Waste Lube Oil Management in Europe

GEIR
Groupement Européen de l’Industrie de la Régénération
European Re-refining Industry Section of UEIL
Waste Lube Oil Management in Europe
Green Planet Association Annual Conference
Bucharest, 28.05.2015
Glykeria Archontaki
Agenda
•
About GEIR
• Circular model for re-refining industry
• Reasons for a circular approach
• EU legislative framework for used oils
• Used oil management in EU
• Good practices and barriers
• Conclusions
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About GEIR
GEIR
GEIR is the European Waste Oil Re-refining Industry Association. It is an independent member
of UEIL (Union of the European Lubricants Industry) and the strongest representative body for
independent manufacturers of lubricants in Europe.
Goals
 Promoting the collection and re-refining of used oils
 Support re-refining over other possible routes of waste oil management (improper
disposal, on-site combustion and treatment to fuel oil)
 Support further development of the used oil recycling in Europe
Location: Brussels
The GEIR maintains permanent contacts with European official bodies (Parliament,
Commission, Committees) and works with all public and private organizations that are
interested in the subject of recycling in general and of used oils in particular.
Members: 14 members, active in 9 EU Member States, representing 90% of the European rerefining capacity.
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Used Oil Capacities for Base Oil Production
Country
Company
Location
Denmark
Finland
Avista Oil Denmark
L & T Recoil
Eco Huile
Osilube
Puralube 1+2
Avista Oil Germany
KS-Recycling
Cyclon Hellas
Viscolube
Viscolube
R.A.M.OIL
North Refinery
Rafineria Nafty Jedlicze
Cator
Tracemar
Tracemar - Alfaro
Tracemar- Huelva
Tracemar- Murcia
Whelan Refining
Kalundborg
Hamina
Lillebonne
France
Germany
Greece
Italy
Netherlands
Poland
Spain
United Kingdom
Le Havre
Tröglitz/Zeitz
Dollbergen
Sonsbeck
Attika
Pieve Fissiraga
Ceccano
Casalnuovo
Farmsum
Jedlicze
Taragona
Fuenlabrada
Alfaro
Huelva
Murcia
Stoke-on-Trent
GEIR Website
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Used Oil Capacity
[1000 tons/a]
40
42
125
120
160
120
30
40
130
84
35
80
34
42
36
38
34
34
50
ca. 1.3 million t/a
European Re-refinery Landscape
Re-refining plant (base oil) including hydrogenation or solvent extraction
L&T Recoil
Re-refining plant (base oil)
New Projects
Avista DK
Whelan
Refining
North
Refinery
Avista D
Puralube 1+2
KS Recycling
Jedlicze
Eco Huile
Osilub
Jaslo
Südöl
S.I.R.O
Viscolube
Tracemar
EGEO
Enviroil
Tracemar
Cator
Lubrica
Viscolube
R.A.M. Oil
Siral
Tracemar
Cyclon
Tracemar
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Circular Economy Model
•
WLO represent the largest amount of liquid, non-aqueous
hazardous waste in the world
•
Re-refining is a resource efficient and technically completely
feasible way to manage WLO
•
WLO can be recycled a limitless number of times without any
quality loss of base oils
•
70% base oil plus other useful by-products (fuels, asphalt, gas
oil, etc) can be recovered
•
Production of high quality base oils free of harmful substances
•
Modern re-refining technologies are waste free technologies
•
Circular economy model provides advantages in terms of
limiting waste and harmful emmissions, reducing dependance
on natural resources, reducing costs, creating jobs and
economic growth
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Circular Economy Model
Virgin Base Oil
Contributing to a Competitive Europe

Contribution to EU Economy: About 30 per cent of all base oils consumed in the EU is made from
regenerated waste oils which can be regenerated indefinitely.

Security of Supply: Re-refining contributes to the reduction of crude oil imports from third countries,
making the EU industry and society less vulnerable to high prices, market volatility and the political
situation in supplying countries

Market Balance: A significant part of base oils is still produced by crude oil refining, mostly imported
by major global players. Moreover, operating costs involved in a re-refinery are less than that in a
crude oil refinery. SMEs play a vital role in balancing the lubricant market

Business Opportunities: The European waste oil recycling industry is
comprised of 28 plants and secures 1000-1200 local jobs in re-refining
and 2000-2500 mostly local jobs in the collection of waste oil. Moreover,
the re-refining industry contributes to the creation of indirect jobs in a
diversity of sectors, from accounting, quality control to cleaning and repair
work
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Protecting Europe’s Environment

Security of Natural Resources : Increased re-refining rates alleviate the environmental burden of
primary lubricants production

Energy Savings : Recycled base oils save up to 30-40% of energy in the entire operation, in
comparison to the primary production of lubricants

Greenhouse Emissions Reduction : Considerable amount of CO2 is avoided compared to virgin
lubricants production.

Protection of Human Health and the Environment : High collection
rates reduce the potentially severe risks for human health and the
environment arising from illegal dumping in water or soil or uncontrolled
incineration.

High Quality Base Oils : Properly re-refined lubricants fulfill high
standards on low sulfur, aromatic and phosphorous concentration
resulting in high quality products
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Legal Framework
Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC
Article 4: Waste hierarchy as priority order
•
Recycling (incl. re-refining) has higher priority than other recovery options (incl. direct burning or
production of secondary fuels)
Product (Non-Waste)
Waste
Best solution
Prevention
Preparing for re-use
Recycling
incl. Burning of used oil
incl. Re-refining
Recovery
Disposal
Worst solution
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Waste Framework Directive, Rules for Used Oil Management
Article 3 (Definitions) :
‘recycling’ means any recovery operation by which waste materials are reprocessed into products,
materials or substances whether for the original or other purposes. It includes the reprocessing of
organic material but does not include energy recovery and the reprocessing into materials that are to
be used as fuels or for backfilling operations
Article 21 on waste oils:

Used oils have to be collected separately

Used oils have to be treated in accordance with the waste hierarchy

Prohibition of mixing used oils with different characteristics or with other kinds of waste or
substance if this impedes their treatment

Member states may apply measures (technical, organizational, economic) to promote separate
collection and proper treatment

Member states may restrict the transboundary shipment of used oils from their territory to
incineration or co-incineration in order to give priority to regeneration
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Used Oil Volume and Utilization in EU27
Million tons
Total Lubricant Demand
%
5.7
Used Oil Utilization EU-27 (m tons)
Collectable Used Oil
2.7
100%
Collected Used Oil
2.0
75%
Re-refined Used Oil
0.7
10%
25%
45%
(35% of collected)
35%
10%
Source GEIR, 2008
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Used Oil Management in EU27 (in t/a)
550
500
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
WLO Collected (m tons)
Re-Refining to Base Oils (m tons)
Direct burning (substituting HFO)
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Direct burning (substituting solid fuels)
Good Practices and barriers in WLO Management

Full implementation by Member States of WFD

Priority to re-refining over other ways of WLO management

Legally binding collection and re-refining targets for WLO

Implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility Schemes

Public awareness

Not harmonized national laws with the provisions of WFD

Financial support for incineration (tax cuts)

Lack of controls and enforcement actions by competent
authorities
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Objectives for sustainable development

Effective implementation of the provisions of existing
EU regulatory framework for used oils by all Member
States

Definition of clear collection and recycling targets for
WLO

Best use of available re-refining capacity in the EU by
encouraging WLO transboundary shipments for
Member States that lack re-refining facilities to other
EU Member States

Financial instruments to re-refining industries in order
to support steps to “zero waste” type of economy

Educating consumers and leveraging public
procurement based on life cycle costing
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Thank you for your attention!
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