting point of this research was a review of general theory, legislation and practice for measuring, monitoring and managing raw materials consumption and waste production. This was followed by an analysis of specific waste management practices at the Valero Refinery which showed that individual process units can do much to improve their performance by increased monitoring and control. Following the identification, classification and quantification of refinery waste over 2007-2013, it was observed that although variable, the annual amount of total waste produced has shown an increasing trend from about 21 kt to 24 kt with a peak of 29 kt in 2011. Similarly, the total annual costs of waste treatment have increased from about £2.0 M to £5.0 M. From this trend it was identified that hazardous waste was the largest (about 75 % w/w) and costliest (about 70 % of total) waste to treat, composed mainly of fluoridic caustic (about 85 %) but with significant contributions from phenolic caustic and oily sludge. Finally, a novel application of material flow analysis (MFA) methodology was developed to detect points where value could be recovered and waste reduced during a refinery-wide turnaround for maintenance and project purposes. The MFA revealed that waste management practices, in particular collection, segregation and temporary storage of some wastes, can be improved to avoid environmental contamination, landfilling and transportation within and outside the Refinery boundaries. It also evidenced opportunities to investigate alternative treatment methods, especially for used catalysts. 3 Acknowledgements Acknowledgements I would like to thank the Centre for Environmental Strategy (CES) of the University of Surrey especially Chris France for giving me the opportunity to carry out this research providing all the support on both academic and personal levels. To Brian and Kelly a big “thank you” for their continued help which made the research process less difficult. To my academic supervisors Phil Holmes and Roland Clift goes my deepest gratitude for their constant guidance and dedication during the last three years, thanks for your wisdom, motivation and experience. Special thanks to Aidong Yang who gave guidance at the beginning of this project. I do not have words to express my gratitude to Neil White, my industrial supervisor who provided all the expertise and information required to finish this project. Thank you very much Neil for making the time spent at the Refinery an invaluable professional and personal experience. I am especially grateful to the HES team for sharing unforgettable moments; guys your commitment and hard work have made Pembroke one of the most reliable, safe, efficient and environmentally sound world class refinery. Special thanks go to Veolia, particularly to Wayne Tapper who kindly answered all of my questions related to the management of waste on-off site. The Environment Agency of England deserves special thanks for providing pollution inventory data with regard to the production of oily sludge. I would also like to thank my family, in particular my parents, brother, sisters and Aunty G.R., whose love, patience and wise words were always there specially when most needed. Special thoughts go to my husband Inigo and daughter Giovanna, two precious gifts that God has given me; thanks for being with me on this journey unconditionally. Finally I would like to say “Glory to God in the highest”, my Lord Jesus Christ, the way, the truth and the life. 4 Table of contents Table of contents 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 23 1.1 The general approach to sustainability ............................................................... 23 1.2 The challenge of achieving sustainability in the oil refining industry ............. 24 1.2.1 Oil refining business ....................................................................................... 26 1.2.2 Oil refinery operations and main environmental issues .................................. 29 1.2.3 EU environmental policies and targets: key challenges for the oil refining industry ....................................................................................................................... 34 1.3 Problem definition ................................................................................................ 36 1.4 Project aim and specific objectives ...................................................................... 37 1.5 Thesis content ........................................................................................................ 38 2 REVIEWS OF ESTABLISHED THEORY AND PRACTICE ........................ 39 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 39 2.2 Sustainable development in manufacturing processes ...................................... 40 2.2.1 The concept of sustainable development and the systems approach .............. 40 2.2.2 Sustainable development in the EU ................................................................ 42 2.2.3 Measuring progress in sustainable development ............................................ 47 2.2.4 Existing tools for sustainability assessment .................................................... 50 2.2.4.1 Life cycle assessment (LCA) .................................................................. 52 2.2.4.2 Environmental impact assessment (EIA) ................................................ 56 2.2.4.3 Corporate social responsibility (CSR) .................................................... 59 2.2.5 Sustainable industry ........................................................................................ 63 2.3 Regulatory frameworks governing EU/UK oil refining facilities ..................... 65 2.3.1 Legislative framework .................................................................................... 66 2.3.1.1 Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) ..................................................... 67 2.3.1.2 Waste Framework Directive (WFD) ....................................................... 71 2.3.1.3 List of Waste (LoW) ............................................................................... 74 5 Table of contents 2.3.1.4 Regulation on Shipments of Waste ......................................................... 75 2.3.1.5 Landfill Directive .................................................................................... 76 2.4 Environmental management in the oil refining industry .................................. 76 2.4.1 Integrated approach, continuous improvement and pollution prevention ...... 77 2.4.1.1 Integrated approach and continuous improvement ................................. 78 2.4.1.2 Pollution prevention ................................................................................ 80 2.4.2 Environmental Management System of Valero Refinery, Pembroke ............. 81 2.4.2.1 Environmental policy .............................................................................. 82 2.4.2.2 Procedures, work processes and other documents .................................. 84 2.4.3 Environmental permitting: the case of Valero Refinery, Pembroke ............... 88 2.4.4 Waste management practices at Valero Refinery,