The sulfur recovery plant is necessary to limit the refinery's emissions of SO2 and thereby its contribution to acid rain.

The sulfur which is removed from the products in the desulfurization processes, must be removed from the refinery gas before it is burned in the process furnaces. This ensures that neither the products nor the refinery's own energy consumption add to acidification of the ambient environment. The hydrogen sulfide gas is converted into liquid sulfur which is sold to the pulp and paper industry.

95% of the sulfur in the exhaust gas is being recovered.