Hydrotreated vegetable oil

Last updated

Hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) is a biofuel made by the hydrocracking or hydrogenation of vegetable oil. Hydrocracking breaks big molecules into smaller ones using hydrogen while hydrogenation adds hydrogen to molecules. These methods can be used to create substitutes for gasoline, diesel, propane, kerosene and other chemical feedstock. Diesel fuel produced from these sources is known as green diesel or renewable diesel.

Contents

Diesel fuel created by hydrotreating is distinct from the biodiesel made through esterification.

Feedstock

The majority of plant and animal oils are triglycerides, suitable for refining. Refinery feedstock includes canola, algae, jatropha, salicornia, palm oil, tallow and soybeans. One type of algae, Botryococcus braunii produces a different type of oil, known as a triterpene, which is transformed into alkanes by a different process.[ citation needed ]

Chemical analysis

Synthesis

The production of hydrotreated vegetable oils is based on introducing hydrogen molecules into the raw fat or oil molecule. This process is associated with the reduction of the carbon compound. When hydrogen is used to react with triglycerides, different types of reactions can occur, and different resultant products are combined. [1] The second step of the process involves converting the triglycerides/fatty acids to hydrocarbons by hydrodeoxygenation (removing oxygen as water) and/or decarboxylation (removing oxygen as carbon dioxide).

A formulaic example of this is C
3H
5(RCOO)
3 + 12 H
2 ⟶ C
3H
8 + 3 RCH
3 + 6 H
2O

Chemical composition

The chemical formula for HVO Diesel is CnH2n+2

Chemical properties

Hydrotreated oils are characterized by very good low temperature properties. The cloud point also occurs below −40 °C. Therefore, these fuels are suitable for the preparation of premium fuel with a high cetane number and excellent low temperature properties. The cold filter plugging point (CFPP) virtually corresponds to the cloud point value, which is why the value of the cloud point is significant in the case of hydrotreated oils. [1]

Comparison to biodiesel

Both HVO diesel (green diesel) and biodiesel are made from the same vegetable oil feedstock. However the processing technologies and chemical makeup of the two fuels differ. The chemical reaction commonly used to produce biodiesel is known as transesterification. [2]

The production of biodiesel also makes glycerol, but the production of HVO does not.

Neste has published the differences between biodiesel and renewable diesel (HVO) which are summarized in the table below. [3]

NESTE MY Renewable DieselConventional ULSDBiodiesel B20
GHG Emissions ReductionUp to 75%None15%
Renewable Source100%NoYes
Performance in Cold WeatherExcellentExcellentDepends
Cetane Number70+45-5550
Fuel StabilityHighAverageLow
OEM ApprovalYesYesYes


Commercialization

Various stages of converting renewable hydrocarbon fuels produced by hydrotreating is done throughout energy industry. Some commercial examples of vegetable oil refining are:

Neste is the largest manufacturer, producing ca. 3.3 million tonnes annually (2023). [8] Neste completed their first NExBTL plant in the summer 2007 and the second one in 2009. Petrobras planned to use 256 megalitres (1,610,000 bbl) of vegetable oils in the production of H-Bio fuel in 2007. ConocoPhilips is processing 42,000 US gallons per day (1,000 bbl/d) of vegetable oil. Other companies working on the commercialization and industrialization of renewable hydrocarbons and biofuels include Neste, REG Synthetic Fuels, LLC, ENI, UPM Biofuels, Diamond Green Diesel partnered with countries across the globe. Manufacturers of these renewable diesels report greenhouse gas emissions reductions of 40-90% compared to fossil diesel, [9] [10] [11] as well as better cold-flow properties to work in colder climates. [9] In addition, all of these green diesels can be introduced into any diesel engine or infrastructure without many mechanical modifications [12] at any ratio with petroleum-based diesels. [9]

Renewable diesel from vegetable oil is a growing substitute for petroleum. [13] California fleets used over 200 million US gallons (760,000 m3) of renewable diesel in 2017. The California Air Resources Board predicts that over 2 billion US gallons (7,600,000 m3) of fuel will be consumed in the state under its Low Carbon Fuel Standard requirements in the next ten years. Fleets operating on Renewable Diesel from various refiners and feedstocks are reported to see lower emissions, reduced maintenance costs, and nearly identical experience when driving with this fuel. [14]

