BIST
8987
USD/EUR
1,0791
Amerikan Doları
8,93256
Euro
36,2465
İngiliz Sterlini
42,3799
Japon Yeni
22,1664
Rus Rublesi
8,2533
SA Riyali
7,1666
Altın
3,14246
Son Güncelleme: 28.03.2024 10:42
Site İstatiğimiz
Toplam: 50843609

Top News

EU stays within air pollutant emission limits

The European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing ‘National Emission reduction Commitments (NEC) Directive reporting status 2021’, published yesterday, provides an annual update assessing European Union (EU) Member States’ progress in cutting air pollutant emissions. The briefing shows that while most Member States met their respective limits in 2019, further efforts are needed to achieve the reduction commitments set for the period 2020-29 and for 2030 and onwards.

Based on the latest national air pollutant inventories, all Member States respected their national emission ceilings for nitrogen oxides (NOX), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) and sulphur dioxide (SO2), while four Member States — Croatia, Czechia, Ireland and Spain — exceeded their limit for ammonia (NH3).

The lockdown measures implemented across Europe to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 and the subsequent reduced economic activity in 2020 can be expected to have had an impact on emissions of some pollutants. The impact of the measures on emissions in 2020 will only become clear once national air pollutant inventories for 2020 are reported in mid-2022.

Looking forward, nine Member States have already achieved cuts in emissions set for the period 2020-2029 for all five key pollutants, including fine particulate matter (PM2.5). However, to reach the 2030 commitments, all Member States except Estonia need to reduce their NOX emissions, 22 Member States need to reduce NH3 emissions, and 18 Member States need to reduce NMVOCs emissions.

In terms of emissions of PM2.5, — the main pollutant driving premature death and disease from air pollution — EU emissions fell by 29 % from 2005 to 2019. Nevertheless, significant efforts are needed to achieve reduction commitments set for 2030 and onwards for this pollutant. In particular, three Member States — Czechia, Hungary and Romania — will need to reduce their emissions by more than 50 % and 10 Member States by more than 30 %.

Changes in the energy sector will be crucial for meeting the 2020-29 and 2030 reduction commitments for PM2.5, with a focus on reducing the use of biomass and coal in residential heating needed in certain Member States. Ammonia (NH3) — mainly emitted from the agriculture sector, in particular livestock management and the use of fertilisers — also contributes to the formation of PM2.5 in the atmosphere, with further action needed to reduce emissions of NH3 from the sector. Road transport is the principal source of NOX emissions.

Reporting under UNECE Air Convention

Along with the EEA briefing on the NEC Directive, the EEA has also published the report European Union emission inventory report 1990-2019, which looks at air pollutant emissions reported under the UNECE Air Convention. The report shows considerable reductions in the 1990-2019 emissions of five key pollutants: carbon monoxide (CO), NH3, NOX, NMVOCs, and sulphur oxides (SOX). SOX emissions have fallen by 92 % since 1990, as a result of switching from high to low sulphur fuels, the use of emission abatement technologies and increased energy efficiency in industry and in commercial and institutional buildings and households.

EU stays within air pollutant emission limits

The European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing ‘National Emission reduction Commitments (NEC) Directive reporting status 2021’, published yesterday, provides an annual update assessing European Union (EU) Member States’ progress in cutting air pollutant emissions. The briefing shows that while most Member States met their respective limits in 2019, further efforts are needed to achieve the reduction commitments set for the period 2020-29 and for 2030 and onwards.

Based on the latest national air pollutant inventories, all Member States respected their national emission ceilings for nitrogen oxides (NOX), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) and sulphur dioxide (SO2), while four Member States — Croatia, Czechia, Ireland and Spain — exceeded their limit for ammonia (NH3).

The lockdown measures implemented across Europe to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 and the subsequent reduced economic activity in 2020 can be expected to have had an impact on emissions of some pollutants. The impact of the measures on emissions in 2020 will only become clear once national air pollutant inventories for 2020 are reported in mid-2022.

Looking forward, nine Member States have already achieved cuts in emissions set for the period 2020-2029 for all five key pollutants, including fine particulate matter (PM2.5). However, to reach the 2030 commitments, all Member States except Estonia need to reduce their NOX emissions, 22 Member States need to reduce NH3 emissions, and 18 Member States need to reduce NMVOCs emissions.

In terms of emissions of PM2.5, — the main pollutant driving premature death and disease from air pollution — EU emissions fell by 29 % from 2005 to 2019. Nevertheless, significant efforts are needed to achieve reduction commitments set for 2030 and onwards for this pollutant. In particular, three Member States — Czechia, Hungary and Romania — will need to reduce their emissions by more than 50 % and 10 Member States by more than 30 %.

Changes in the energy sector will be crucial for meeting the 2020-29 and 2030 reduction commitments for PM2.5, with a focus on reducing the use of biomass and coal in residential heating needed in certain Member States. Ammonia (NH3) — mainly emitted from the agriculture sector, in particular livestock management and the use of fertilisers — also contributes to the formation of PM2.5 in the atmosphere, with further action needed to reduce emissions of NH3 from the sector. Road transport is the principal source of NOX emissions.

Reporting under UNECE Air Convention

Along with the EEA briefing on the NEC Directive, the EEA has also published the report European Union emission inventory report 1990-2019, which looks at air pollutant emissions reported under the UNECE Air Convention. The report shows considerable reductions in the 1990-2019 emissions of five key pollutants: carbon monoxide (CO), NH3, NOX, NMVOCs, and sulphur oxides (SOX). SOX emissions have fallen by 92 % since 1990, as a result of switching from high to low sulphur fuels, the use of emission abatement technologies and increased energy efficiency in industry and in commercial and institutional buildings and households.

EU stays within air pollutant emission limits

The European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing ‘National Emission reduction Commitments (NEC) Directive reporting status 2021’, published yesterday, provides an annual update assessing European Union (EU) Member States’ progress in cutting air pollutant emissions. The briefing shows that while most Member States met their respective limits in 2019, further efforts are needed to achieve the reduction commitments set for the period 2020-29 and for 2030 and onwards.

