EMISSION OF POLLUTANTS AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN LIFE CYCLE OF DIESEL OIL

The following article is an analysis of designed processes of the life cycle of the most popular fuel for Diesel engines: diesel oil. This fuel is produced from petroleum, which is a non-renewable source of energy. Analysis was carried out with the assumptions of Life Cycle Assessment, which is a tool to test the environmental impact of the product. The life cycle of diesel was divided into five unit processes: petroleum extraction, transport of petroleum to the refinery, refining petroleum to diesel, transport of diesel to the recipient and utilization of delivered fuel by transport company. For every process the energy consumption and emission of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and sulphursulphur oxides was calculated, with assumption of probable data, that could occur in real processes. The analysis has shown, that the process of refining petroleum is highly pollution-intensive. Also the combustion of diesel generates a significant amount of pollutants' emission, which is why it is necessary to develop technologies that could contribute to the reduction of emission.