{"id":11748,"date":"2025-09-25T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/escp.eu\/thechoice\/?p=11748"},"modified":"2025-10-06T17:18:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-06T15:18:09","slug":"concentrated-solar-thermal-an-optimal-solution-for-decarbonisation-in-the-oil-refining-sector","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/escp.eu\/thechoice\/their-choice\/concentrated-solar-thermal-an-optimal-solution-for-decarbonisation-in-the-oil-refining-sector\/","title":{"rendered":"Concentrated Solar Thermal: an optimal solution for decarbonisation in the oil refining sector?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Despite record growth in renewables, oil remains the world\u2019s single largest energy source, fueling transportation, manufacturing and petrochemicals, among others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2024, renewables experienced the highest growth in energy demand, increasing by 11% and electric vehicles made up 22% of new car sales globally<\/a>. Despite these advances, oil remained the single largest energy source in the global mix, comprising 29.6% (55,232 TWh of 186,383 TWh) of total energy consumption.<\/strong><\/a>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Global primary energy consumption by source 2024 \u00a9Our World on Data.<\/em>
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For industries under pressure to decarbonise, this reliance poses both a challenge and an opportunity. One overlooked solution? Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

CST technology represents a promising pathway to achieving carbon-free steam production in oil refining. As oil refining processes remain significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions, integrating CST may position solar power as an essential ally within the sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why decarbonise oil refining?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Steam generation alone accounts for up to 33% of the total energy consumed in oil refining, powering turbines, heating, and acting as a process medium. Traditionally, this steam is produced using boilers that burn fossil fuels such as refinery gas, natural gas, fuel oil, or coal, which in turn contribute to one-third of a typical refinery’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the oil and gas industry, which faces mounting scrutiny during the energy transition, decarbonising steam is not a marginal gain. It is a pivotal step towards a more sustainable petrochemical value chain<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cartagena Refinery – REFICAR. Cartagena, Colombia. \u00a9Ecopetrol 2022<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Solar integration in practice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

My research in northern Colombia, which benefits from abundant solar resources, examined CST deployment in the country’s two main refineries. The findings are promising,  indicating that replacing traditional natural gas combustion with CST could reduce emissions by 95%<\/strong>, while also achieving a lower levelised cost of heat (LCOH). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, CST enables steam production to become independent of natural gas price volatility, protecting operations from potential gas supply disruptions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why CST stands out<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

CST systems<\/a> are advanced renewable energy technologies that harness sunlight to produce high-temperature heat, which can be used for electricity generation and industrial process heating. These systems use large mirrors or reflectors that track the sun’s movement throughout the day, focusing sunlight onto a receiver. The receiver collects and transfers this concentrated heat to a working fluid\u2014such as water or molten salt\u2014which is then used to produce steam for industrial operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cEvery 90 minutes, enough sunlight strikes Earth\u2019s surface to satisfy our energy needs for a whole year.\u201d -World Economic Forum, 2023.  <\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Compared to other renewable options, CST is particularly well-suited for refinery applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A review of 146 international projects from the latest NREL SolarPACES database<\/a> showed that Parabolic Trough systems<\/strong><\/a> have the world\u2019s largest installed capacity for industrial steam generation. They also require the smallest average area per unit of thermal output<\/strong>, making them particularly attractive for decarbonising steam production in oil refining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ensuring reliability: competing with gas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

An essential question is whether CST can match the 24\/7 reliability of gas-fired systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recent advances, highlighted in international projects, suggest that it can. The projects show that using molten salt as both the heat-transfer and storage material offers the best solution. With <\/strong>molten salt thermal storage<\/strong><\/a>, CST systems can store enough heat to keep steam production running smoothly for up to 12 hours after sunset.<\/strong> This approach ensures a steady steam supply at the right temperature, maximises the solar capacity factor, and keeps the cost of producing steam affordable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Concentrating solar thermal power plant layout. (Richter, Abraham, & Morin, 2011<\/em>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Molten salts remain stable at higher temperatures than thermal oil, allowing systems to operate at higher temperatures, enhancing the conversion efficiency from thermal energy to steam with smaller energy losses and lower costs. Unlike oil, molten salt doesn\u2019t need extra equipment for heat exchange, which simplifies the system and further reduces capital expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, molten salts are also safe to handle\u2014being non-flammable, non-explosive, and non-toxic\u2014and more affordable to produce than thermal oils since they’re made from common materials like sodium and potassium nitrates, making them a practical choice for large-scale refinery integration<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From costs to carbon credits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Besides the potential emissions reduction, replacing natural gas with CST to produce steam has significant operational and economic benefits for refinery owners and shareholders, such as: <\/p>\n\n\n\n