Based on the latest national air pollutant inventories, all Member States respected their national emission ceilings for nitrogen oxides (NOX), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) and sulphur dioxide (SO2), while four Member States — Croatia, Czechia, Ireland and Spain — exceeded their limit for ammonia (NH3).

The lockdown measures implemented across Europe to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 and the subsequent reduced economic activity in 2020 can be expected to have had an impact on emissions of some pollutants. The impact of the measures on emissions in 2020 will only become clear once national air pollutant inventories for 2020 are reported in mid-2022.

Looking forward, nine Member States have already achieved cuts in emissions set for the period 2020-2029 for all five key pollutants, including fine particulate matter (PM2.5). However, to reach the 2030 commitments, all Member States except Estonia need to reduce their NOX emissions, 22 Member States need to reduce NH3 emissions, and 18 Member States need to reduce NMVOCs emissions.

In terms of emissions of PM2.5, — the main pollutant driving premature death and disease from air pollution — EU emissions fell by 29 % from 2005 to 2019. Nevertheless, significant efforts are needed to achieve reduction commitments set for 2030 and onwards for this pollutant. In particular, three Member States — Czechia, Hungary and Romania — will need to reduce their emissions by more than 50 % and 10 Member States by more than 30 %.

Changes in the energy sector will be crucial for meeting the 2020-29 and 2030 reduction commitments for PM2.5, with a focus on reducing the use of biomass and coal in residential heating needed in certain Member States. Ammonia (NH3) — mainly emitted from the agriculture sector, in particular livestock management and the use of fertilisers — also contributes to the formation of PM2.5 in the atmosphere, with further action needed to reduce emissions of NH3 from the sector. Road transport is the principal source of NOX emissions.

Reporting under UNECE Air Convention

Along with the EEA briefing on the NEC Directive, the EEA has also published the report European Union emission inventory report 1990-2019, which looks at air pollutant emissions reported under the UNECE Air Convention. The report shows considerable reductions in the 1990-2019 emissions of five key pollutants: carbon monoxide (CO), NH3, NOX, NMVOCs, and sulphur oxides (SOX). SOX emissions have fallen by 92 % since 1990, as a result of switching from high to low sulphur fuels, the use of emission abatement technologies and increased energy efficiency in industry and in commercial and institutional buildings and households.

European recycling industry prepares for larger volumes of post-use flexible polyolefin films

It analyses the industry’s operating environment, and the particular challenges involved in the collection, sorting and recycling of flexible films.

In preparing the report, AMI’s comprehensive and detailed in-house data on virgin polymer demand, polymer end use applications, and recycling capacities was combined with an extensive research programme including conversations with a wide range of industry participants.

The quantitative analysis includes a focus on volumes of post-use flexible polyolefin films generated as waste by end use sector and, considering collection rates, levels of contamination and international trade in post-use plastics, an assessment of the volumes of post-use films available to EU+3 recyclers as inputs into the recycling extrusion process. The latter data point is of particular importance given it marks the new calculation point for the EU’s recycling targets. Data is provided for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021, with forecasts for 2025 and 2030.

The report also identifies the top six countries in terms of recycling capacity for flexible polyolefin films in Europe, with Germany in the lead, as well as the region’s top ten film recyclers. This is complemented by a detailed analysis of existing and emerging end use applications for the outputs of the recycling process, providing data for 2020, 2025, and 2030.

The quantitative analysis is accompanied by a detailed assessment of the industry’s changing operating environment and the implications of these changes have for the industry’s future development.

In a market where demand for recyclates has traditionally been determined by fluctuations in virgin polymer prices, market forces alone are not sufficient to create a viable operating environment for recyclers. Legislation has become increasingly important as the key instrument to incentivise recyclate use beyond the sectors where consumer pressure and brand owner commitments have initiated change. Measures of key relevance can be found in the EU Strategy for Plastics in the Circular Economy.

AMI’s report explores the current collection and sorting processes for different types of flexible polyolefin films and how they impact upon volumes and quality of post-use films available for recycling. It also looks at definitions of ‘recyclability’ and the solutions market participants across the value chain are working on to achieve it. Technological innovations and the role chemical recycling can play to increase recycling rates for flexible films form further parts of the analysis.

With deadlines for meeting EU recycling targets approaching the recycling industry needs a clear commitment to investments into Europe’s collection & recycling infrastructure for flexible films. There is significant potential to increase the volume of post-use films made available for recycling, and to produce higher quality recyclates suitable for a broader range of end use applications.

European recycling industry prepares for larger volumes of post-use flexible polyolefin films

It analyses the industry’s operating environment, and the particular challenges involved in the collection, sorting and recycling of flexible films.

In preparing the report, AMI’s comprehensive and detailed in-house data on virgin polymer demand, polymer end use applications, and recycling capacities was combined with an extensive research programme including conversations with a wide range of industry participants.

The quantitative analysis includes a focus on volumes of post-use flexible polyolefin films generated as waste by end use sector and, considering collection rates, levels of contamination and international trade in post-use plastics, an assessment of the volumes of post-use films available to EU+3 recyclers as inputs into the recycling extrusion process. The latter data point is of particular importance given it marks the new calculation point for the EU’s recycling targets. Data is provided for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021, with forecasts for 2025 and 2030.

The report also identifies the top six countries in terms of recycling capacity for flexible polyolefin films in Europe, with Germany in the lead, as well as the region’s top ten film recyclers. This is complemented by a detailed analysis of existing and emerging end use applications for the outputs of the recycling process, providing data for 2020, 2025, and 2030.

The quantitative analysis is accompanied by a detailed assessment of the industry’s changing operating environment and the implications of these changes have for the industry’s future development.

In a market where demand for recyclates has traditionally been determined by fluctuations in virgin polymer prices, market forces alone are not sufficient to create a viable operating environment for recyclers. Legislation has become increasingly important as the key instrument to incentivise recyclate use beyond the sectors where consumer pressure and brand owner commitments have initiated change. Measures of key relevance can be found in the EU Strategy for Plastics in the Circular Economy.

