23 cabecera Nuevas vidas para el aceite usado
New lives for waste oil
100% of the used oil collected in Spain through out management network is recovered, avoiding its contaminating impact on the environment. Thanks to the different treatments, an important value is extracted from the used oil for the production of alternative energy and raw materials for the elaboration of new products.6 cifras nuevas vidas
Since 2007, the amount managed has implied the production of:
of new lubricants
of energy
of alternative fuel
23 tratamiento regeneración
Regeneration
With the regeneration of used oils, we obtain base oils to create new lubricants, and thus avoid the use of raw materials and energy and the emission of a high quantity of tonnes of CO2.
This process is capable of producing two thirds of the waste in the form of regenerated bases. It is calculated that 2 litres of new oil is obtained from 3 litres of used oil, whereas about 140 litres is needed of this non-renewable natural resource to obtain the same amount of oil from the first oil refining, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
As well as saving of raw materials, as it avoids the consumption of oil to be refined into new industrial oil, it provides savings for energy and CO2 emissions which are up to 40% lower than those that would be produced if the bases were obtained from oil refining. Furthermore, this is a process that can be repeated infinitely, despite the product loss that is produced in each treatment.
8 cita primera
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During 2023, 77.5% of the used oil regenerable collected was regenerated, becoming base oil for manufacturing new lubricants. Thanks to the 101,774 tonnes treated through this process, 64,000 tonnes of new lubricants were returned to the market, which served to fill the oil tank in nearly 16 million cars.
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23 tratamiento Valorización energética
Energy recovery
This permits the manufacture of an alternative fuel for industrial use, substituting traditional fuel oil, which is used in large furnaces in cement works, paper mills, construction material factories or thermoelectrical co-generation systems. Unlike regeneration, the manufacture of fuel offers a performance of almost 100% with regards to the volume of waste used as process input.
The US Environmental Protection Agency notes that one gallon (3.7854 litres) of used oil used processed as fuel oil contains about 140,000 BTUs (British Thermal Units) of energy. This statement means that it is the equivalent to relating 1 litre of used oil to 10.84 kWh, the amount of energy necessary to use a washing machine 11 times on a standard cycle.
8 cita segunda
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The 28,682 tonnes of used oil exploited for energy through SIGAUS generated 311 GWh in 2023, an equivalent amount to the annual consumption of about 89,000 average Spanish households.
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23 tratamiento Reciclado
Recycling
As the last method, a small amount of waste oils allow for the extraction of other materials such as bitumen (for paving roads or streets), or use in the manufacture of paints, varnishes, inks, fertilisers or expanded clays, the latter used in decks or thermal insulators. This completes the management cycle, guaranteeing the total treatment of the waste recovered.
20. Titulo. Beneficios ambientales 2017
The management of used oil in Spain in 2023 implied:
