Data source

(1) Lubricant returned to the market: Estimating a performance of the regeneration process of two thirds of the used oil processed in this way.

(2) Barrels of oil: According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 42 gallons of crude oil are needed to produce 2.5 quarts (2.37 litres) of base lubricant. Calculation bases, applying a density of the used oil of 90% (1 l = 0.9 kg).

(3) Savings of CO₂: According to some regeneration companies, for each tonne of used oil treated this way of used oil destined to this treatment, 3 tonnes of CO₂ is saved from emission to the atmosphere (compared to if that used oil had been treated through combustion).

(4) Energy generation: Based on the statement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), according to which a gallon of used oil processed as fuel oil contains 140,000 BTU, equivalent to comparing 1 litre of processed fuel with 10.84 kWh.

(5) Energy consumption per inhabitant: Data per autonomous community and national total of the Spanish Environmental Profile 2014 (MAGRAMA, 2015).

(6) Data provided by ASELUBE (Spanish Lubricant Association).

(7) The emission of CO₂ from the regeneration process is almost 42% lower than the first refining. The emission per tonne of regenerated used oil would be 1,156 kg of CO₂-eq. in a refining process and 676 kg in a regeneration process. (Ecological and energetic assessment of re-refining used oils to base oils. Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, IFEU, 2005).

(8) The obtaining of base oils from used oils consumes 43% of the energy consumed in comparison to when they are obtained from oil refining. According to the data provided by the U.S. Department of Energy in the document Used Oil Re-refining Study to Address Energy Policy Act of 2005, the energy consumption of regeneration is 742,000 BTU per barrel of used oil, while that of oil refining to obtain an equivalent base is 1,722,000 BTU, resulting in a net balance of 980,000 BTU per barrel (1.80 kWh per litre of used oil, with 1 kWh = 3,412.14 BTU and 1 barrel = 159 litres).

(9) Source: Regulation (EC) No. 948/2009 from the Commission of 30th September 2009, amending annex I of Regulation (EEC) No. 2658/87 from the Council of 23rd July 1987 on the Tariff and Statistical Nomenclature and on the Common Customs Tariff. 

(10) Entry under this subheading is subject to the conditions set out in the Community provisions on the subject [see articles 291 to 300 of Regulation (EEC) No. 2454/93 from the Commission (DO L 253 of 11.10.1993, p. 1)].

(11) Modification from the Implementing Regulation (EC) No. 2015/1754 from the Commission of 6th October 2015, amending annex I of Regulation (EEC) No. 2658/87 from the Council regarding the Tariff and Statistical Nomenclature and on the Common Customs Tariff. The new codes substitute the previous 3403 19 90 that, at the same time, had substituted the previous 3403 19 91 and 3403 19 99 of Royal Decree 679/2006.

(12) Absorption of CO₂: estimate of kg g per foot in 20 years. Data from the CO₂ absorption calculator for Spanish forest species, offered by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment.