Five Marathon Petroleum Corp. (MPC) refineries earned 2023 ENERGY STAR certifications from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), making them among the most energy-efficient facilities of their kind in the country. MPC’s Anacortes, Wash.; Canton, Ohio; Garyville, La.; Robinson, Ill.; and St. Paul Park, Minn., refineries are in the top 25% of peer facilities across the U.S.
“Improving the energy performance of our nation’s industrial plants is critical to reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Cindy Jacobs, chief of the ENERGY STAR commercial & industrial branch. “EPA applauds the commitment to energy efficiency demonstrated by ENERGY STAR-certified plants.”
Refinery certification requires achieving energy efficiency that’s better than 75% of similar facilities based on the Solomon Energy Intensity Index and establishing a track record of excellent environmental compliance. A professional engineer must also verify the accuracy of the information used to calculate a plant’s energy performance score. This year’s honors recognize performance throughout 2022 and add to multiple certifications these five refineries have received over the years:
- Canton, Ohio/Garyville, La. — 18th consecutive certifications; every year refineries have been eligible
- Robinson, Ill. — sixth consecutive certification; ninth overall
- St. Paul Park, Minn. — fifth consecutive certification; sixth overall
- Anacortes, Wash. — fourth consecutive and overall certification
The performance of these refineries helped reduce 2022 energy use in MPC’s refining organization by about 20 billion British thermal units per day from baseline levels, roughly the same energy consumption as 48,500 homes in a year. Since refineries became eligible for ENERGY STAR certification in 2006, MPC has earned more certifications than all other refining companies combined.
Additional Efficiency
MPC’s San Antonio office building also earned a 2023 ENERGY STAR certification as a commercial building, which was its fourth consecutive certification. Certified commercial buildings also must achieve energy efficiency in the top 25% of similar U.S. facilities, meaning an ENERGY STAR score of 75 or higher as calculated with the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool. MPC’s 659,000-square-foot structure received a score of 81.
EPA began the ENERGY STAR program in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. In operating more efficiently, ENERGY STAR-certified commercial buildings and industrial plants also help lower combustion-related, greenhouse gas emissions at the electric plants that supply power to them by requiring less electricity to be generated.