Energy efficiency

Saudi Aramco recognizes that the quality of life for future generations will depend on how well we all manage energy consumption today. So we are adopting and implementing energy efficient technologies and practices across our company to reduce energy consumption in our buildings, transportation, and communities.

Energy efficiency is a key component in our strategy to increase the sustainability of our operations. Championing and practicing energy efficiency helps us reduce emissions, improve the operational performance of our plants and facilities, and promote environmentally responsible communities.

Our energy efficiency efforts seek to reduce energy consumption at company facilities, design new facilities to be energy efficient, increase overall energy efficiency and influence and promote energy efficiency at the national level. 

Flare gas recovery

Our long standing investment in flare minimization is an important element in helping us be more efficient in our use of energy. Not only do we capture and make use of a previously wasted energy resource, our flaring levels are industry-leading at less than 1% of our annual gas production and set to decline further. As part of our Flaring Minimization Program, we have completed the installation of multiple Flare Gas Recovery systems, including at our offshore Safaniyah facilities.

Peak Summer Production Program

Our Peak Summer Production Program provides additional volumes of nonassociated gas to reduce the use of liquids in power generation during the summer. In 2017, we displaced 11.5 million barrels of crude oil equivalent, freeing up higher value liquids while reducing emissions. We also continued our collaboration with the Saudi Energy Efficiency Program to promote energy efficiency practices through awareness campaigns. 

Energy efficiency in power generation

Cogeneration, or combined heat and power systems, capture the heat from a plant’s exhaust stream and convert it into useful thermal energy.

The benefits of cogeneration systems are significant: Less fuel is required to produce energy and because the energy is produced within the plant, energy is not lost in transmission over power lines. And because less fuel is burned, emissions are lower.

Cogeneration systems are a major component of our strategy to be efficient in our use of energy and achieve 100% self-sufficiency in electrical power generation for our operating plants. Cogeneration enables us to produce electricity as a natural byproduct of our operations and reduces our energy consumption from the national utility grid.

New operating facilities include grassroots cogeneration systems and we are retrofitting existing plants. We have added 1,318 megawatts of new power capacity at our facilities by completing a number of cogeneration projects, including the expansion of facilities at our Shaybah and Wasit plants.

The adoption of cogeneration technology helps us promote energy efficiency, lower the energy intensity of our operating plants, add value to our hydrocarbon resources, and protect the environment.