Emissions of Carbon Dioxide from Tar Sands Plants in Canada

Abstract

The CO2 emissions from the Canadian tar sands plants approach 0.09 and 0.16 tonne per barrel of synthetic crude produced in the plants employing fluid coking and delayed coking processes, respectively. The total CO2 emissions from the utilization of liquid fuels by combustion approach 0.4 tonne per barrel. When the CO2 emissions from the production of synthetic crude, refining, and utilization of fuels are combined, the emissions from utilization account for about 80 and about 70% of the emitted CO2 when fluid coking and delayed coking processes are considered, respectively. Then, there is the much greater potential for the reduction of CO2 emissions on the fuel utilization side than that on the synthetic crude production side. The amount of CO2 emitted from the expanded production of synthetic crude depends on the coking process chosen for expansion. A plant producing ∼500 000 bbl/d of synthetic crude using the fluid coking process may emit about ∼16 million tonnes of CO2 annually, whereas the same daily production in the plant employing a delayed coking process would emit ∼30 million tonnes of CO2 annually. The combined production of 1 million barrels a day of synthetic crude would emit ∼46 million tonnes of CO2 annually, which accounts for less than 8% of the Canadian CO2 emissions. At the same time, the combined production would contribute almost 50% to the liquid fuels pool in Canada. Definitely, the reduction of CO2 emissions can be achieved more readily by implementing proper actions and regulations on the liquid fuels utilization side than those on the production side.