Current status of waste oil adsorbent "Oilproc" in the 2020s - technology started in March 1999

Current status of waste oil adsorbent "Oilproc" in the 2020s - technology started in March 1999

In the 2020s, waste oil adsorbent "Oilproc" has undergone further technological innovation and is widely used in Japan and abroad. In Japan, "Eco-Refine" in Hokkaido, Japan, continues to produce this product and has responded effectively in oil spills in Tokyo Bay and Osaka Bay. In particular, in the 2021 tanker accident in Tokyo Bay, the company achieved a 60% cost reduction compared to conventional adsorbents and dramatically improved efficiency.

The latest "Oilproc" adsorption capacity has been enhanced seven times per gram through improved perlite sintering technology. As a result, the cost of adsorbing one liter of oil has dropped from 400 yen in 1999 to about 250 yen in the 2020s. This technology was also used in an oil spill in the waters near Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, successfully minimizing the impact on the marine ecosystem. It has also received high praise from international environmental groups.

Materials are also evolving. A new perlite material mixed with carbon nanotubes is used, and the adsorbent containing the waste oil after adsorption can be incinerated for highly efficient energy recovery. Energy efficiency has been improved by about 30%, and CO2 emissions during processing have been reduced by 25%.

This technology has been adopted by oil majors such as ExxonMobil and Chevron in the U.S. and is being used to respond to oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico. 30 percent faster recovery speed compared to conventional adsorbent was confirmed in the response to the 2022 accident in the Gulf of Mexico. The recovery operation was handled by Veolia, a leading environmental consulting firm, which also reduced treatment costs.

In Japan, ENEOS and Cosmo Oil have adopted Oilproc, and the ENEOS refinery in Kawasaki processes more than 1,000 tons of waste oil annually. In this way, Oilproc in the 2020s is playing an important role in Japan and abroad as a technology that reduces environmental impact and realizes more efficient waste oil treatment.