2026 Valero Report on Guiding Principles - Report - Page 27
Introduction
Safety
Environment
Employees
Unit Battery Limits Monitors placed around the perimeter
of re昀椀nery process units continuously measure for target
compounds. These stationary air monitors serve as an early
warning system if elevated concentrations are detected.
Personal Gas Monitors are being used throughout all
Valero re昀椀neries. Employees and contractors are required
to wear these monitors while in and around process units.
The monitors sound an alarm and record the event when
elevated levels of gases are detected.
Community
Governance
Appendix
Upgraded Personal Four-Gas Monitors are being
rolled out to continuously measure O2 , CO, H 2S and
lower explosive limit.
Fenceline Benzene Monitors are located around
most of our re昀椀neries to collect passive samples at
designated intervals. Additionally, environmental
Gas Chromatographs (eGCs), stationary analyzers
that detect gases such as benzene in ambient air,
are deployed at certain sites in areas at or inside the
fenceline to allow for rapid detection.
Renewable Energy and Ef昀椀ciency Initiatives
In 2025, roughly 25% of our total re昀椀nery power consumption originated from
renewable sources, including solar, wind, hydro and others. We independently
produce some of our own power with cogeneration plants, expanders and heat
transfer technology.
Hydropower – More than 99% of the electricity used at our Quebec City re昀椀nery
comes from renewable sources – mainly hydropower, with small amounts from
wind, biomass, solar and thermal.
Wind Power – Adjacent to our McKee re昀椀nery in the Texas Panhandle, our wind farm
generates most of the electricity required to operate the re昀椀nery.
The cogeneration
unit at our Pembroke
re昀椀nery reduces
our reliance on the
local power grid and
increases energy
ef昀椀ciency.
Cogeneration Plants – Fueled mainly by natural gas, our cogeneration plants
reduce our dependency on local power grids, which are often costlier. Cogeneration is a highly ef昀椀cient and reliable
way of producing electricity and steam for the re昀椀nery process. Valero has cogeneration systems at re昀椀neries in
Wilmington, Port Arthur, and Pembroke.
Expanders – At six of our re昀椀neries, we have installed “expanders” on processing units that generate power from
exhaust gases. In all, our expanders are designed with the capacity to annually displace more than 600,000 tons of
carbon dioxide that otherwise would be generated by conventional power plants.
Heat Transfer – Our re昀椀neries utilize heat integration technology to improve energy ef昀椀ciency and reduce energyrelated operating expenses. Heat exchangers enable the transfer of thermal energy from high temperature process
streams to lower temperature streams, decreasing natural gas or re昀椀nery fuel gas needs for heating, lowering utilities
requirements for cooling, and reducing corresponding emissions.
Refinery Energy Intensity25
(Million Btu/bbl throughput)
0.44
0.38
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
Re昀椀nery energy
intensity has
declined by more
than 12.5% since
2012 with capital
investments,
including 昀氀are-gas
recovery and other
energy ef昀椀ciency
projects.
2025
Valero Report on Guiding Principles •
27
