Cradle-to-grave impact

NIST performed a BEES analysis on transformer oil, comparing the environmental performance of conventional petroleum-based mineral oil to that of biodegradable biobased fluid.*

Results show that the use of bio-based fluid can greatly reduce a company’s carbon footprint, starting with how the product is made. The primary material for bio-based fluid is derived from plants such as soybeans, which serve as a natural base for CO2 absorption through their process of photosynthesis—ultimately helping to reduce atmospheric levels of carbon.

Producing mineral oil entails the extraction and refining of crude oil, often from foreign countries such as Nigeria, Venezuela, and Saudi Arabia. This process is a large contributor to carbon emissions, as it requires extensive use of energy to produce and transport the material over long distances. In addition, crude oil is a finite resource. World consumption of petroleum is expected to increase over 40% by 2030, which will increase the price and deplete our limited supplies of oil.

*The BEES report (4.0e) assigns a numeric score in grams of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalents per1000 kVA-rated transformer containing 500 gallons of fluid lasting 30 years.