Sustainability concerns

A number of issues have been raised about the sustainability of HVO, primarily concerning the sourcing of its lipid feedstocks. Waste oils such as used cooking oil are a limited resource and their use cannot be scaled up beyond a certain point. Further demand for HVO would have to be met with crop-based virgin vegetable oils, but the diversion of vegetable oils from the food market into the biofuels sector has been linked to increased global food prices, and to global agricultural expansion and intensification. This is associated with a variety of ecological and environmental implications; moreover, greenhouse gas emissions from land use change may in some circumstances negate or exceed any benefit from the displacement of fossil fuels. [15]

A 2022 study published by the International Council on Clean Transportation found that the anticipated scale-up of renewable diesel capacity in the U.S. would quickly exhaust the available supply of waste and residual oils, and increasingly rely on domestic and imported soy oil. [16] The report also noted that increased U.S. renewable diesel production risked indirectly driving the expansion of palm oil cultivation in Southeast Asia, where the palm oil industry is still endemically associated with deforestation and peat destruction.

Challenges in Producing Fuels from Bio-Derived Feedstocks with HVO

Refinery hydrotreaters are used for processing HVO. Introducing even minor amounts of biomaterial into a diesel hydrotreater has implications and potential risk factors. [17] The main issues are corrosion, high hydrogen consumption, and catalyst deactivation. [18]

According to Haldor Topsoe's experience with their licensed units, HVO production poses certain challenges for hydrotreaters including:

Corrosion - There are several corrosion mechanisms from hydrotreating vegetable oils and animal fats. Most are acidic though this is tempered by being bound into tri and di-glycerides. However, difficult feedstocks like Distillers Corn Oil can contain 10-15% free fatty acids. [19] These acids can attack non-stainless steels in the preheat train, fired heater, piping, valves and reactors. In addition, chlorides that contaminate feeds can be converted to hydrogen chloride in the reactor which can then cause accelerated corrosion in the effluent lines and for sour water. The presence of chlorides in a wet environment is also problematic for the common stainless steel grades 304 and 316 due to the potential of intergranular stress chloride cracking. [20] In addition, the formation of carbon dioxide from decarboxylation reactions during hydrotreating can form carbonic acid when contacted with water. [18]

Hydrogen Consumption - removing oxygen, cracking long-chain molecules, and saturating olefinic bonds will chemically consume two to four times the hydrogen of a conventional ULSD hydrotreater. ULSD hydrotreating chemical hydrogen consumption is typically 300-600 scf/bbl of feed depending on the aromatic saturation required for cycle oils and other cracked feedstocks. [21] Chemical consumption for HVO approaches 2,500 scf/bbl depending on the level of saturation of feedstock and the length of the carbon chains. [18] Delivering hydrogen for consumption, in addition to quench and additional excess circulating hydrogen can pose significant challenges to unit revamp design and operation with hydraulics, distribution, and compressor power being critical. [22]

Fouling - alkali metals and especially phosphorus must be kept low in HVO feedstocks in order to minimize pressure drop from fouling and general catalyst deactivation. Phosphatidic glassing is an aggressive catalyst poisoning mechanism that will not only plug off a reactor's pore spaces thus causing rapid pressure drop, but will also interfere with the catalysts acid sites by coating the outside of the catalyst and begin adhering to other catalyst particles. [18]

Operational history

HVO processing is a young technology relative to most other refining processes. The first commercial scale unit started up in Louisiana in 2010 with a capacity of 100 million US gallons (380,000 m3) per year. [23]

A newbuild plant was constructed in 2010 Geismar, LA by the Syntroleum Corporation and its joint-venture partner Tyson Foods. [24] The plant initiated startup in the 3rd quarter with a target of 75 million US gallons (280,000 m3) per year. [25] Feedstock for the plant was vegetable oil and pretreated rendered poultry fat. The site achieved 87% of its design capacity in 2011. [26] Corrosion, including chloride-linked stress corrosion cracking shut the plant down in 2012 for more than a year. [27] Tyson sold its 50% ownership to Renewable Energy Group (now Chevron) and Syntroleum's stock was announced by the same buyer in 2013 with closing in 2014. [28] In 2015, two fires caused damage to the plant with major damage being incurred. [29]

