Energy efficiency in refineries: Emissions control 2026

Energy efficiency is defining refinery profitability as we move into early 2026. Operational decarbonization demands the optimization of thermal resources to reduce emissions. This shift responds to global regulations and EPA standards, allowing operators to lower costs and ensure the viability of their industrial assets in competitive environments. The integration of technology and real-time monitoring facilitates precise solutions. Sector leaders are using these advancements as a technical benchmark to solve current operational problems. This exchange of knowledge strengthens sustainability throughout 2026, aligning profitability with the industry’s current environmental requirements.

Energy efficiency as the operational core of downstream

Starting in 2026, the energy sector faces growing pressure to maintain operational continuity under stricter environmental regulations and highly competitive energy markets. In this context, optimizing energy performance has become a strategic factor for refineries and industrial operators, as it allows for cost reduction, compliance with emission limits, and the preservation of asset profitability without compromising safety or process reliability.

Energy efficiency has consolidated as the operational axis upon which modern refineries structure their technical and strategic decisions. In an environment of tight margins, regulatory pressure, and increasing decarbonization goals, optimizing energy use is one of the most effective variables for simultaneously improving profitability and environmental performance.

In practice, leading refineries use indicators such as the Energy Intensity Index (EII) and carbon intensity per barrel processed to evaluate the daily performance of their units, prioritize investments, and justify operational adjustments. This approach allows them to identify energy losses, anticipate thermal deviations, and sustain continuous improvements in refinery efficiency.

From 2026 onward, energy performance is no longer managed as a one-off project but is integrated as a permanent criterion for industrial competitiveness, aligning operational continuity, regulatory compliance, and financial sustainability in modern downstream operations.

This analysis addresses how refineries are solving concrete operational problems to meet international environmental regulations without compromising the continuity of their assets.

Regulatory framework and energy efficiency in eefineries

The current regulatory framework has established energy performance as a core operational requirement for refineries, moving beyond a mere environmental obligation. Starting in 2026, regulations in the United States, Europe, and Latin America are evolving toward continuous control schemes, where energy performance and emissions are measured and compared systematically.

In the United States, EPA guidelines drive the use of Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) and the tracking of indicators such as carbon intensity per barrel processed. In Europe, regulatory compliance is directly linked to efficiency, access to financing, and operational continuity, accelerating the adoption of energy optimization practices.

In Latin America, although regulatory frameworks are heterogeneous, there is a clear convergence toward international standards. Many operators are aligning their practices with API and EPA benchmarks to ensure competitiveness and technical standardization, using energy efficiency as a common element across regions.

This regulatory approach requires that energy performance optimization not be limited to the downstream sector but also consider the operational interaction between Upstream and Midstream, where crude conditions, transport, and prior handling directly influence energy consumption and refinery emissions.

Main sources of energy inefficiency in refineries

The primary losses associated with energy performance in refineries do not usually originate from obvious failures, but rather from progressive operational deviations that remain within “acceptable” operating parameters. In refineries across the U.S., Europe, and Latin America, these cumulative inefficiencies represent one of the most frequent causes of increased energy consumption and emissions.

Common patterns include the degradation of heat exchangers due to fouling or corrosion, the operation of furnaces and boilers outside their optimal point, and a lack of energy integration between process units. These conditions reduce refinery efficiency by forcing thermal systems to compensate through higher energy consumption.

By identifying and correcting these inefficiencies, energy performance can be improved without requiring immediate investment in new technologies, making it the starting point for any operational optimization strategy.

Operational strategies to improve energy efficiency

Optimizing energy performance in refineries begins with high-impact operational actions focused on optimizing energy use and reducing thermal losses. The most successful operators prioritize adjustments to critical equipment, energy balance between units, and stable control of process conditions, achieving measurable improvements without affecting operational continuity.

Strengthening process control and incorporating preventive engineering programs allow these improvements to be sustained over time. This operational focus reduces energy overconsumption, decreases associated emissions, and establishes the necessary technical foundation for the progressive adoption of advanced technologies that reinforce refinery efficiency.