AMI’s report explores the current collection and sorting processes for different types of flexible polyolefin films and how they impact upon volumes and quality of post-use films available for recycling. It also looks at definitions of ‘recyclability’ and the solutions market participants across the value chain are working on to achieve it. Technological innovations and the role chemical recycling can play to increase recycling rates for flexible films form further parts of the analysis.

With deadlines for meeting EU recycling targets approaching the recycling industry needs a clear commitment to investments into Europe’s collection & recycling infrastructure for flexible films. There is significant potential to increase the volume of post-use films made available for recycling, and to produce higher quality recyclates suitable for a broader range of end use applications.

Smart sensors reduce costs for waste collection by 20%

As of January 2021, Ekocharita began installing Sensoneo smart sensors to monitor the fill-levels of their containers in real-time. By the end of June they had monitored 600 containers, and thanks to data gained from the sensors, they managed to significantly improve the management of their operations as they:

  • decreased the time required for the collection of 1 tonne of textile waste by 30 percent,
  • reduced the waste collection cost by 20 percent,
  • and made the logistics process smoother and better organized.

Ekocharita operates within an area of 16000 km2 and manages 1300 containers for clothes, shoes, toys, and home textiles. The containers are usually distributed in busy urban areas. The availability of textile waste containers in close proximity encourages citizens to sort the clothes properly.

What makes containers for textile waste unique, is their very irregular filling cycles. The speed by which the containers become full is absolutely unpredictable, which makes collecting this waste difficult for operations and logistics and puts high financial and time demands on managers. Real-time online monitoring of fill levels can significantly improve operations and reduce costs.

Implementation of waste monitoring sensors

Ekocharita began installing the sensors in January 2021 thanks to the EIC Accelerator grant that Sensoneo received for large-scale deployment of their solution to prove its positive environmental, operational, and financial benefits of smart waste management.

The Sensoneo sensors use ultrasonic technology to monitor fill levels in containers 24 times a day. Along with this data, they also monitor temperature and provide fire and tilt alarms. For the data transfer, the company decided on the LoRaWAN IoT network. With every batch of installation, the positive impact on operations became more and more visible. „We have installed the sensors on our own, following a 2-hours training from Sensoneo, and we were surprised by how easy it was – it takes less than 5 minutes to install and set up the sensor,“ explains Juraj Kunak, CEO and Founder of Ekocharita.

The drivers, originally opposed to the implementation of new technologies, became very proactive as they realized the actual positive affect to their workloads. Juraj Kunak: „Even those who said that „I will not use it;I can’t do it with a smartphone“ are the first to open a smartphone at six in the morning, make 12 red dots along the way, and at 10:00 they are back with a full car.“

A complete change of operations

With smart waste monitoring on board, Ekocharita has completely redesigned the way they operate. The whole network is digitalized, and the drivers can easily and quickly identify the containers which really require pick-up, and so spend their time much more efficiently: „Right now, the driver wakes up in the morning, opens the app and can see the orange and the red dots – and that is exactly where he should go to quickly collect the full car – because that is the metric based on which the drivers are paid.“

Before the sensors, collection was based merely on the estimations of the drivers: „They were driving for 8-9 hours to collect a full car. They were running in circles and let’s say in 6 months the drivers were completely burnout. Now they can start at 7 or 8 and can be finished by 12:00 or by 1-2:00 PM and they can go back home to their families.“

The ability to choose only the nearly full containers for collection also allows Ekocharita to ensure they collect the volumes of material they need for easy and smooth warehouse management: “Before having sensors for example, 5 drivers would come full, but one driver would come empty. For one day, you can say it does not matter, but after 30 days you are missing let’s say 15 tons inside the warehouse, and that is the highest loss.“

A huge advantage over competitors

On-time waste collection means to avoid overflowing bins. Potential mess around bins and a dirty environment is a great obstacle for many business partners of Ekocharita: „Having sensors means being reliable for the partner. That is why we are deploying more and more containers which are very near to us in shopping malls, schools, universities, kindergartens… New areas where I have not been before because there was another competitor. Now we are able to replace them.“

Cost vs Benefit

Ekocharita was able to implement the solution thanks to the EIC Accelerator grant for Sensoneo. This way, the company could test and experience the actual benefits of a large-scale smart waste management deployment immediately. Naturally, the pace would have been different if the company had purchased the solution the standard way. That is why the company has also calculated the Return of Investment if the investment was fully on them. To calculate the ROI, the company used the Sensoneo’s monthly „smart waste as a service“ pricing. „If the purchase of the sensors had been fully on us, we would have recieved the ROI in 7 months,“ explains Juraj Kunak, CEO and Founder of Ekocharita.

Tire-derived oil (TDO) potentials as an advanced fuel pool component

One of the goals is to give entrepreneurs in this industry, project initiators, investors and the public, a better insight into a rapidly growing circular economy. At the same time, this article series should also be a stimulus for discussion.

This article should give an overview over the recent development trends regarding the options for an upgrade of the tire-derived oil (TDO) with chemical and physical techniques. In two previous articles we have already dealt with the production of limonene and highlighted the advantages of fractional distillation of TDO.

Introduction

Refiners around the world are looking for alternatives to producing fuels from petrochemicals only. This is due to expected future declines in crude oil reserves combined with significant fuel demand growth expectations throughout the world and increasing environmental awareness among the population.

Waste and biorefineries are attracting significant interest worldwide as sustainable waste management solutions. Else, a wide range of resources, such as energy, fuels, chemicals, and other viable by-products, can be recovered from municipal waste streams, waste plastic, and waste tires.
Acknowledging that end-of-life tires (ELT) hold an enormous potential for recovering finite resources, this article aims to contribute to the development of an eco-friendly post-processing approach to realize its full potential in refineries.

Development trends

Pyrolysis processes are an efficient, viable and sustainable approach for the valorisation of end-of-life tires into oil, value-added gas and recovered Carbon Black (according to ASTM D8178). The thermochemical decomposition of end-of-life tires has multiple benefits, including simultaneously realising a sustainable waste management, resource recovery, and displacing conventional fossil fuels.

