Turning a Tier 3 Profit

Currently refiners are seeking options to address reductions in gasoline pool sulfur as required by the US EPA in 2017 as part of the Tier 3 regulations. However, several customers working with Criterion have already made strides to both meet the future Tier 3 regulations and are reaping the benefits of early success. With advantages in volume swell, hydrogen upgrade, and operating cost structure these refineries are turning a profit from the new stringent regulations. These profits have been realized as increases in gasoline volume from improved FCC feed quality and operations, distillate (specifically ULSD) volume via synergies in co-processing, as well as overall refining capacity improvements. While profitability as it relates to Tier 3 upgrades are contingent on refinery configuration, this paper explores the options and solutions employed with a case study from Criterion’s extensive portfolio demonstrating these benefits.