Process Electrification and Energy Efficiency

Process electrification is positioning itself as one of the most effective ways to improve energy efficiency in refineries, especially for high-consumption thermal equipment such as process furnaces and heaters. By replacing combustion systems with electric technologies, operators reduce thermal losses and eliminate direct emissions associated with fossil fuel use.

In European refineries, partial electrification projects in preheating furnaces have achieved 5% to 10% reductions in the energy consumption of these units, alongside an immediate decrease in CO₂ and NOx emissions. In the United States, the electrification of auxiliary systems and modular heaters is being used as a retrofitting solution, allowing for improved thermal control without affecting operational continuity.

Key operational benefits include the ability to precisely modulate electrical power, adjusting energy consumption to the actual demand of the process. This feature facilitates integration with digital twins and advanced control systems, optimizing efficiency in refineries and reducing the excessive consumption typical of conventional combustion systems.

As of 2026, electrification is consolidating as a selective solution within the energy transition, focused on high-impact energy units. The effectiveness of these strategies increases when energy planning incorporates variables from Upstream and Midstream, allowing for better synchronization between feed quality, energy logistics, and the thermal performance of electrified units.

Digital twins and energy optimization

New technologies such as digital twins have become an operational tool for improving energy efficiency in refineries, enabling continuous monitoring of the thermal performance of critical assets. Their main contribution is not theoretical simulation, but rather the early detection of energy losses associated with equipment degradation and process deviations.

In U.S. and European refineries, the use of Digital Twins applied to heat exchangers and distillation units has allowed for energy consumption reductions of 3% to 7% by optimizing operating conditions and scheduling cleanings before deterioration impacts thermal yield. These systems use indicators such as thermal efficiency drops, ΔT variations, and specific energy consumption to prioritize corrective actions.

From 2026, Digital Twins are evolving into decision-support platforms, integrating with preventive engineering and asset management programs. This convergence sustains refinery efficiency improvements, reduces associated emissions, and prepares the digital infrastructure necessary for incorporating more advanced decarbonization technologies.

Green hydrogen and the energy transition

Green hydrogen is used in refineries as a selective solution to reduce carbon intensity in hydrotreating processes, contributing to energy efficiency without significantly modifying existing unit configurations. Its adoption focuses on partially replacing gray hydrogen, especially in facilities with access to low-carbon electricity.

In European and U.S. refineries, the partial integration of green hydrogen has allowed for 10% to 20% reductions in the carbon footprint of these processes. However, implementation requires strict mechanical integrity controls due to the risk of embrittlement, reinforcing the role of preventive engineering and Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) to guarantee safety and operational continuity.

CCS and asset integrity

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) systems are applied in refineries as a complementary solution to reduce emissions in high-carbon intensity processes, especially in facilities processing heavy or complex crudes. Their contribution to energy efficiency does not lie in decreasing consumption, but in mitigating residual emissions that cannot be eliminated through operational optimization alone.

In European and North American refineries, CCS projects have enabled the capture of 60% to 90% of the CO₂ generated in specific units, keeping operations within regulatory limits. However, the technical and economic viability of these systems depends directly on robust mechanical integrity programs, given the corrosion risks associated with dense-phase CO₂.

The implementation of CCS requires risk-based asset management, appropriate material selection, and systematic application of non-destructive testing, ensuring the reliability of pipelines, vessels, and injection systems. In this context, CCS is established as an effective tool when integrated on a solid foundation of efficiency and operational control.

Emissions regulations and standards from 2026

For decision-makers and industry executives, environmental compliance in 2026 is based on a framework of absolute technical transparency. Standards established by the EPA and regional agreements in Latin America now require Continuous Emissions Monitoring (CEMS) with direct integration into regulator platforms. Measuring carbon intensity per barrel of fuel produced is the key indicator defining a refinery’s position on the global sustainability index.

