Large grassroots lube rerefinery in operation
- Safety-Kleen Corp., Elk Grove Village, IL (US)
Recent technology enhancements and a marketing decision to significantly increase volume throughput have combined to produce the next generation of used oil refineries. The first of these units is in full production in East Chicago, Ind. With a feedstock capacity of 75 million gal/year, or 4,890 b/d, it is believed to be the largest used oil refinery in the world. This paper shows the facility under construction. While most used lubricating oil is still blended and reprocessed into an industrial fuel, increasing pressures for resource conservation and optimum material utilization have put the focus back on rerefining the waste to produce high-quality lube oil basestocks. Federal procurement guidelines published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) encourage the use of rerefined oils. Federal legislation and subsequent regulations directly discussing used oil or indirectly affecting used oil have stressed the importance of properly handling this resource. Several states have already decided to list used oil as a hazardous waste because of the contaminants often found in the oil as it moves through the recycling system. Contrary to the fears of some, this designation has not caused a decrease in volumes recycled in those states. Because of the contamination levels and the patchwork (or state-by-state) regulatory environment, it is Safety-Kleen's policy to handle used oil as a hazardous waste, regardless of location. A key factor in the demise of the rerefining industry over the past 30 years has been the problem of scale. As environmental, safety, and technological problems have escalated the requirements for waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities, most recyclers have not had sufficient volume throughput over which to spread the associated costs.
- OSTI ID:
- 5794271
- Journal Information:
- Oil and Gas Journal; (United States), Vol. 89:33; ISSN 0030-1388
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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