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Energy efficiency improvements
Energy efficiency is one of the largest and lowest cost ways to extend our world’s energy supplies and reduce GHG emissions. Curbing demand reduces the amount of oil, natural gas, coal, and other energy sources that must be developed and delivered. Gains in energy efficiency through 2030 will curb energy-demand growth by about 65 percent.
Efficiency in ExxonMobil operations.
In 2009, our operations consumed approximately 1.47 billion gigajoules of energy. Energy efficiency technologies and day-to-day operational efficiency activities enabled us to achieve best-ever energy efficiency in our refining and chemical operations. Our Port Dickson refinery in Malaysia was able to achieve a 6-percent improvement in efficiency from 2008 to 2009 by optimizing unit operations through online energy monitoring tools, improving heat exchanger monitoring, and revising heat exchanger cleaning procedures. Additionally, our Baton Rouge chemical plant olefins unit delivered an estimated 3.5 percent energy savings, with a focused project to improve overall energy efficiency of the refinery gas recovery unit.
Since 2000, we have used our Global Energy Management System (GEMS) to systematically identify and address operational efficiency opportunities. We have identified ways to improve energy efficiency at our refineries and chemical plants and reduce costs by 15 to 20 percent. We have captured over 60 percent of these opportunities to date. In 2009, as a result of GEMS, we installed a power generator at our Kawasaki refinery in Japan, improving the refinery’s energy efficiency by nearly 2 percent.
We are on track to achieve our goal of improving energy efficiency across our worldwide refining and chemical operations by at least 10 percent between 2002 and 2012. Third-party benchmarking of our energy intensity indicates that ExxonMobil consistently operates more efficiently than the industry average. One of the challenges in achieving energy efficiency at our manufacturing sites is reliability. Optimal energy use can only be achieved if plants are running reliably, as unplanned downtimes cause inefficient use of energy. We manage this through our Global Reliability System (GRS), a subset of OIMS.
ExxonMobil Energy Efficiency and Weatherization Program
In March 2009, we launched a new partnership with the National Community Action Foundation (NCAF). ExxonMobil’s $5 million grant is the largest-ever private contribution to community organizations that work with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program. Through the grant, ExxonMobil and NCAF are advancing the shared goals of protecting the environment, promoting energy efficiency, and expanding career opportunities.
Up close:
Improving efficiency in transportation
As the number of vehicles in the world continues to rise, energy efficiency in the transportation sector will become increasingly important. According to the International Energy Agency, approximately 90 percent of petroleum-related GHG emissions are generated when customers use our products, and the remaining 10 percent are generated by industry operations. To improve the efficiency of the global vehicle fleet, ExxonMobil is working to develop near-term and long-term advances in vehicle, fuel, and lubricant technology, offering significant potential for reductions in GHG emissions.
Advanced plastics make vehicles lighter. For every 10 percent drop in vehicle weight, fuel economy improves by ~7 percent.
New tire-lining technology keeps tires properly inflated. Cars with properly inflated tires may save an extra tank of gas annually.
Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy can improve fuel economy by up to 2 percent versus motor oils most commonly used.¹
Fuel cells with onboard hydrogen generation could be up to 80 percent more fuel-efficient than today's internal combustion engine.
Advanced internal combustion engine and fuel system technologies could achieve significant gains in fuel economy.
Alternative fuels research could make fuels more available and affordable with lower life cycle GHG emissions.
1Actual savings are dependent upon vehicle/engine type, outside temperature, driving conditions, and current engine oil viscosity.
