catalyst to be rejuvenated from their own inventory of pre- viously used catalyst. In that case, the only costs incurred are for regeneration and rejuvenation treatments applied to their spent catalyst. Reducing CO₂ footprint While the main driver for a refiner to reuse catalyst will generally be cost savings and effective use of assets, it must be noted that there is also a positive impact on CO₂ footprint from catalyst reuse. Compared to the overall CO₂ footprint generated to manufacture fresh catalyst, regener- ation and rejuvenation of a spent catalyst saves more than 60% in CO₂ footprint. The CO₂ footprint to manufacture a fresh catalyst from raw materials is like the CO₂ footprint from the removal of residual carbon from a spent catalyst. The main difference in CO₂ footprint is generated by the manufacturer of the raw materials used in fresh catalyst. Mining, refining, and purifying the metals required to manufacture fresh catalysts are highly energy-intensive processes. These energy-intensive processes are obvi - ously unnecessary when reusing catalyst since they remain the same as on the original fresh catalyst. Figure 4 shows the 20% reduction in CO₂ footprint for the hybrid load as compared to a full fresh load. Reuse of catalysts, especially in a hybrid load where there are no downsides in terms of unit performance, is an easy way to practice circularity and environmental responsibility. As time passes, the CO₂ footprint reduction aspect of hybrid loads is expected to
become increasingly important in accessing the economics of catalyst reuse. Hybrid loads are a painless and well-proven method to control catalyst fill costs while still capturing the perfor - mance benefits of fresh catalyst. The fill cost savings are especially large when a refiner reuses catalyst they already
Hybrid loads are a painless and well-proven method to control catalyst fill costs while still capturing the performance benefits of fresh catalyst
own. The performance of a hybrid load is virtually indistin - guishable from that of a full load of fresh catalyst. Finally, hybrid loading promotes circular economies and responsi- ble catalyst management – an increasingly important con- sideration for many refiners. Steve Mayo is Vice of Technology and Business Development for Eurecat. He has more than 40 years of experience in refining cata - lysts and applications, encompassing research, development, man- ufacturing, testing, technology, technical services, and business. He has authored and co-authored numerous papers on hydroprocessing, catalysis, and refining technology. Email Smayo@eurecat.com
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Eurecat EBoost® rejuvenation technology boosts regenerated catalyst activity near or even above that of original fresh Effective Economical Environmental
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