PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
In Greece, petroleum refineries produce around 34 000 tonnes of petroleum sludge (PRS) per year, while the corresponding PRS quantities produced in Europe are estimated to be around 1 million tonnes. PRS, due to their high hydrocarbons and heavy metals content, are classified as hazardous waste and their production considerably increases the environmental footprint of oil production process. Due to the complex and inconstant composition of PRS, cost-effective treatment and proper disposal pose considerable technical and industrial challenges worldwide. These wastes are a major source of pollution to the aquatic environment since they are composed of oil and grease along with many other toxic organic compounds (including ammonia, sulphides, phenols and hydrocarbons). The total quantity of aqueous effluent discharged by European petroleum refineries is 2.5 billion tonnes/year. Clean-up technologies, such as incineration, plasma treatment and sludge burial in secure landfills, are expensive. Furthermore, although bio-treatment reduces the organic content of PRS, there is no economically-viable technology available to reduce its metal content. It is therefore necessary to apply technologies that will effectively address both issues efficiently from an economic and environmental point of view.
OBJECTIVES
The objective of the LIFE DIANA project was the smart exploitation of petroleum sludge (PRS) produced by the Corinth Refineries of Motor Oil Hellas. The project aimed to demonstrate that PRS, when treated with modified industrial minerals , can generate a valorised sludge mixture (VSM) and thus transform a hazardous waste material into an added-value commercial product with a low environmental risk. The specific aim was to develop a stable high-quality engineered soil, by mixing VSM with soil improvers, to achieve properties suitable for the cost-effective construction and restoration of landfill sites and abandoned quarries. Due to its tailored properties, the engineered soil can substitute for much larger quantities of materials currently used for these purposes.
LIFE DIANA targeted the Resource Efficiency Roadmap and the Circular Economy Action Plan. Through the efficient valorisation and re-use of combined wastes from different industries, it would create new circular business concepts, promote the eco-design of new waste valorisation chains, and stimulate the development of innovative waste technologies and exploitation systems. The project also aimed to contribute to the Waste Framework Directive and the Soil Thematic Strategy with an emphasis on soil sealing and improved land use.
RESULTS
The LIFE DIANA project demonstrated a petroleum refinery sludge (PRS) stabilisation process, first on a small scale and then on an industrial scale.
The team showed that PRS can be mixed with a stabilising mineral, which is available in Greece and elsewhere in the EU, to produce a stable engineered soil (ES) that meets the criteria for landfill layer. The soil is moreover of sufficient quality for use as a vegetation substrate (e.g. for the rehabilitation of abandoned quarries).
Specific results included:
- Construction of an industrial-scale plant for oil sludge stabilisation at Motor Oil Hellas refineries;
- Reduction of the waste volumes produced by the Greek petrochemicals industry, with 1 500 tonnes of PRS transformed into ES, at the demonstration sludge stabilisation plant;
- Development and demonstration of a new process that uses industrial minerals that naturally occur in the EU, leading to the elimination of the negative environmental impact of PRS;
- Demonstration of the suitability of the produced ES as landfill layer and vegetation cover for the rehabilitation of abandoned quarries or similar uses was proven through real-life applications;
- Technological and economic assessments that showed that the project process compares favourably with other PRS treatment processes;
- Lifecyle analyses that showed that the project process compares well with other methods; and
- Development of a business model for the exploitation of the process after the end of the project.
Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Communication Plan (see "Read more" section).
