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Petrobras Advances with a New Technology to Reduce Toxic Gas Emissions, Benefiting 30 Million Brazilians.
A Petrobras is About to Make History with a technology that promises to drastically reduce pollutant emissions while generating profit.
The project involves the transformation of toxic substances into sulfuric acid, a profitable product, at the Abreu e Lima Refinery in Ipojuca (PE).
This innovative initiative, called Snox, places the state-owned company in a select global group, being the first unit in the Americas and the third in the world to use the technology.
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Petrobras’s refinery in Pernambuco, Abreu e Lima (Rnest), awaits the start of operations of the Snox unit by December, a state-of-the-art structure designed to reduce the emission of the toxic gases sulfur oxides (SOx) and nitrogen oxides (NOx).
Through the refining process, these pollutants will be converted into sulfuric acid, widely used in industrial sectors such as water treatment.
According to Agência Brasil, the new unit is capable of eliminating up to 99% of SOx emissions and 95% of NOx emissions, an achievement that is expected to turn Rnest into a reference in sustainability and environmental efficiency.
According to Márcio Maia, general manager of the refinery, “socio-environmental responsibility is enormous,” and the prime location of the unit, close to the Port of Suape and Porto de Galinhas, reinforces Petrobras’s commitment to the environment and society.
Adding Value and Generating Revenue
In addition to reducing pollution, Snox will open new sources of revenue for Petrobras. All sulfuric acid produced by the unit already has a buyer: Bauminas Group, one of the national leaders in chemical products for water treatment.
This 10-year contract will enable water treatment for around 30 million Brazilians, Maia emphasizes, generating significant revenue for the refinery.
Rodrigo Avelino, another manager of the unit, believes this technology “is the state of the art” in gas treatment, something that few refineries in the world are able to achieve.
This technological advancement is exclusive to Rnest in Brazil, as older refineries built before the 1980s were not designed for such technologies.
Increasing Production with Less Impact
The modernization of Abreu e Lima will also contribute to expanding refining capacity.
With more efficient emission control, the refinery will be able to increase its production from 100,000 to 115,000 barrels of oil per day, a possibility now permitted by environmental legislation.
Thus, Petrobras expects to increase the supply of S-10 diesel, a low-sulfur fuel essential for reducing emissions and meeting the growing demand of the Brazilian market.
Currently, the Pernambucan refinery accounts for 10% of S-10 diesel consumed in the country, sufficient to fuel millions of vehicles, both light and heavy.
S-10 diesel has high energy efficiency and reduces environmental impacts compared to S-500 diesel, which was widely used in Brazil until recently.
Resuming Investments and Generating Jobs
The Snox project is not new. The installation is part of the refinery’s initial plan, but delays related to the Lava Jato operation and investment crises postponed its completion.
After a repositioning of Petrobras, construction was resumed, and the refinery, which had been divested, received new investments, marking a turnaround.
The construction of Snox generated 1,300 direct jobs and, with the advancement of operations, more positions are expected to arise.
It is estimated that Train 2, the new production line at Abreu e Lima, will generate around 30,000 direct and indirect jobs throughout its construction, expected to be completed by 2028.
This train will represent a significant increase in the refinery’s production capacity, positively impacting the economy and the local labor market.
Revamp and Modernization of the Refinery
Another important step in the development of Abreu e Lima is the so-called “revamp,” a process of renewal and expansion of equipment, expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2025.
According to Bruno Daguano, coordinator of Refinery Projects, this modernization will allow for increased refining capacity to 130,000 barrels of oil per day, at a significantly lower cost than building a new facility from scratch.
According to Daguano, “the revamp is one of the most profitable projects for Petrobras,” and Márcio Maia highlights that this expansion will maximize the use of pre-salt oil, further enhancing the efficiency and profits of the refinery.
Contribution to Reducing Imports
With the expansion of capacity, Abreu e Lima will be able to refine up to 260,000 barrels per day, which should reduce Brazil’s dependence on diesel imports.
According to Maia, the refinery has the potential to supply the entire Northeast Region as well as send excess to other parts of the country.
Less Dependence on Imported Diesel represents not only an economic advantage for the country but also a positive impact on the trade balance.
Investments in Renewable Energy
Although focused on fossil fuels, Petrobras has invested in renewable energy at Abreu e Lima, which will house a solar plant with the capacity to produce up to 12 megawatts, approximately 7% of the energy consumed by the refinery.
Another project under development is renewable diesel, which will include vegetable content, potentially creating more sustainable products with a lower environmental impact.
Cutting-Edge Technology and Future Opportunities
Petrobras seeks to leverage technologies like Snox not only to increase profitability but also to ensure a prominent role in the environmental landscape.
The investment in state-of-the-art processes, such as the revamp, demonstrates the company’s commitment to aligning its growth with global environmental demands.
Thus, Abreu e Lima is becoming a reference in innovation and sustainability.
Will this technology spread to other refineries in Brazil in the future, increasing the production of cleaner fuels and job generation?
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