Operable capacity

United States [30]
CompanyCityStateCapacity in Million Gallons/yr000s bpd equivalent
Diamond Green Diesel LLC Norco Louisiana98230.7
Diamond Green Diesel LLC Port Arthur Texas47012.5
Dakota PrairieDickinsonNorth Dakota1928.8
Calumet CalumetMontana1358.2
HollyFrontier ArtesiaNew Mexico1257.8
Phillips 66 RodeoRodeoCalifornia1207.7
HollyFrontier SinclairWyoming1177.6
Chevron/REG GeismarLouisiana1006.5
CVR WynnewoodOklahoma1006.5
HollyFrontier CheyenneWyoming926.0
Seaboard Energy HugotonKansas855.5

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biofuel</span> Type of biological fuel

Biofuel is a fuel that is produced over a short time span from biomass, rather than by the very slow natural processes involved in the formation of fossil fuels such as oil. Biofuel can be produced from plants or from agricultural, domestic or industrial biowaste. Biofuels are mostly used for transportation, but can also be used for heating and electricity. Biofuels are regarded as a renewable energy source. The use of biofuel has been subject to criticism regarding the "food vs fuel" debate, varied assessments of their sustainability, and ongoing deforestation and biodiversity loss as a result of biofuel production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biodiesel</span> Fuel made from vegetable oils or animal fats

Biodiesel is a renewable biofuel, a form of diesel fuel, derived from biological sources like vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled greases, and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made from fats.

The Fischer–Tropsch process (FT) is a collection of chemical reactions that converts a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, known as syngas, into liquid hydrocarbons. These reactions occur in the presence of metal catalysts, typically at temperatures of 150–300 °C (302–572 °F) and pressures of one to several tens of atmospheres. The Fischer–Tropsch process is an important reaction in both coal liquefaction and gas to liquids technology for producing liquid hydrocarbons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Synthetic fuel</span> Fuel from carbon monoxide and hydrogen

Synthetic fuel or synfuel is a liquid fuel, or sometimes gaseous fuel, obtained from syngas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, in which the syngas was derived from gasification of solid feedstocks such as coal or biomass or by reforming of natural gas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biomass to liquid</span>

Biomass to liquid is a multi-step process of producing synthetic hydrocarbon fuels made from biomass via a thermochemical route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neste</span> Finnish oil company

Neste Oyj is an oil refining and marketing company located in Espoo, Finland. It produces, refines and markets oil products, provides engineering services, and licenses production technologies. Neste has operations in 14 countries.

Pyrolysis oil, sometimes also known as biocrude or bio-oil, is a synthetic fuel with few industrial application and under investigation as substitute for petroleum. It is obtained by heating dried biomass without oxygen in a reactor at a temperature of about 500 °C (900 °F) with subsequent cooling, separation from the aqueous phase and other processes. Pyrolysis oil is a kind of tar and normally contains levels of oxygen too high to be considered a pure hydrocarbon. This high oxygen content results in non-volatility, corrosiveness, partial miscibility with fossil fuels, thermal instability, and a tendency to polymerize when exposed to air. As such, it is distinctly different from petroleum products. Removing oxygen from bio-oil or nitrogen from algal bio-oil is known as upgrading.

Neste MY Renewable Diesel is a vegetable oil refining fuel production process commercialized by the Finnish oil and refining company Neste. Whether as an admixture or in its pure form, the fuel is able to supplement or partially replace conventional diesel without problems. Neste guarantees that every gallon sold meets ASTM D975 and EN 15940 specifications in compliance with OEM standards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Topsoe</span> Danish company

Topsoe is a Danish company founded in 1940 by Haldor Topsøe. The company has approximately 2,300 employees, of which 1,700 work in Denmark.

Renewable fuels are fuels produced from renewable resources. Examples include: biofuels, Hydrogen fuel, and fully synthetic fuel produced from ambient carbon dioxide and water. This is in contrast to non-renewable fuels such as natural gas, LPG (propane), petroleum and other fossil fuels and nuclear energy. Renewable fuels can include fuels that are synthesized from renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar. Renewable fuels have gained in popularity due to their sustainability, low contributions to the carbon cycle, and in some cases lower amounts of greenhouse gases. The geo-political ramifications of these fuels are also of interest, particularly to industrialized economies which desire independence from Middle Eastern oil.