Advances in many aspects of industrial scale production, including product quality, production efficiency, operational costs, capital investment, and tipping fees, have allowed ELT pyrolysis to prove itself as technically mature and economically viable.

Besides being a valuable feedstock for various chemical components, TDO presents an attractive source of renewable energy. It has come a long way in having been considered as a potential substitute for crude oil-derived products, or for use in a blend with them.

Waste tires contain a fraction of biogenic carbon that mainly comes from their natural rubber content. Therefore, the tire-derived pyrolysis liquids (TDO) can be specified as advanced fuel pool components. This fact is important from a product origin point of view, as well as from a quality, application, and customer tariff classification point of view.

The raw waste tire-derived pyrolysis liquids are most economically and energetically attractive products. However, their application is limited by a number of properties: their distillation characteristics, proportion of compounds having boiling point over 360°C, flash point, cetane number, density, PAH content, sulphur and chlorine content, storage stability, and combustion properties – regular and unregular emissions, metal content, chemical and hydrocarbon group composition and polarity causing homogeneity and incompatibility problems. The presence of micro-carbon particles in the pyrolysis oil can also cause erosion or corrosion problems in the engines they are used in.

As is the case for other petroleum derivates, economic and engine technology developments have mandated tire-derived materials to be produced with higher quality and performance, and with lower contaminant content. Thus, the pre-treatment of pyrolysis feed and upgrading of raw tire-derived-oils (TDO) with chemical and physical techniques are being explored to further enhance the TDO properties.

Several options exist to upgrade TDO with chemical and physical techniques:
Physical properties such as distillation/fractionation; have been found to enhance general properties of raw TDO, namely: density, viscosity, heating value and flash point.
Desulfurization, hydrotreating has been found to reduce sulphur, chlorine and water content, while hydro-denitrification removes nitrogen compounds. Other chemical treatment processes may also be employed.

Distillation/fractionation

The atmospheric distillation process is carried out at temperatures ranged 150-200°C to divide raw TDO to a lighter and heavier fraction because the maximum amount (80%) of distilled TDO is obtained within this range (5% is left out as pyro gas and 15% is found as sludge).

Further refining the raw TDO by employing fractional distillation can result in significant distillate concentrations of toluene (from 7.65% to 68.52%) and xylene (from 10.09% to 65.20%).  Through fractionation the flash point, viscosity, and density can be modified in line with market requests, but the obtained fractions are not yet considered as stable and chlorine-free.

Partial elimination of impurities, moisture, carbon particles, sulphur, and sediments results in a 7% higher heating value. The diesel-like fraction from raw TDO fractionation can potentially be added in appropriate proportions as a component of light heating oil having a sulphur level S=max. of 0,1% m/m. Upon further refining, the distilled TDO can even be employed as an alternative for low-sulphur transportation fuel, fuel oil, or as a diesel blend.

Hydrodesulfurization

A conventional hydrodesulfurization process has high OPEX and encounters difficulty in removing sulphur compounds with steric hindrance. Consequently, various research efforts have been made to overcome the limitations of conventional HDS processes and explore alternative technologies for deep desulfurization of TDO and/or combination with other refinery middle distillates. The alternative processes being explored to produce ultra-low-sulphur content fuels and fuel oils are adsorptive desulfurization, biodesulfurization, oxidative desulfurization and extractive desulfurization.

From an industrial perspective, a distillation treatment and sequential 2-stage hydrotreating at pressure below 4MPa or hydrotreating at pressure ranged 6-16 MPa, or hydrocracking strategies, all using desulphurisation and denitrification catalyst systems have been proposed for upgrading TDO quality and for simultaneously overcoming all limitations to producing high quality motor fuels, fuel oils and solvents.

In addition, the 30°-100°C fraction of hydrotreated waste tire-derived gasoline can be used as a potential raw material for the catalytic reforming unit producing reformate with RON=90-100, which is a gasoline pool component.

Oxidative desulfurization

The oxidative desulfurization process has received more attention due to its mild operating condition and high sulphur removal efficiency. A critical challenge is the commercialization of a catalytic oxidative desulfurization process due to some major obstacles, such as low selectivity for the sulphides present in fuel feedstock, recovery, and separation of the used catalysts after the reaction, increased CAPEX in case of high sulphur content in the feedstock as well as a waste management challenge concerning disposal of the oxidized sulphur containing compounds.

A possible upgrading path would be an oxidative desulfurization plus hydro processing, as usual in conventional refineries. However, these processes, while highly effective, are hardly economically feasible in the dimensions of existing or planned ELT pyrolysis projects. Perhaps this path will also prove to be realistically feasible in the future, through capacity increases and / or joint ventures by pyrolysis companies, as well as through down-scaling of existing large-scale industrial applications.

Chemicals obtained from TDO

Refiners worldwide are moving production away from fuels toward petrochemicals. This is due to the expected future declines in crude oil reserves, fuels demand, combined with significant petrochemical demand growth expectations throughout the world.

Recently, significant attention has been given to the benefits of the chemicals obtainable from raw TDO. This is mainly due to the less intensive purification steps associated with the chemical feedstock production as well as the firmly established markets that exist for the chemicals obtained from TDO.

For example: Limonene is reported to be a high-value primary material in the chemicals industry with several noteworthy applications. It can be utilized as a cutter stock, natural cleaning solvent, industrial diluents, in the production of fragrance, adhesives, pigment dispersing agents, resins and bonding agents, and as a food-additive.

Likewise, the presence of benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) in TDO has been given renewed attention due to their wide industrial use. Benzene is used to synthesize pigments, rubber, fibres, plastics etc.; toluene is used in the industry to produce medicines, pesticides, and dyes. In addition, the toluene and xylene are high-octane components for ultra-low-sulphur automobile gasoline, and they can also be used as solvents in the solvent-based chemical recycling of waste plastics.

Conclusion

Due to ongoing significant research and development, end-of-life tire pyrolysis technology and techniques for applying its products are constantly evolving. However, the commercialization of upgrading processes is still in its infancy stages.

From the perspective of oil and gas producers, lenders, investors, and regulators alike, there is a distinct lack of clarity to what constitutes action toward TDO quality gate limits to be supplied to refineries for further processing.

