Refining Sector Accounts For 3% of Global Emission – ARDA

The African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA) has revealed that the refining sector only accounts for 3% of the global energy sector emission. 

Oil and Refining Research Analyst, Maryro Mendez, stated this at the second Refining and Specifications Virtual Workshop organised by the ARDA and monitored by Investors King.

According to Mendez, “the refining sector accounts for only three percent of the global energy sector emissions. While refineries’ contribution to global energy sector emissions is low, the opportunities for reducing them are significant.

“Refineries globally have started thinking about measuring, monitoring and reducing carbon emissions and environmental sustainability has to be a priority for refiners and Africa is no exception.”

According to her, because fuel combustion accounts for 80% of refinery carbon emissions, fuel source and energy optimization would provide the greatest chance to minimize emissions.

“The challenge is not technical but is commercial with facilities requiring sufficient incentive and capital to invest without impacting on their competitive position”, she added.

The association further revealed that Nigeria and other African countries would need to minimize sulphur levels while noting that upgrading their existing refineries would require at least $15.7 billion.

Anibor Kragha, ARDA’s Executive Secretary stated that adopting a standardized specification will prevent the importation of fuels that do not match AFRI specifications into Africa.

“New process units required are to improve key fuel specifications, especially Naptha Hydrotreater (NHdT), Diesel Hydro-desulph. (DHDS), Benzene Extraction, Sulphur, and Hydrogen Plants.

“Another key focus area is for African countries, especially those sharing common fuel supply chains to develop an integrated policy covering both fuel quality and vehicle exhaust emissions.

“This is to achieve the ultimate objective of clean air in our African cities. Without this integrated and coordinated policy, the objective of clean air will not be realized whether by imports or local production,” he said.

The idea for an African refinery association was conceived in the late 1970s, and the first sub-Saharan African initiative – the Association of Refiners and Distributors of Oil Products (ARDIP) – was launched in September 1980, led by the SIR refinery in Cote D’Ivoire, with counterpart refineries in Senegal, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, and Gabon.

Mr Joel Dervain, the then Managing Director of SIR, re-activated the campaign for an association to promote technical and commercial best practices among African refiners and their stakeholders in 2006. The African Refiners Association (ARDA) was then created on March 23, 2006 in Cape Town, South Africa, with the help of his colleagues at SONARA, SAR, TOR, SOGARA, and NATREF.