Economic efficiency of petroleum product processing under the transition to a circular economy

Abstract

In the context of the global energy transition and increasing demands for environmental responsibility, assessing the performance of oil refining enterprises in the Republic of Kazakhstan from the perspective of the circular economy and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals is particularly relevant.
This article examines methodological approaches to comprehensively assessing the production, economic, and environmental performance of oil refineries, taking into account closed-loop principles, resource conservation, and waste minimization. Particular attention is paid to analyzing indicators such as feedstock processing depth, energy efficiency, pollutant emissions, by-product reuse, and the implementation of best available technologies.

An integrated indicator system is proposed to compare enterprise performance with sustainable development targets, including sustainable consumption and production, climate change mitigation, and ecosystem protection. The paper identifies the main barriers to the implementation of circular models at oil refineries in Kazakhstan, including technological limitations, investment risks, and the need to improve the regulatory framework. The study substantiates the need to transition from a linear "extraction-production-consumption-waste" model to a circular system based on resource recovery, recycling, and reuse.
The study's results can be used to formulate national industrial and environmental policies, as well as to develop corporate strategies for the sustainable development of oil refineries.