This also applies from the perspective of the ELT pyrolysis industry: There are no official refinery gate limits published for alternative fuel feeds (TDOs) which can be processed in the catalytic reforming units, fluid catalytic conversion and hydrocracking units, and pyrolysis gasoline splitter or aromatics extraction units. Therefore, there are no exact input data for TDO fractionation. Without these clear targets, financiers and investors become hesitant to invest without knowing how the products will comply with refinery criteria. This, of course, naturally hinders an accelerated development.

A “round table” should therefore be initiated with stakeholders of the ELT pyrolysis industry and potential buyers of TDO fractions to develop uniform standards and gate limits. The ASTM D36 committee on recovered Carbon Black could serve as a good example.

Weibold Consulting

Tire-derived oil (TDO) potentials as an advanced fuel pool component

One of the goals is to give entrepreneurs in this industry, project initiators, investors and the public, a better insight into a rapidly growing circular economy. At the same time, this article series should also be a stimulus for discussion.

This article should give an overview over the recent development trends regarding the options for an upgrade of the tire-derived oil (TDO) with chemical and physical techniques. In two previous articles we have already dealt with the production of limonene and highlighted the advantages of fractional distillation of TDO.

Introduction

Refiners around the world are looking for alternatives to producing fuels from petrochemicals only. This is due to expected future declines in crude oil reserves combined with significant fuel demand growth expectations throughout the world and increasing environmental awareness among the population.

Waste and biorefineries are attracting significant interest worldwide as sustainable waste management solutions. Else, a wide range of resources, such as energy, fuels, chemicals, and other viable by-products, can be recovered from municipal waste streams, waste plastic, and waste tires.
Acknowledging that end-of-life tires (ELT) hold an enormous potential for recovering finite resources, this article aims to contribute to the development of an eco-friendly post-processing approach to realize its full potential in refineries.

Development trends

Pyrolysis processes are an efficient, viable and sustainable approach for the valorisation of end-of-life tires into oil, value-added gas and recovered Carbon Black (according to ASTM D8178). The thermochemical decomposition of end-of-life tires has multiple benefits, including simultaneously realising a sustainable waste management, resource recovery, and displacing conventional fossil fuels.

Advances in many aspects of industrial scale production, including product quality, production efficiency, operational costs, capital investment, and tipping fees, have allowed ELT pyrolysis to prove itself as technically mature and economically viable.

Besides being a valuable feedstock for various chemical components, TDO presents an attractive source of renewable energy. It has come a long way in having been considered as a potential substitute for crude oil-derived products, or for use in a blend with them.

Waste tires contain a fraction of biogenic carbon that mainly comes from their natural rubber content. Therefore, the tire-derived pyrolysis liquids (TDO) can be specified as advanced fuel pool components. This fact is important from a product origin point of view, as well as from a quality, application, and customer tariff classification point of view.

The raw waste tire-derived pyrolysis liquids are most economically and energetically attractive products. However, their application is limited by a number of properties: their distillation characteristics, proportion of compounds having boiling point over 360°C, flash point, cetane number, density, PAH content, sulphur and chlorine content, storage stability, and combustion properties – regular and unregular emissions, metal content, chemical and hydrocarbon group composition and polarity causing homogeneity and incompatibility problems. The presence of micro-carbon particles in the pyrolysis oil can also cause erosion or corrosion problems in the engines they are used in.

As is the case for other petroleum derivates, economic and engine technology developments have mandated tire-derived materials to be produced with higher quality and performance, and with lower contaminant content. Thus, the pre-treatment of pyrolysis feed and upgrading of raw tire-derived-oils (TDO) with chemical and physical techniques are being explored to further enhance the TDO properties.

Several options exist to upgrade TDO with chemical and physical techniques:
Physical properties such as distillation/fractionation; have been found to enhance general properties of raw TDO, namely: density, viscosity, heating value and flash point.
Desulfurization, hydrotreating has been found to reduce sulphur, chlorine and water content, while hydro-denitrification removes nitrogen compounds. Other chemical treatment processes may also be employed.

Distillation/fractionation

The atmospheric distillation process is carried out at temperatures ranged 150-200°C to divide raw TDO to a lighter and heavier fraction because the maximum amount (80%) of distilled TDO is obtained within this range (5% is left out as pyro gas and 15% is found as sludge).

Further refining the raw TDO by employing fractional distillation can result in significant distillate concentrations of toluene (from 7.65% to 68.52%) and xylene (from 10.09% to 65.20%).  Through fractionation the flash point, viscosity, and density can be modified in line with market requests, but the obtained fractions are not yet considered as stable and chlorine-free.

Partial elimination of impurities, moisture, carbon particles, sulphur, and sediments results in a 7% higher heating value. The diesel-like fraction from raw TDO fractionation can potentially be added in appropriate proportions as a component of light heating oil having a sulphur level S=max. of 0,1% m/m. Upon further refining, the distilled TDO can even be employed as an alternative for low-sulphur transportation fuel, fuel oil, or as a diesel blend.

Hydrodesulfurization

A conventional hydrodesulfurization process has high OPEX and encounters difficulty in removing sulphur compounds with steric hindrance. Consequently, various research efforts have been made to overcome the limitations of conventional HDS processes and explore alternative technologies for deep desulfurization of TDO and/or combination with other refinery middle distillates. The alternative processes being explored to produce ultra-low-sulphur content fuels and fuel oils are adsorptive desulfurization, biodesulfurization, oxidative desulfurization and extractive desulfurization.

From an industrial perspective, a distillation treatment and sequential 2-stage hydrotreating at pressure below 4MPa or hydrotreating at pressure ranged 6-16 MPa, or hydrocracking strategies, all using desulphurisation and denitrification catalyst systems have been proposed for upgrading TDO quality and for simultaneously overcoming all limitations to producing high quality motor fuels, fuel oils and solvents.

In addition, the 30°-100°C fraction of hydrotreated waste tire-derived gasoline can be used as a potential raw material for the catalytic reforming unit producing reformate with RON=90-100, which is a gasoline pool component.

Oxidative desulfurization

The oxidative desulfurization process has received more attention due to its mild operating condition and high sulphur removal efficiency. A critical challenge is the commercialization of a catalytic oxidative desulfurization process due to some major obstacles, such as low selectivity for the sulphides present in fuel feedstock, recovery, and separation of the used catalysts after the reaction, increased CAPEX in case of high sulphur content in the feedstock as well as a waste management challenge concerning disposal of the oxidized sulphur containing compounds.

A possible upgrading path would be an oxidative desulfurization plus hydro processing, as usual in conventional refineries. However, these processes, while highly effective, are hardly economically feasible in the dimensions of existing or planned ELT pyrolysis projects. Perhaps this path will also prove to be realistically feasible in the future, through capacity increases and / or joint ventures by pyrolysis companies, as well as through down-scaling of existing large-scale industrial applications.

Chemicals obtained from TDO

Refiners worldwide are moving production away from fuels toward petrochemicals. This is due to the expected future declines in crude oil reserves, fuels demand, combined with significant petrochemical demand growth expectations throughout the world.

Recently, significant attention has been given to the benefits of the chemicals obtainable from raw TDO. This is mainly due to the less intensive purification steps associated with the chemical feedstock production as well as the firmly established markets that exist for the chemicals obtained from TDO.

For example: Limonene is reported to be a high-value primary material in the chemicals industry with several noteworthy applications. It can be utilized as a cutter stock, natural cleaning solvent, industrial diluents, in the production of fragrance, adhesives, pigment dispersing agents, resins and bonding agents, and as a food-additive.

Likewise, the presence of benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) in TDO has been given renewed attention due to their wide industrial use. Benzene is used to synthesize pigments, rubber, fibres, plastics etc.; toluene is used in the industry to produce medicines, pesticides, and dyes. In addition, the toluene and xylene are high-octane components for ultra-low-sulphur automobile gasoline, and they can also be used as solvents in the solvent-based chemical recycling of waste plastics.

Conclusion

Due to ongoing significant research and development, end-of-life tire pyrolysis technology and techniques for applying its products are constantly evolving. However, the commercialization of upgrading processes is still in its infancy stages.

From the perspective of oil and gas producers, lenders, investors, and regulators alike, there is a distinct lack of clarity to what constitutes action toward TDO quality gate limits to be supplied to refineries for further processing.

This also applies from the perspective of the ELT pyrolysis industry: There are no official refinery gate limits published for alternative fuel feeds (TDOs) which can be processed in the catalytic reforming units, fluid catalytic conversion and hydrocracking units, and pyrolysis gasoline splitter or aromatics extraction units. Therefore, there are no exact input data for TDO fractionation. Without these clear targets, financiers and investors become hesitant to invest without knowing how the products will comply with refinery criteria. This, of course, naturally hinders an accelerated development.

A “round table” should therefore be initiated with stakeholders of the ELT pyrolysis industry and potential buyers of TDO fractions to develop uniform standards and gate limits. The ASTM D36 committee on recovered Carbon Black could serve as a good example.

Weibold Consulting

Tire-derived oil (TDO) potentials as an advanced fuel pool component

One of the goals is to give entrepreneurs in this industry, project initiators, investors and the public, a better insight into a rapidly growing circular economy. At the same time, this article series should also be a stimulus for discussion.

This article should give an overview over the recent development trends regarding the options for an upgrade of the tire-derived oil (TDO) with chemical and physical techniques. In two previous articles we have already dealt with the production of limonene and highlighted the advantages of fractional distillation of TDO.

Introduction

Refiners around the world are looking for alternatives to producing fuels from petrochemicals only. This is due to expected future declines in crude oil reserves combined with significant fuel demand growth expectations throughout the world and increasing environmental awareness among the population.

Waste and biorefineries are attracting significant interest worldwide as sustainable waste management solutions. Else, a wide range of resources, such as energy, fuels, chemicals, and other viable by-products, can be recovered from municipal waste streams, waste plastic, and waste tires.
Acknowledging that end-of-life tires (ELT) hold an enormous potential for recovering finite resources, this article aims to contribute to the development of an eco-friendly post-processing approach to realize its full potential in refineries.

Development trends

Pyrolysis processes are an efficient, viable and sustainable approach for the valorisation of end-of-life tires into oil, value-added gas and recovered Carbon Black (according to ASTM D8178). The thermochemical decomposition of end-of-life tires has multiple benefits, including simultaneously realising a sustainable waste management, resource recovery, and displacing conventional fossil fuels.

Advances in many aspects of industrial scale production, including product quality, production efficiency, operational costs, capital investment, and tipping fees, have allowed ELT pyrolysis to prove itself as technically mature and economically viable.

Besides being a valuable feedstock for various chemical components, TDO presents an attractive source of renewable energy. It has come a long way in having been considered as a potential substitute for crude oil-derived products, or for use in a blend with them.

Waste tires contain a fraction of biogenic carbon that mainly comes from their natural rubber content. Therefore, the tire-derived pyrolysis liquids (TDO) can be specified as advanced fuel pool components. This fact is important from a product origin point of view, as well as from a quality, application, and customer tariff classification point of view.

The raw waste tire-derived pyrolysis liquids are most economically and energetically attractive products. However, their application is limited by a number of properties: their distillation characteristics, proportion of compounds having boiling point over 360°C, flash point, cetane number, density, PAH content, sulphur and chlorine content, storage stability, and combustion properties – regular and unregular emissions, metal content, chemical and hydrocarbon group composition and polarity causing homogeneity and incompatibility problems. The presence of micro-carbon particles in the pyrolysis oil can also cause erosion or corrosion problems in the engines they are used in.

As is the case for other petroleum derivates, economic and engine technology developments have mandated tire-derived materials to be produced with higher quality and performance, and with lower contaminant content. Thus, the pre-treatment of pyrolysis feed and upgrading of raw tire-derived-oils (TDO) with chemical and physical techniques are being explored to further enhance the TDO properties.

