North America Petcoke Market Trends

North America Petcoke Market Trends

The regional increase in refining capacity is creating favorable conditions for the petcoke industry. Petroleum coke, a byproduct of the refining process, is produced in significant quantities by many U.S. crude oil refineries that use a coking process to convert heavy oil into refined petroleum products. This trend is expected to continue as more refineries adopt similar methods. Additionally, petcoke production in the U.S. is experiencing substantial growth as domestic refineries expand their coking capacities to capitalize on cost-effective crude oil from sources such as Canada's oil sands and other heavy oil reservoirs, thereby contributing to market expansion.
 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has implemented stricter and new regulations covering various aspects of coal combustion, such as waste disposal, water usage, and harmful emissions, under the Clean Air Act. The EPA has made substantial amendments to its regulation of conventional pollutant emissions, which has consequently increased the cost of coal-fired power production. Additionally, the regulation of carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants is addressed by several recent EPA rules.