If you dive into the refinery world, you will find yourself in a complex symphony that includes machinery, processes and decisions which have a direct impact on the environment as well as the bottom-line. This orchestra is made up of many components. Hydroprocessing catalysts are used in refineries. While their main job is to convert crude oil into fuels that can be used, a secondary storyline has been gaining the interest of many industry leaders: recycling catalysts. How can one quantify the economic benefits of this move? Put on your math hats, and let’s get started – helpful hints!

Imagine a catalyst that has been used. It may have lost some of its sparkle but it is a goldmine waiting to be mined. Often, precious metals such as platinum, nickel, and palladium are hidden within. Refineries can extract precious metals from recycling, and then sell or reuse them. Ka-ching! You’ve just saved your first savings stream.

Let’s now consider an alternative to recycling: acquiring new catalysts. The lure of the new is always tempting. However, it has a cost. The cost of production, the shipping costs and environmental impact are all added together. Refineries can avoid these costs by recycling. This is a way to embrace a circular economic system that’s eco-friendly as well as pocket-friendly.

Recycling also reduces downtime. Consider the amount of time it takes to ship and install new catalysts, compared with the time required to rejuvenate the existing ones. As they say, time is money. This is especially true in the world of fast-paced refineries.

There’s still more! Refineries can improve their efficiency by optimizing the catalyst use. You can extract more value out of every feedstock drop. This is like squeezing the last drop of orange juice – waste no, want none!

When you put all of this information together, the benefits to recycling catalysts are obvious. This is not only a strategy, but an investment in both the environment and profit margins.