Support grows for oil shale

  • 2012-08-22
  • From wire reports

TALLINN - Eesti Energia reported that a poll which the company commissioned has revealed that 65 percent of Estonian residents would prefer using motor fuel produced from local raw materials, reports Postimees Online. The poll, carried out by TNS Emor, demonstrated that 84 percent of respondents considered developing the Estonian oil shale industry as necessary for economic reasons. The same number of people supported the position that Eesti Energia ought to earn a profit for Estonia by developing oil shale projects in other countries as well.

CEO of Eesti Energia’s oil-producing subsidiary, Olitoostus Igor Kond, commented that the poll demonstrated that support for production of liquid fuels from oil shale grows as people’s awareness of this sector increases.
“Eesti Energia is achieving quite a few breakthroughs in producing liquid fuels from oil shale in Estonia; this autumn we ought to get the first batch of oil from our Enefit 280 oil plant, based on the new-generation technology, and in the future we will be able to produce motor fuels suitable for cars from oil shale as well,” he said, adding that the first experiments confirming the quality of diesel fuel have been carried out.

The energy company produces liquid fuels at two Enefit140 production facilities which have an annual production capacity of approximately one million barrels. The first new Enefit280 oil plant will double the production volume capacity.
By 2016, Eesti Energia is planning to build two more Enefit280 oil plants and a post-processing plant that would, together with the current production capacities, cover the entire liquid fuels demand in Estonia and would make it possible to produce diesel fuel that would be of sufficient quality for use as a motor fuel.