The Refinery’s newly installed Selective Catalytic Reducer (SCR) which reduces NOx emissions.
Have you ever wondered what it takes for the Torrance Refinery (Refinery) to operate in an environmentally responsible manner? To start, steadfast dedication by our workforce to find ways to reduce the facility’s impact on the environment through daily monitoring of its operations, in compliance with the strictest environmental regulations in the nation, as well as proactively implementing projects that improve the reliability of our equipment and processes.
One recent project demonstrates our commitment to being environmentally responsible. The Refinery recently installed a new SCR (Selective Catalytic Reducer), which will remove NOx (nitrogen oxide compounds) from its auxiliary boiler emissions. The auxiliary boiler is part of the Refinery’s utility system that produces steam for various refinery process operations. The new SCR is helping reduce emissions by converting NOx to a cleaner mix of water and nitrogen.
Environmental Supervisor Valerie Tse estimates a reduction of approximately 330,000 pounds per year (165 tons of NOx) or, from about 130 ppm (parts per million) to less than 8 ppm of NOx.
To constantly monitor emissions from the boiler, we installed a Continuous Emissions Monitoring System (CEMS). “For this and other reasons, installing the new SCR is another important step we can take toward reducing NOx emissions and towards cleaner air,” Tse added.