Biofuel is fuel that is produced from organic matter (biomass), including plant materials and animal waste. It is considered a renewable source of energy that can assist in reducing carbon emissions. The two main types of biofuel currently being produced in Australia are biodiesel and bioethanol, used as replacements for diesel and petrol (gasoline) respectively. As of 2017 Australia is a relatively small producer of biofuels, accounting for 0.2% of world bioethanol production and 0.1% of world biodiesel production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vegetable oils as alternative energy</span> Fuel made from plants

Vegetable oils are increasingly used as a substitute for fossil fuels. Vegetable oils are the basis of biodiesel, which can be used like conventional diesel. Some vegetable oil blends are used in unmodified vehicles, but straight vegetable oil often needs specially prepared vehicles which have a method of heating the oil to reduce its viscosity and surface tension, sometimes specially made injector nozzles, increased injection pressure and stronger glow-plugs, in addition to fuel pre-heating is used. Another alternative is vegetable oil refining.

Second-generation biofuels, also known as advanced biofuels, are fuels that can be manufactured from various types of non-food biomass. Biomass in this context means plant materials and animal waste used especially as a source of fuel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Algae fuel</span> Use of algae as a source of energy-rich oils

Algae fuel, algal biofuel, or algal oil is an alternative to liquid fossil fuels that uses algae as its source of energy-rich oils. Also, algae fuels are an alternative to commonly known biofuel sources, such as corn and sugarcane. When made from seaweed (macroalgae) it can be known as seaweed fuel or seaweed oil.

Biogasoline is a type of gasoline produced from biomass such as algae. Like traditionally produced gasoline, it is made up of hydrocarbons with 6 (hexane) to 12 (dodecane) carbon atoms per molecule and can be used in internal combustion engines. However, unlike traditional gasoline/petroleum based fuels, which are mainly composed from oil, biogasolines are made from plants such as beets and sugarcane or cellulosic biomass- substances normally referred to as plant waste.

The biofuel sector in the United Kingdom, under the auspices of the government's Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), has been progressing towards enhanced sustainable energy solutions. Marking a significant stride in this direction was the government's endorsement and introduction of E10 biofuel in late 2021. This fuel blend, consisting of 90% regular unleaded gasoline and 10% ethanol, was introduced as part of an initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from transport fuels. The introduction of E10 led to a shift in the renewable fuel landscape in the UK, particularly influencing an increase in the utilization of non-waste feedstocks. In the year 2022, the biofuel sector, as per government reports, achieved a reduction in GHG emissions by 82% in comparison to traditional fossil fuels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aviation biofuel</span> Sustainable fuel used to power aircraft

An aviation biofuel is a biofuel used to power aircraft and is a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The International Air Transport Association (IATA) considers it a key element in reducing the environmental impact of aviation. Aviation biofuel is used to decarbonize medium and long-haul air travel. These types of travel generate the most emissions, and could extend the life of older aircraft types by lowering their carbon footprint. Synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK) refers to any non-petroleum-based fuel designed to replace kerosene jet fuel, which is often, but not always, made from biomass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bioliquids</span>

Bioliquids are liquid fuels made from biomass for energy purposes other than transport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Global Clean Energy Holdings</span>

Global Clean Energy Holdings (OTC:GCEH) is a Southern California-based renewable energy company with interests in the production and commercialization of non-food-based feedstocks used for the production of biofuels, biomass, and renewable chemicals. It was founded in 2007.

