ExxonMobil debuts Antwerp cogeneration plant

ExxonMobil today inaugurated its new high-efficiency cogeneration plant at its refinery in Antwerp.

Cogeneration simultaneously produces both electricity and heat or steam that can be used to industrial processes.

The new facility in Belgium will generate 125 megawatts of electricity and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 200,000 tonnes a year, equivalent to the emissions of some 90,000 cars.

“Energy efficiency is one of the most effective tools available for reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Sherman Glass, president of ExxonMobil Refining & Supply.

Since 2004, ExxonMobil has added more than 1,500 megawatts of cogeneration capacity in five countries. In total, it generates 4,600 megawatts of cogeneration power — enough to meet the needs of 5 million-plus European homes — at more than 30 facilities around the world.

“This new cogeneration plant allows for the efficient generation of electricity to run pumps, compressors and other equipment in our facilities, while at the same time, producing additional steam that is needed in processes that transform crude oil into refined products,” said Gilbert Asselman, manager of the Antwerp refinery. “With the latest technology, cogeneration is significantly more efficient than traditional methods of producing steam and power separately. This results in lower operating costs and significantly less greenhouse gas emissions.

With new facilities now under construction in China and Singapore, ExxonMobil expects to further increase its cogeneration capacity by 5,000 megawatts over the next three years.