49. Cabecera noticia informes oficiales 2020
121,000 tonnes of used oil treated in 2020, main balance of SIGAUS’ Official Reports
SIGAUS recently presented its 2020 Official Reports to the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Democratic Challenge (MITECO), as well as to the competent bodies of the different Autonomous Communities. These reports attest to compliance with the ecological goals established in regulations on used oil, and to the 121,000 tonnes of waste treated in 2020, of which 74% were regenerated, a rate that far exceeds that required by law. The Reports also include a significant quantitative analysis on the generation of used oils in Spain and the comprehensive service that is provided by SIGAUS in collecting all of it, thanks to its network of 160 management companies.
10-05-2021
24. Párrafo Informes oficiales 2020 (1)
At the end of March, SIGAUS submitted its 2020 Official Reports electronically, its main tool for communicating to Public bodies the work it performs in the management of used oils and reporting compliance with the ecological goals established by regulations.
As shown in these reports, the 242 companies adhered to SIGAUS, marketed a total of 264,717 tonnes of lubricating oils in 2020, a figure that represents the largest fall (11.3%) since 2009, and is a reflection of the health and economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Despite this difficult situation, the Organisation continued working to offer a comprehensive used oil collection service throughout Spain, which was possible thanks to its network of 160 management companies and 199 management facilities, thus avoiding the harmful effects of this residual pollutant on our environment. Last year, the SIGAUS management network managed a total of 67,524 used-oil production establishments, distributed throughout 4,816 municipalities in Spain. 147,381 gross tonnes of waste were collected through 161,847 collection operations, including major operations in rural, mountain or empty population areas where the risk of not managing used oil would be high, were it not for the financing provided by SIGAUS.
32. Párrafo cita. Informes Oficiales 2020
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74% of waste, amounting to 88,373 tonnes, was destined for regeneration treatment, which allowed 55,321 tonnes of new lubricants to be returned to the market.
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From waste to new life
After discounting water and other sediments, the amount of waste ultimately managed was 121,004 tonnes, which were subjected in full to different types of treatment for subsequent use in the market as new products. Specifically, 88,373 tonnes (73.9% of the total regenerable used oil, almost 9% higher than the rate required by current regulations) were destined for regeneration, the priority treatment by law that allows used oil to be transformed into lubricant base oils through a process that can be repeated indefinitely. Thanks to the regenerated waste, 55,321 tonnes of new lubricants were returned to the market while achieving, at the same time, major environmental benefits, by avoiding the emission of 58,945 tonnes of CO2 and the consumption of 26 million barrels of oil (which would have been produced or would have been necessary, respectively, for the manufacture of these lubricants through petroleum refining processes).
The quantity of used oils processed as fuel for industrial use, for subsequent energy use, amounted to 31,617 tonnes, which enabled the production of 28,456 tonnes of fuel oil, saving 29 GWh and avoiding the emission into the atmosphere of 17,326 tonnes of CO2 (compared with that fuel having been produced through oil refining).
The Official Reports incorporate a specific section on the collection of used oil, information that has been enriched with statistical data on population, rurality or economic activities, which detail how used oil is generated in Spain by territory, providing specific details on the collection of waste in vulnerable areas, such as mountain and rural environments and those near protected areas or water resources.
24. Párrafo Informes oficiales 2020 (2)
All this information comes from the SIGAUS TIS (Technological Information System), an essential tool for the preparation of these reports, which is fed by the official documents provided by used oil management companies that certify the traceability from the producer of used oil until the final waste treatment.
Used Oil Observatory
In this sense, and for the sake of greater transparency, the Used Oil Observatory web platform offers, in parallel and as a complement to the Reports, a detailed analysis by territory of the generation of waste, with statistical variables such as those mentioned above. The web-based tool includes an interactive map of Spain which shows the volumes collected, operations carried out, producers serviced and environmental benefits achieved from the management carried out in the different territories, with information, both at the regional and provincial level, and both through the map itself as well as graphics attached to it. In addition, it offers the possibility of comparing different years or territories. The Observatory also includes a private area where Public Bodies can access data at the municipal level, all using the latest technology available in digital cartography.
Prevention and control, major allies of the Circular Economy
The second part of the 2020 Official Reports includes a series of complementary reports, such as the one relating to the Monitoring and Control of the III SIGAUS Prevention Business Plan. This report includes the 570 new actions carried out in 2020 by 125 companies, with a view to minimising the environmental impact of industrial oil. Furthermore, in line with SIGAUS' commitment to transparency, the Reports also contain information on the review and control actions carried out during the past year to verify the statements provided, both by the adhered companies and by the managers authorised.
It also includes information on the 2019 Lubricants Market Study in Spain, prepared by the independent consulting firm, PwC, and which served to establish the market share for which SIGAUS was responsible in 2020, in terms of financing, as well as a preview of the different communication actions planned by SIGAUS in 2021 for dialogue with its different audiences.