Several options exist to upgrade TDO with chemical and physical techniques:
Physical properties such as distillation/fractionation; have been found to enhance general properties of raw TDO, namely: density, viscosity, heating value and flash point.
Desulfurization, hydrotreating has been found to reduce sulphur, chlorine and water content, while hydro-denitrification removes nitrogen compounds. Other chemical treatment processes may also be employed.

Distillation/fractionation

The atmospheric distillation process is carried out at temperatures ranged 150-200°C to divide raw TDO to a lighter and heavier fraction because the maximum amount (80%) of distilled TDO is obtained within this range (5% is left out as pyro gas and 15% is found as sludge).

Further refining the raw TDO by employing fractional distillation can result in significant distillate concentrations of toluene (from 7.65% to 68.52%) and xylene (from 10.09% to 65.20%).  Through fractionation the flash point, viscosity, and density can be modified in line with market requests, but the obtained fractions are not yet considered as stable and chlorine-free.

Partial elimination of impurities, moisture, carbon particles, sulphur, and sediments results in a 7% higher heating value. The diesel-like fraction from raw TDO fractionation can potentially be added in appropriate proportions as a component of light heating oil having a sulphur level S=max. of 0,1% m/m. Upon further refining, the distilled TDO can even be employed as an alternative for low-sulphur transportation fuel, fuel oil, or as a diesel blend.

Hydrodesulfurization

A conventional hydrodesulfurization process has high OPEX and encounters difficulty in removing sulphur compounds with steric hindrance. Consequently, various research efforts have been made to overcome the limitations of conventional HDS processes and explore alternative technologies for deep desulfurization of TDO and/or combination with other refinery middle distillates. The alternative processes being explored to produce ultra-low-sulphur content fuels and fuel oils are adsorptive desulfurization, biodesulfurization, oxidative desulfurization and extractive desulfurization.

From an industrial perspective, a distillation treatment and sequential 2-stage hydrotreating at pressure below 4MPa or hydrotreating at pressure ranged 6-16 MPa, or hydrocracking strategies, all using desulphurisation and denitrification catalyst systems have been proposed for upgrading TDO quality and for simultaneously overcoming all limitations to producing high quality motor fuels, fuel oils and solvents.

In addition, the 30°-100°C fraction of hydrotreated waste tire-derived gasoline can be used as a potential raw material for the catalytic reforming unit producing reformate with RON=90-100, which is a gasoline pool component.

Oxidative desulfurization

The oxidative desulfurization process has received more attention due to its mild operating condition and high sulphur removal efficiency. A critical challenge is the commercialization of a catalytic oxidative desulfurization process due to some major obstacles, such as low selectivity for the sulphides present in fuel feedstock, recovery, and separation of the used catalysts after the reaction, increased CAPEX in case of high sulphur content in the feedstock as well as a waste management challenge concerning disposal of the oxidized sulphur containing compounds.

A possible upgrading path would be an oxidative desulfurization plus hydro processing, as usual in conventional refineries. However, these processes, while highly effective, are hardly economically feasible in the dimensions of existing or planned ELT pyrolysis projects. Perhaps this path will also prove to be realistically feasible in the future, through capacity increases and / or joint ventures by pyrolysis companies, as well as through down-scaling of existing large-scale industrial applications.

Chemicals obtained from TDO

Refiners worldwide are moving production away from fuels toward petrochemicals. This is due to the expected future declines in crude oil reserves, fuels demand, combined with significant petrochemical demand growth expectations throughout the world.

Recently, significant attention has been given to the benefits of the chemicals obtainable from raw TDO. This is mainly due to the less intensive purification steps associated with the chemical feedstock production as well as the firmly established markets that exist for the chemicals obtained from TDO.

For example: Limonene is reported to be a high-value primary material in the chemicals industry with several noteworthy applications. It can be utilized as a cutter stock, natural cleaning solvent, industrial diluents, in the production of fragrance, adhesives, pigment dispersing agents, resins and bonding agents, and as a food-additive.

Likewise, the presence of benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) in TDO has been given renewed attention due to their wide industrial use. Benzene is used to synthesize pigments, rubber, fibres, plastics etc.; toluene is used in the industry to produce medicines, pesticides, and dyes. In addition, the toluene and xylene are high-octane components for ultra-low-sulphur automobile gasoline, and they can also be used as solvents in the solvent-based chemical recycling of waste plastics.

Conclusion

Due to ongoing significant research and development, end-of-life tire pyrolysis technology and techniques for applying its products are constantly evolving. However, the commercialization of upgrading processes is still in its infancy stages.

From the perspective of oil and gas producers, lenders, investors, and regulators alike, there is a distinct lack of clarity to what constitutes action toward TDO quality gate limits to be supplied to refineries for further processing.

This also applies from the perspective of the ELT pyrolysis industry: There are no official refinery gate limits published for alternative fuel feeds (TDOs) which can be processed in the catalytic reforming units, fluid catalytic conversion and hydrocracking units, and pyrolysis gasoline splitter or aromatics extraction units. Therefore, there are no exact input data for TDO fractionation. Without these clear targets, financiers and investors become hesitant to invest without knowing how the products will comply with refinery criteria. This, of course, naturally hinders an accelerated development.

A “round table” should therefore be initiated with stakeholders of the ELT pyrolysis industry and potential buyers of TDO fractions to develop uniform standards and gate limits. The ASTM D36 committee on recovered Carbon Black could serve as a good example.

Weibold Consulting

Commission presents package for “fit for 55”

Achieving these emission reductions in the next decade is crucial to Europe becoming the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050 and making the European Green Deal a reality. With today’s proposals, the Commission is presenting the legislative tools to deliver on the targets agreed in the European Climate Law and fundamentally transform our economy and society for a fair, green and prosperous future.

Today’s proposals will enable the necessary acceleration of greenhouse gas emission reductions in the next decade. They combine: application of emissions trading to new sectors and a tightening of the existing EU Emissions Trading System; increased use of renewable energy; greater energy efficiency; a faster roll-out of low emission transport modes and the infrastructure and fuels to support them; an alignment of taxation policies with the European Green Deal objectives; measures to prevent carbon leakage; and tools to preserve and grow our natural carbon sinks.

The EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) puts a price on carbon and lowers the cap on emissions from certain economic sectors every year. It has successfully brought down emissions from power generation and energy-intensive industries by 42.8% in the past 16 years. Today the Commission is proposing to lower the overall emission cap even further and increase its annual rate of reduction. The Commission is also proposing to phase out free emission allowances for aviation and align with the global Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and to include shipping emissions for the first time in the EU ETS. To address the lack of emissions reductions in road transport and buildings, a separate new emissions trading system is set up for fuel distribution for road transport and buildings. The Commission also proposes to increase the size of the Innovation and Modernisation Funds.

To complement the substantial spending on climate in the EU budget, Member States should spend the entirety of their emissions trading revenues on climate and energy-related projects. A dedicated part of the revenues from the new system for road transport and buildings should address the possible social impact on vulnerable households, micro-enterprises and transport users.

The Effort Sharing Regulation assigns strengthened emissions reduction targets to each Member State for buildings, road and domestic maritime transport, agriculture, waste and small industries. Recognising the different starting points and capacities of each Member State, these targets are based on their GDP per capita, with adjustments made to take cost efficiency into account.

Member States also share responsibility for removing carbon from the atmosphere, so the Regulation on Land Use, Forestry and Agriculture sets an overall EU target for carbon removals by natural sinks, equivalent to 310 million tons of CO2 emissions by 2030. National targets will require Member States to care for and expand their carbon sinks to meet this target. By 2035, the EU should aim to reach climate neutrality in the land use, forestry and agriculture sectors, including also agricultural non-CO2 emissions, such as those from fertiliser use and livestock. The EU Forest Strategy aims to improve the quality, quantity and resilience of EU forests. It supports foresters and the forest-based bioeconomy while keeping harvesting and biomass use sustainable, preserving biodiversity, and setting out a plan to plant three billion trees across Europe by 2030.

Energy production and use accounts for 75% of EU emissions, so accelerating the transition to a greener energy system is crucial. The Renewable Energy Directive will set an increased target to produce 40% of our energy from renewable sources by 2030. All Member States will contribute to this goal, and specific targets are proposed for renewable energy use in transport, heating and cooling, buildings and industry. To meet both our climate and environmental goals, sustainability criteria for the use of bioenergy are strengthened and Member States must design any support schemes for bioenergy in a way that respects the cascading principle of uses for woody biomass.

To reduce overall energy use, cut emissions and tackle energy poverty, the Energy Efficiency Directive will set a more ambitious binding annual target for reducing energy use at EU level. It will guide how national contributions are established and almost double the annual energy saving obligation for Member States. The public sector will be required to renovate 3% of its buildings each year to drive the renovation wave, create jobs and bring down energy use and costs to the taxpayer.

A combination of measures is required to tackle rising emissions in road transport to complement emissions trading. Stronger CO2 emissions standards for cars and vans will accelerate the transition to zero-emission mobility by requiring average emissions of new cars to come down by 55% from 2030 and 100% from 2035 compared to 2021 levels. As a result, all new cars registered as of 2035 will be zero-emission. To ensure that drivers are able to charge or fuel their vehicles at a reliable network across Europe, the revised Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation will require Member States to expand charging capacity in line with zero-emission car sales, and to install charging and fuelling points at regular intervals on major highways: every 60 kilometres for electric charging and every 150 kilometres for hydrogen refuelling.

Aviation and maritime fuels cause significant pollution and also require dedicated action to complement emissions trading. The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation requires that aircraft and ships have access to clean electricity supply in major ports and airports. The ReFuelEU Aviation Initiative will oblige fuel suppliers to blend increasing levels of sustainable aviation fuels in jet fuel taken on-board at EU airports, including synthetic low carbon fuels, known as e-fuels. Similarly, the FuelEU Maritime Initiative will stimulate the uptake of sustainable maritime fuels and zero-emission technologies by setting a maximum limit on the greenhouse gas content of energy used by ships calling at European ports.

The tax system for energy products must safeguard and improve the Single Market and support the green transition by setting the right incentives. A revision of the Energy Taxation Directive proposes to align the taxation of energy products with EU energy and climate policies, promoting clean technologies and removing outdated exemptions and reduced rates that currently encourage the use of fossil fuels. The new rules aim at reducing the harmful effects of energy tax competition, helping secure revenues for Member States from green taxes, which are less detrimental to growth than taxes on labour.

Finally, a new Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism will put a carbon price on imports of a targeted selection of products to ensure that ambitious climate action in Europe does not lead to ‘carbon leakage’. This will ensure that European emission reductions contribute to a global emissions decline, instead of pushing carbon-intensive production outside Europe. It also aims to encourage industry outside the EU and our international partners to take steps in the same direction.

While in the medium- to long-term, the benefits of EU climate policies clearly outweigh the costs of this transition, climate policies risk putting extra pressure on vulnerable households, micro-enterprises and transport users in the short run. The design of the policies in today’s package therefore fairly spreads the costs of tackling and adapting to climate change.

In addition, carbon pricing instruments raise revenues that can be reinvested to spur innovation, economic growth, and investments in clean technologies. A new Social Climate Fund is proposed to provide dedicated funding to Member States to help citizens finance investments in energy efficiency, new heating and cooling systems, and cleaner mobility. The Social Climate Fund would be financed by the EU budget, using an amount equivalent to 25% of the expected revenues of emissions trading for building and road transport fuels. It will provide €72.2 billion of funding to Member States, for the period 2025-2032, based on a targeted amendment to the multiannual financial framework. With a proposal to draw on matching Member State funding, the Fund would mobilise €144.4 billion for a socially fair transition.

The benefits of acting now to protect people and the planet are clear: cleaner air, cooler and greener towns and cities, healthier citizens, lower energy use and bills, European jobs, technologies and industrial opportunities, more space for nature, and a healthier planet to hand over to future generations. The challenge at the heart of Europe’s green transition is to make sure the benefits and opportunities that come with it are available to all, as quickly and as fairly as possible. By using the different policy tools available at EU level we can make sure that the pace of change is sufficient, but not overly disruptive.