1.6.1 HVO Biofuel Plants
Neste Corporation is the leading company on HVO production, accounting for an
annual production volume of more than 2 million tons of biofuel. Based in Finland,
the company has two renewable refineries in Porvoo and two more abroad (i.e., in
the Netherlands and in Singapore) (Vásquez et al. 2017). They developed the
NExBTL technology, and currently, they process 10 types of raw materials including animal fats (food industry waste), fish fat (fish processing waste), vegetable oils,
used cooking oil, and technical corn oil, though the focus is on waste and residue raw
materials which account for an 80% of the feedstock.
Main competitor of NExBTL technology is the Ecofining Process, developed by
the Honeywell UOP company, jointly with the Eni S.p.A (GREENEA 2015).
Some other technologies for the conversion of lipids through hydrotreatment are
(Vásquez et al. 2017):
– The Vegan Technology marketed by the Axens Group, a French company
– Bio-Synfining process, patented by Syntroleum Corporation and bought by the
Renewable Energy Group (United States) in 2014 (a plant with a capacity of
75 million gallons per year is operative)
– The UPM BioVerno technology, which converts crude tall oil into green diesel,
developed by UPM Biofuels Company in Finland
– The Hydroflex technology created by the Haldor Topsøe group in Denmark,
allowing its implementation as both stand-alone or co-processing unit (Vásquez
et al. 2017)
1.6.2 HVO Jet Biofuel Plants
Most commercial applications of the hydrotreating process are optimized to produce
green diesel; however, multiple agreements between airlines and refineries have
boosted also jet biofuel production projects:
– SG Preston, in the United States, has signed a ten-year agreement with JetBlue
Airways to deliver more than 33 million gallons of HEFA (hydroprocessed esters
and fatty acids) jet per year.
– AltAir fuels have a dedicated capacity to produce jet biofuel to provide United
Airlines 15 million gallons of sustainable biofuel over a three-year period contract. AltAir will also provide KLM Royal Dutch Airlines with sustainable
jet fuel.
– Petrixo Oil & Gas is expected to be the most massive jet biofuel project,
producing over 500,000 metric tons per year of jet biofuel at its new refinery to
be built in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates (BiofuelsDigets 2017).
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P. Bartocci et al.
Neste Corporation is the leading company on HVO production, accounting for an
annual production volume of more than 2 million tons of biofuel. Based in Finland,
the company has two renewable refineries in Porvoo and two more abroad (i.e., in
the Netherlands and in Singapore) (Vásquez et al. 2017). They developed the
NExBTL technology, and currently, they process 10 types of raw materials including animal fats (food industry waste), fish fat (fish processing waste), vegetable oils,
used cooking oil, and technical corn oil, though the focus is on waste and residue raw
materials which account for an 80% of the feedstock.
Main competitor of NExBTL technology is the Ecofining Process, developed by
the Honeywell UOP company, jointly with the Eni S.p.A (GREENEA 2015).
Some other technologies for the conversion of lipids through hydrotreatment are
(Vásquez et al. 2017):
– The Vegan Technology marketed by the Axens Group, a French company
– Bio-Synfining process, patented by Syntroleum Corporation and bought by the
Renewable Energy Group (United States) in 2014 (a plant with a capacity of
75 million gallons per year is operative)
– The UPM BioVerno technology, which converts crude tall oil into green diesel,
developed by UPM Biofuels Company in Finland
– The Hydroflex technology created by the Haldor Topsøe group in Denmark,
allowing its implementation as both stand-alone or co-processing unit (Vásquez
et al. 2017)
1.6.2 HVO Jet Biofuel Plants
Most commercial applications of the hydrotreating process are optimized to produce
green diesel; however, multiple agreements between airlines and refineries have
boosted also jet biofuel production projects:
– SG Preston, in the United States, has signed a ten-year agreement with JetBlue
Airways to deliver more than 33 million gallons of HEFA (hydroprocessed esters
and fatty acids) jet per year.
– AltAir fuels have a dedicated capacity to produce jet biofuel to provide United
Airlines 15 million gallons of sustainable biofuel over a three-year period contract. AltAir will also provide KLM Royal Dutch Airlines with sustainable
jet fuel.
– Petrixo Oil & Gas is expected to be the most massive jet biofuel project,
producing over 500,000 metric tons per year of jet biofuel at its new refinery to
be built in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates (BiofuelsDigets 2017).
26
P. Bartocci et al.