The Problem
Waste Oil Management in the Caribbean
Waste oils are one of the greatest sources of pollution globally, and this waste stream continues to remain the largest contributor, by volume, to hazardous waste generated in countries such as Trinidad and Tobago.
Waste or used oil has been defined under the Basel Convention as:
any semi-solid or liquid used product consisting totally or partially of mineral oil or synthesised hydrocarbons (synthetic oils), oily residues from tanks, oil-water mixtures and emulsions arising from industrial and non-industrial sources where they have been used for lubricating, hydraulic, heat transfer, electrical insulating (dielectric) or other purposes and whose original characteristics have changed during use thereby rendering them unsuitable for further use for the purpose for which they were originally intended.
These oils arise from lubricating oils used in vehicles, hydraulic oils, oil production and refinery operations, heat transfer fluids, maritime and port operations, and cutting oils/metal working fluids.
Unfortunately, in the Caribbean, waste oil is often indiscriminately disposed of in waterways and landfills, adding greatly to the issue of oil pollution throughout the region. In the natural environment, used oil poses threats to human health and the environment.
Waste Oil Projects in the Caribbean
Background
Waste oils are presently the single largest (and continuously increasing) hazardous waste stream being indiscriminately disposed of in Trinidad and Tobago's waterways and landfills, and it greatly adds to the issue of oil pollution nationwide. In this regard, the BCRC-Caribbean conceptualised a national project to develop a system for the collection, recycling and safe disposal of lubricating waste oils. This project is funded through the Trinidad and Tobago Green Fund.
Project Objectives
The project's objectives include:
- Assessment of the current inventory of waste oils generated on an annual basis and stockpiled in Trinidad and Tobago;
- Documentation of current approaches to waste oil disposal in Trinidad and Tobago, including any recovery or recycling initiatives already under way either in the public or private sectors;
- Identification of existing risks to human and environmental health from inappropriate waste oil disposal in Trinidad and Tobago;
- Identification of appropriate and economically viable environmentally sound methods and procedures that can apply to the specific management of waste oils in Trinidad and Tobago;
- Identification of policy, legal and financial instruments that are necessary to support the development and implementation of a waste oil management system for Trinidad and Tobago;
- Plan, design, build and operate a pilot facility to support the treatment and destruction of waste oils at a scale large enough to be used as a demonstration project that will support post-project investment; and
- Identification of appropriate small business investor(s) for potential post project upscale which includes the build, ownership and operation of a commercial-scale waste oil refining facility in Trinidad and Tobago.
These objectives will be completed under three (3) project components: 1) Scoping and Background Study, 2) Policy and System Development, and 3) Commercial Plant Development and Training Support.
Project Results
An average of 1,828,020 litres of waste oil is generated annually (~4 barrels per day) in Trinidad and Tobago with 233,000 litres being generated annually in Tobago and disposed of in the Studley Park Landfill or directly to rivers and water ways.The recommended technology for environmentally sound management of the generated waste oils is a Re-refining waste oil plant: High Vacuum/ 3 stage Thin Film Wipe Evaporation /Molecular Distillation with processing capacity of 5 - 20 barrels per day. This technology would give an output of 80% API-grade 1 base oil, 10% diesel and 10% asphalt flux. Additional project outputs included the identification and assessment of strategies for national waste oil management, conceptual and basic engineering designs of the re-refining plant, a business plan to support a waste oil management system, development of National Certified Vocational Quality (NCVQ) training modules and a legislative review.
Contact the BCRC-Caribbean for more information on the project outputs.