sour fuel better environment essay 700 words
Answers
Whilst shipping, with relatively low CO2 emissions compared with other forms of transport, is regarded as the most energy-efficient means of mass transportation, the global trend towards reducing emissions from all industry sectors has led to recent calls to improve energy efficiency and control emissions in international maritime transport. Shipping is becoming recognised as one of the most significant sources of localised air pollution and acidification in the European Union. A significant element of the pollution from shipboard sources has been identified as being from the flue gas emissions containing sulphur dioxide (SOx).
Some major players in the shipping industry have already taken the initiative of switching to low-sulphur fuel and investing in finding alternative sources of “green” fuel.
But why is sulphur such a villain?
Origin
Sulphur (brimstone) is a naturally occurring element and is found freely within the earth’s crust and is essential to life, forming a constituent part of body fats and bone. It is from here that sulphur finds its way, through the passage of millions of years, into the earth’s supply of crude oil. Most of the oil supply is found between layers of sedimentary rock, this being formed by the layering of sea bed deposits and free organic material settling. The industrious work of anaerobic bacteria consumes the free organic matter converting it into simple hydrocarbons with the leaching of sulphur from the surrounding rock, resulting in crude oils having varying degrees of sulphur content.
Extraction
There are several methods for extracting sulphur. The cheapest and most widespread is hydrotreatment, a process that involves treating the product with hydrogen. The removed sulphur is often in the form of H2S and must be converted into either elemental sulphur or sulphuric acid, both of which are saleable commodities. The recovery process is highly efficient, with a typical recovery rate of 99 per cent.