Using waste heat to improve energy efficiency at the Bahia Blanca refinery

To meet our greenhouse gas targets, we identified a range of emission reduction opportunities. One of them is to install a co-generation power plant, which produces electricity from waste heat, at our Bahia Blanca Refinery in Argentina.

Published on1 Oct 2023

We are identifying innovative ways that we can reduce our GHG footprint. One example is in Argentina, where our industrial facilities present a number of opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce emissions.

The installation of a seven-megawatt co-generation power plant, consisting of a boiler, natural gas turbine and electrical equipment module, was completed in April 2023. Now operational, the plant is reducing Bahia Blanca’s emissions by 28,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year, delivering significant energy cost savings, and safeguarding the facility against power cuts. More reliable power also means less downtime and protection from sudden price spikes.

A word from ...

“We are installing a cogeneration or combined heat and power unit to enable the plant to capture the residual energy from waste heat, that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere, and to generate electricity. The facility will be able to rely on more than one source of energy for the same cost as one, while minimising our impact on the environment.”

Roman Echenique - Director of the Bahía Blanca Refinery