electricity and cogeneration

Since 1986, Occidental has invested in the construction of a number of highly efficient, cogeneration facilities to produce electric power and steam to supply various Occidental oil and gas and chemical operations

The cogeneration process, also known as combined heat and power (CHP), represents a doubling in efficiency over traditional methods of electric power generation while reducing CO₂ emissions by more than two-thirds. Cogeneration harnesses exhaust heat, which would otherwise be a wasted byproduct of electricity generation, to produce steam and hot water for use in manufacturing operations. The steam can also be used to operate turbines to produce more electricity without any additional GHG emissions.

The greenhouse gas emission reduction benefits from Occidental’s cogeneration facilities are substantial. The related CO₂ emissions “savings” can be estimated by using typical assumptions for the national electrical grid average CO₂ emission factor, installed capacity of the cogeneration units, steam boiler thermal efficiencies, and steam quality and usage. Using these assumptions, Occidental’s cogeneration facilities are estimated to reduce GHG emissions by almost four million metric tons per year when at full utilization, or 20 percent of what the company’s combined Scope 1 and 2 emissions otherwise would be.

Learn more about Occidental's efforts to provide clean, efficient energy to California...

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