cogeneration

It takes a lot of energy to create energy. And, as global demand rises, it will take a lot more. So reducing greenhouse gas emissions during the manufacturing process can only help to reduce emissions overall. That’s why ExxonMobil invests so heavily in a process called “cogeneration.”

Recycling heat; improving efficiency
Cogeneration is the simultaneous production of electricity and thermal heat/steam. By capturing the waste heat that otherwise escapes into the atmosphere or is lost in condensing steam back to water, we are able to use it directly within our manufacturing and production facilities.

We now have interests in some 100 cogeneration facilities around the world.

Cogeneration in Europe
Across Europe, we already have cogeneration facilities at nine locations - and we are actively developing or considering projects that could increase our capacity by more than 50%.

In our Antwerp refinery, for example, we are building a cogeneration plant which uses an even more efficient approach: direct process heat integration. When the plant begins operating in late 2008, it will further decrease CO₂ emissions by over 200,000 tonnes a year: a significant — and measurable — contribution to Belgium’s overall target for emissions reduction.

In a world that wants more energy and lower emissions, this is a powerful way to deliver them both today.