API technical specifications for this year introduce the concept of the “Operational Emissions Limit.” This parameter forces plants to adjust their processing throughput if energy performance management systems detect a deviation in thermal yield that increases the CO₂ footprint above daily limits. This level of technical control ensures that process interrelations in Upstream and Midstream are aligned with the operator’s total portfolio decarbonization goals.

The following mandatory technical compliance parameters are detailed for the first half of 2026:

• Energy Intensity Index (EII): Mandatory 12% reduction compared to the 2024 average for high-complexity facilities.
• NOx and SOx Limits: 20% reduction through the use of ultra-low emission burners and optimized tail gas treatment systems.
• Asset Certification: Every critical unit must have a digitized inspection history validating its thermal performance and mechanical integrity status.

This technical annex serves as a reference for service companies to design preventive engineering solutions that not only solve operational problems but anticipate legal compliance needs.

Starting in 2026, refinery energy efficiency is addressed through an integrated set of technical strategies, the impact of which varies by region, process type, and technological maturity. See the table below:

Refinery energy efficiency strategies (2026 Focus)

Applied Strategy	Impact on Energy Performance	Estimated Emissions Reduction	Regions with Highest Adoption	Role in Energy Transition
Thermal Optimization & Heat Recovery	Reduces energy consumption in critical units.	5–10% CO₂	USA – Europe	Operational Efficiency Base
Digital Twins	Early detection of energy losses and thermal deviations.	3–7% CO₂	USA – Europe	Predictive Decision Support
Process Electrification	Eliminates combustion emissions in furnaces and heaters.	5–10% CO₂ / NOx	Europe – USA	Direct Decarbonization Enabler
Green Hydrogen	Reduces carbon intensity in hydrotreating.	10–20% CO₂	Europe	Strategic Transition Vector
Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS)	Mitigates residual emissions from complex processes.	60–90% CO₂ (specific units)	Europe – North America	Complementary Solution
Preventive Engineering & NDT	Sustains thermal performance over time.	Indirect Reduction	Global	Operational Continuity Guarantee

This comparative view helps understand how refineries are prioritizing solutions based on their operational, regulatory, and financial impact within the energy transition.

Complementary material: Offshore risk simulation

Within the framework of OSRL international technical forums, advanced digital tools for managing operational risks in offshore environments have been presented. These solutions allow for the anticipation of complex scenarios, the evaluation of potential impacts, and support for decision-making under high operational uncertainty. These tools align with international regulatory requirements demanding response plans based on technical analysis and verifiable scenarios.

A relevant example is PARSim, a 3D simulation platform that models subsea releases, surface hydrocarbon trajectories, and atmospheric dispersion in real-time. Its application allows for the definition of exclusion zones, the optimization of emergency response plans, and the improvement of operational coordination during incidents, indirectly contributing to asset integrity and the reduction of environmental risks.

Conclusions

Energy efficiency has established itself this year as the master metric for the survival of the Downstream sector. The interrelation between process electrification, the adoption of Digital Twins, and the implementation of carbon capture systems defines the competitive advantage of modern operators in the current energy transition.

Asset management must prioritize asset integrity to ensure that new decarbonization technologies operate under rigorous safety standards. The evolution toward a sustainable energy industry is not just an environmental commitment, but an indispensable financial strategy for the long-term profitability of executives and service companies alike.

Content developed by Inspenet, the digital platform that connects problems, solutions, and industrial knowledge to keep the world producing!

References

1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – ENERGY STAR. Energy Efficiency in Petroleum Refining.
2. ScienceDirect – Energy & Environmental Science. Future prospects toward zero-emission oil refineries.
3. ScienceDirect – Journal of Cleaner Production. Integration of low-carbon hydrogen in oil refineries.
4. Schneider Electric – Energy Management Insights. Process electrification for emissions reduction in refining.
5. International Energy Agency (IEA). Energy Efficiency in the Oil & Gas Sector.
6. Inspenet TV. Interview (2025, December 19). PARSim: 3D simulation for offshore emergencies.

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