Cogeneration

Luc Van Vooren, Engineer

With cogeneration, we can produce electricity to power our operations while also capturing heat to make steam to transform raw materials into consumer products. This provides a more efficient power source than purchasing from a local utility, in some cases by up to 50 percent more efficient.

As an industry leader in cogeneration applications, we have interests in about 100 cogeneration facilities in more than 30 locations worldwide. We have invested in cogeneration projects for several decades. These projects have the capacity to produce more than 4.5 gigawatts of electricity, enough to supply the needs of more than 2 million U.S. homes. In 2008, we expanded the use of cogeneration and added 125 megawatts of power capacity, with the start-up of new facilities at our refinery in Antwerp, Belgium. With new facilities under construction, we expect to increase our cogeneration capacity to more than 5 gigawatts by 2011.

We routinely evaluate cogeneration development opportunities when considering new investments that require both power and steam. For example, in Singapore, we are developing the nation-state’s largest owned and operated petrochemical project, and cogeneration is expected to meet 100 percent of the project’s electricity needs.