References

  1. 1 2 Zeman, Petr; Hönig, Vladimír; Kotek, Martin; Táborský, Jan; Obergruber, Michal; Mařík, Jakub; Hartová, Veronika; Pechout, Martin (2019). "Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil as a Fuel from Waste Materials". Catalysts . 9 (4): 337. doi: 10.3390/catal9040337 . ISSN   2073-4344. Creative Commons by small.svg  This article incorporates textfrom this source, which is available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
  2. ↑ "Hydrotreated Vegetable Oils (HVO) Archived 2021-05-31 at the Wayback Machine ", European Alternative Fuels Observatory (retrieved 27 May 2021).
  3. ↑ "Product information". Neste. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
  4. ↑ "Green Car Congress: Preem selects Haldor Topsoe HydroFlex technology for renewable diesel and jet fuel production". greencarcongress.com. 2020. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Digital Refining: PKN ORLEN selects Vegan® technology and process book supply from Axens". digitalrefining.com. 2020. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Green Car Congress: ConocoPhillips Begins Production of Renewable Diesel Fuel at Whitegate Refinery". greencarcongress.com. 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  7. ↑ "UOP and Italy's Eni S.p.A. announce plans for facility to produce diesel fuel from vegetable oil" (PDF) (Press release). UOP LLC. June 19, 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 30, 2007. Retrieved January 1, 2010.
  8. ↑ "Annual Report 2023 Neste" . Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  9. 1 2 3 "Products". May 9, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  10. ↑ Szeto, Wai; Leung, Dennis Y. C. (2022). "Is hydrotreated vegetable oil a superior substitute for fossil diesel? A comprehensive review on physicochemical properties, engine performance and emissions". Fuel . 327: 125065. Bibcode:2022Fuel..32725065S. doi:10.1016/j.fuel.2022.125065.
  11. ↑ Di Blasio, Gabriele; Ianniello, Roberto; Beatrice, Carlo (2022). "Hydrotreated vegetable oil as enabler for high-efficient and ultra-low emission vehicles in the view of 2030 targets". Fuel . 310: 122206. Bibcode:2022Fuel..31022206D. doi:10.1016/j.fuel.2021.122206.
  12. ↑ "Renewable Diesel". Neste.com. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Renewable Diesel as a major transportation fuel in California: Opportunities, Benefits, and Challenges". www.Gladstein.org/gna_whitepapers/. August 2017.
  14. ↑ "Renewable Diesel as a Major Transportation Fuel in California". www.StarOilco.net. January 20, 2018.
  15. ↑ Merfort, L.; Bauer, N.; et al. (June 2023). "State of global land regulation inadequate to control biofuel land-use-change emissions". Nature Climate Change . 13 (7): 610–612. Bibcode:2023NatCC..13..610M. doi:10.1038/s41558-023-01711-7.
  16. ↑ Malins, Chris; Sandford, Cato (January 2022). "Animal, Vegetable or Mineral (Oil)? Exploring the Potential Impacts of New Renewable Diesel Capacity on Oil and Fat Markets in the United States" (PDF). International Council on Clean Transportation .
  17. ↑ "Future fuel - the challenges associated with renewable diesel hydrotreating". www.digitalrefining.com. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Verdier, Sylvain (2020). "Hydroprocessing of renewable feedstocks - challenges and solutions" (PDF). www.topsoe.com.
  19. ↑ Winkler-Moser, Jill K.; Hwang, Hong-Sik; Byars, Jeffrey A.; Vaughn, Steven F.; Aurandt-Pilgrim, Jennifer; Kern, Olivia (2023-03-01). "Variations in phytochemical content and composition in distillers corn oil from 30 U.S. ethanol plants". Industrial Crops and Products. 193: 116108. doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2022.116108. ISSN   0926-6690.
  20. ↑ "Susceptibility of Type 304/304L and 316/316L austenitic stainless steels to chlorides in cooling water". www.digitalrefining.com. Retrieved 2024-10-30.
  21. ↑ "Study identifies optimum operating conditions for ULSD hydrotreaters". Oil & Gas Journal. 2003-08-04. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  22. ↑ Green, Sara (October 13, 2021). "Key considerations for design and operation of a renewable diesel unit". Hydrocarbon Processing. Online.
  23. ↑ Gerveni, Maria; Hubbs, Todd; Irwin, and Scott (2023-03-08). "Overview of the Production Capacity of U.S. Renewable Diesel Plants through December 2022". Farmdoc Daily. 13 (42).
  24. ↑ Corporation, Syntroleum (2010-07-15). "Syntroleum Announces Geismar Plant Mechanical Completion". GlobeNewswire News Room (Press release). Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  25. ↑ "Syntroleum announces Geismar plant completion". Hydrocarbon Processing. July 16, 2010.
  26. ↑ "Syntroleum/Tyson JV synthetic fuel plant produced 5.4 million US gallons (20,000 m3) in July; 87% of design capacity". Green Car Congress.
  27. ↑ AEDC (2013-12-18). "Renewable Energy Group to buy Syntroleum Corp". Ascension Economic Development Corporation. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  28. ↑ "Renewable Energy Group completes Dynamic Fuels acquisition | Biomass Magazine". biomassmagazine.com. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  29. ↑ "New fire erupts at Renewable Energy Group's Louisiana biorefinery". Renewables Now.
  30. ↑ Gerveni, Maria; Hubbs, Todd; Irwin, and Scott (2023-03-08). "Overview of the Production Capacity of U.S. Renewable Diesel Plants through December 2022". Farmdoc Daily. 13 (42).
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.