The Environmental Integrity Project examined publicly available data and records for the 20 petroleum refineries in the U.S. that reported emitting the most greenhouse gases in 2023. We found that, out of the refinery boilers and heaters with age information, 87 percent of these units (739 of 845) are outdated. While experts have concluded that boilers and heaters work most efficiently when they are 15 years old or younger, the average age of the heating systems in the largest refineries is more than 40 years old, with some dating back to World War I.
Accompanying data spreadsheet available here.
