A Greenfield refinery, or any Greenfield project, is a project that is considered to have minimum impact on the environment as a building or a necessary structure is already in place. It is usually unnecessary to remodel or demolish an existing building.
The opposite to a Greenfield is a Brownfield which usually relates to an un-environmentally friendly industry such as a coal refinery. Businesses can usually buy Brownfield sites for a relatively small fee due to the cleanup costs and the potential to be polluted. The name 'greenfield' derives from the idea of building facilities literally on a green field, usually on farm or forest land.
The Elk Point Refinery in South Dakota was the first Greenfield refinery built in the US for 30 years. 3,300 acres of farmland was developed into an oil refinery. Although the were disputes about the decision from the environmental agency, 58 per cent of local residence voted for the project, presumably due to the 1,800 permanent jobs created and 4,500 temporary jobs created during the construction of the plant. It is an ideal location for the refinery because although the refinery will require 12 million gallons of water per day to keep it cool, this can be extracted from the Missouri River.
The refinery will process approximately 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day; the project is a 'green refinery project' which will use the latest technology to ensure it has minimum impact on the environment. Ultra-low sulfur diesel will be used with jet fuel and petrol with 'clean technology'. Clean technology describes the use of an integrated gasification combined cycle which is a similar product to the by-product of coal. The finished product will be distributed using either truck, rail or pipeline.
The opposite to a Greenfield is a Brownfield which usually relates to an un-environmentally friendly industry such as a coal refinery. Businesses can usually buy Brownfield sites for a relatively small fee due to the cleanup costs and the potential to be polluted. The name 'greenfield' derives from the idea of building facilities literally on a green field, usually on farm or forest land.
The Elk Point Refinery in South Dakota was the first Greenfield refinery built in the US for 30 years. 3,300 acres of farmland was developed into an oil refinery. Although the were disputes about the decision from the environmental agency, 58 per cent of local residence voted for the project, presumably due to the 1,800 permanent jobs created and 4,500 temporary jobs created during the construction of the plant. It is an ideal location for the refinery because although the refinery will require 12 million gallons of water per day to keep it cool, this can be extracted from the Missouri River.
The refinery will process approximately 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day; the project is a 'green refinery project' which will use the latest technology to ensure it has minimum impact on the environment. Ultra-low sulfur diesel will be used with jet fuel and petrol with 'clean technology'. Clean technology describes the use of an integrated gasification combined cycle which is a similar product to the by-product of coal. The finished product will be distributed using either truck, rail or pipeline.
