products & processes

Improving fuel and engine efficiency and expanding our cogeneration capacity are significant contributions to reducing emissions with current technology. But they aren’t the only ones. In fact, we are constantly looking for ways to improve the environmental impact of our products and our processes, right across the company. Here are just a few more examples:



Lubricants
We have developed a range of advanced lubricants that offer better engine protection, improved fuel economy and meet stringent emissions standards. They also satisfy consumer demand for longer intervals between oil changes and reduce the volume of oil used in vehicles and large industrial equipment. In Europe, our new Mobil 1 ESP Formula (a low-ash lubricant for diesel engines) was named “Best OEM*approved lubricant 2005” by the UK Institute of Transport Management, for its ability to prolong the life of car and truck exhaust systems.

SCANfining
Selective Cat Naphtha hydrofining is a refining technology which reduces the sulphur content in petrol, while maintaining much of the octane level required for performance. We now operate (or have licensed) 37 SCANfining units worldwide.

Global Energy Management System (GEMS)
Launched in 2000, GEMS incorporates efficiency improvements and emissions reductions into the routine operation of our business. We highlight “best practice” examples throughout our plants and use them to set targets everywhere else.

GEMS has already identified opportunities to improve energy efficiency in our refining and chemical operations by 15-20%, more than half of which have been achieved. So far, it has saved enough energy to supply over 1 million European households a year - and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 8 million tonnes a year. At our Fawley refinery in the UK, for example, engineers have converted a conventional distillation tower in a way which improves product quality and reduces steam consumption by 50%.

Greenhouse Gas Reporting
One essential element of controlling greenhouse gas emissions is to establish consistent ways of measuring them. Engineers at our Rotterdam refinery have developed a comprehensive monitoring protocol to measure both CO₂ and nitrogen oxide emissions. In 2004, the Dutch government honoured Esso Nederland as the first company to have completed such a protocol and recommended that it should be promoted as best practice across the EU.