Sustainability
EcoTech NRG was founded by people who truly believe that sustainability and resource efficiency are essential in today’s world, motivated as much by the fact they have a chance to change thinking, and practice, in the sector as they are to develop a successful, and profitable business.
To be stewards of a technology that has the potential to have a profound impact on the supply chains in one of the largest industrial sectors on the planet is something EcoTech NRG’s founders don’t take for granted.
Here’s how our technologies can make a global impact when it comes to CO2 emissions:
• The CO2 emissions generated per litre of waste oil burned are similar to a litre of diesel – 2.62kg1
• Extraction and refining add a further 0.57kg per litre, raising the total to 3.19kg per litre2
• By recycling almost 7 million litres of waste used oils per year, which just one of our units can process with 12 hour per day, 24 days per month of operation, with at least 80% becoming virgin grade lubricating oils (the other 20% are low sulphur fuel oils which are still combusted) each unit commissioned prevents 17,639 tonnes of CO2 per year being released. If enough feedstock exists, we could run units 24 hours per day, doubling that impact.
• This is the equivalent of over 290,000 tree seedlings being grown for 10 years or over 43 million miles driven by an average passenger vehicle3
Imagine the impact if we were to install at least 50 units across the globe, which is a genuine aim of ours. Over the course of a decade, they would prevent at least 8.8 million tonnes of CO2 being released, the equivalent of over 145 million tree seedlings being planted, or 21.5 billion miles driven!
Carbon Credits
Our intention is to become certified for carbon credits. The example above, of 50 units, coupled with our calculations on CO2 savings per litre processes and a carbon credit price of £504 (market price as of 30th August 2021), means that using:
• the 2.62kg per litre figures, 50 units would equal circa 725,000 carbon credits per year with a market value of £36.25m
• the 3.19kg per litre figures, 50 units would equal circa 880,000 carbon credits per year with a market value of £44m
Our aim is to ensure that all of our units are powered by renewable energy, one of the key advantages of our process compared to hydrotreating which is still largely/partially reliant on combusted fuels.
We are supportive of global movements for change, particularly the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Our mission aligns most closely with the 3 following goals:
Our world is already developed and reliant on certain products to function, and one of the things we are most reliant on is oil. Whilst there is no denying a shift to new products is both essential, and already happening, there is also a realism that reliance won’t end overnight. Whilst reliance still exists, it’s essential that we find ways of making that reliance as sustainable as possible.
Our processes do just that, applying new technology to existing industry and creating significant impact as a result.
The Circular Economy is something we are particularly excited about as lube oils can be recycled endlessly without losing their lubricating properties.
‘Used’ lubricating oils are simply oils that are contaminated with other materials. Our process removes the contaminants, leaving a virgin grade product ready to be reused, whilst the contaminants can be utilised in other products such as ash, which can be used in road building projects, and sulphur, which can be utilized to make fertiliser, cleaning products and acids.
On average, one barrel of crude oil will only yield 1-2% of lube oils. As this type of produce is circular recyclable, we can effectively facilitate and reduce the stress on the production process of new virgin lube oils by simply reprocessing those already in existence.
Our process, when compared with other reclaim processes, is incredibly energy efficient, requiring a fraction of both the space and energy of traditional reclaim processing plants and we aim to run our plants entirely on recycled or renewable energy.
Used oils are currently treated by hydrotreating, an incredibly energy intensive process, reliant on catalysts which can deactivate with time, and in reality would be better utilised for its initial operation.
Our processes require a fraction of the energy of hydrotreating and can assist with further polishing line items for refiners, reducing the stress placed on the catalyst within the hydrotreating process. Considering the scale of the hydrotreating industry, this could make a enormous difference to emissions generated from the reclaim process aiding refiners with their carbon capture initiatives..