Oil firm signs Honeywell Ecofining renewable fuels technology
DES PLAINES, Ill., – Honeywell announced that St1 Nordic Oy has licensed the UOP’s Ecofining™ renewable fuels technology to produce 4,000 barrels per day of diesel and jet fuel integrated with its refinery complex in Gothenburg, Sweden. Basic engineering design for the project has already been completed.
The Ecofining process converts inedible oils and other waste feedstocks into Honeywell Green Diesel™. Unlike biodiesel, this high-quality renewable diesel is chemically identical to petroleum-based diesel and can be used as a drop-in replacement in vehicles with no modifications. It also features up to an 80-percent lifecycle reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared with diesel from petroleum.
The markets in which St1 operates have among the most ambitious targets in the world for renewable fuels. This is the primary driver of investment in renewable diesel production at St1.
“The objective of our renewable fuels strategy is to meet the ambitious 2030 climate targets in our home markets of Finland, Sweden and Norway, and we chose UOP’s Ecofining technology to achieve that goal,” said Bo-Erik Svensson, Managing Director, St1 Refinery. “A key area for us is significantly reducing the CO2 emissions of transportation fuels from own production.”
“While developing regulations might create some uncertainty about the types of feedstocks that can be used to make renewable diesel, the Ecofining process can accommodate a wide variety of feedstocks,” said Bryan Glover, vice president and general manager of Honeywell UOP’s Petrochemicals & Refining Technologies business. “These include a variety of waste products such as used vegetable oils, animal fats, and tall oils derived from forestry residues.”
Honeywell UOP jointly developed the Ecofining process with Eni SpA. It converts non-edible natural oils and animal fats to Honeywell Green Diesel, which offers improved performance over biodiesel and petroleum-based diesel. The Ecofining process produces diesel with a cetane value of 80, compared with a range of 40 to 60 found in diesel at the pump today.
Cetane values indicate how quickly and completely diesel fuel will burn. Higher-cetane diesel fuel provides better engine performance with fewer emissions. High-cetane diesel can be blended with cheaper low-cetane diesel to meet transportation standards. Honeywell Green Diesel also offers excellent performance at cold or warm temperatures.
In addition to Ecofining technology, Honeywell has commercialized the UOP Renewable Jet Fuel Process™. Jet fuel produced by this process can be blended seamlessly with petroleum-based fuel. When used in up to a 50-percent blend with petroleum-based jet fuel, Honeywell Green Jet Fuel™ requires no changes to aircraft technology and meets all critical specifications for flight.
St1 Nordic Oy is a Nordic energy group whose vision is to be the leading producer and seller of CO2-aware energy. The Group researches and develops economically viable, environmentally sustainable energy solutions. St1 focuses on fuels marketing activities, oil refining and renewable energy solutions such as waste-based advanced ethanol fuels and industrial wind power. The Group has 1300 St1 and Shell branded retail stations in Finland, Sweden and Norway. Headquartered in Helsinki, St1 employs currently more than 770 people.
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