The energy efficiency of crude oil refining in Brazil: A Brazilian refinery plant case

This article evaluates energy efficiency in Brazilian crude oil refining in comparison with the crude oil refining in the United States between 1930 and 2008. It aims to show that increased refinery complexity reduces the energy consumption of products of high value added. Moreover, the article shows that improvements in energy efficiency result in higher quality products and increased processing of oil. A Brazilian refinery with a capacity of 157,000 barrels per day (kbpd) was modernized in 2008 at a cost of US $1.3 billion. As a result, its capacity increased by 17%, from 157 to 189 kbpd. Its complexity index also rose from 3.2 to 6.8, allowing an improvement in the EII (energy intensity index) from 110% to 93%. In relation to the crude oil processed before being modernized, energy consumption fell from 0.75 to 0.52 MBtu (million British thermal units) per barrel processed. These proceedings show that increases in complexity reduce the energy consumed in the production of final products with high value added, such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.

► Increased refinery complexity reduces the energy consumption of products of high value added.
► Improvements in refinery energy efficiency result in higher quality products and increased processing of oil.
► Brazilian refineries were not affected significantly in the 2008 crisis, such as the US refineries, due to many factors.
► The EII of Brazilian refining presents real opportunities for gains through changes in the profile of energy consumed.