Cogeneration Facility for Oil Refinery

Summary

The Kwinana Cogeneration Plant (116 MW capacity) is located on land of the BP Kwinana oil refinery, and produces all process steam for the refinery, and generates electricity for BP as well as the grid. The cogeneration plant is fired with natural gas supplemented with excess refinery gas from the oil refinery. The cogeneration plant built in 1996, took the place of the BP steam boilers which were in need of replacement at the time. Total benefits have been estimated as a reduction of about 170,000 ton carbon dioxide emissions per annum.

This synergy allowed BP to decommission its old inefficient boilers, estimated to have saved the refinery in the vicinity of A$ 15 million in capital expenditure while ensuring a cost competitive reliable source of steam and electricity for their refinery. Moreover the refinery has achieved greater refinery process efficiencies as a result of the greater and more flexible availability of high-pressure steam from the cogeneration facility. The cogeneration plant discharges its wastewater to BP’s wastewater treatment facility.

Industry

Industry Sector	Specific Industry
petroleum sector	oil refinery
energy utility sector	cogeneration plant

Region

Kwinana Industrial Area, Kwinana, Western Australia

Applied Technologies

• combined heat and power

Triple Bottom Line Aspects (direct at operational level)

Economic	savings in capital and operational costs for oil refinery reliable source of electricity and steam for oil refinery sales of electricity and steam from cogeneration plant
Environmental	avoided impacts (energy efficiency with associated reduction of GHG) improved use of refinery gas
Social	employment improved living conditions for local community

Additional Comments

None.

References

• van Beers, D, Bossilkov, A and van Berkel, R (2005) “Capturing Regional Synergies in the Kwinana Industrial Area – 2005 Status Report”, CSRP Report (for Project 3B1), August 2005

Last Update

31 October 2005