Specialist
Former executive at UOP LLC
Agenda
- Processes and techniques for refining vegetable and waste oils into renewable diesel compared to sustainable aviation fuel, including refinery conversion process and pre-treatment efforts
- Feedstock quality and adaptations – past and future
- Technological comparison – Honeywell UOP's (NYSE: HON) Ecofining, Neste's (HEL: NESTE) NexBTL and Haldor Topsoe's HydroFlex
- Hydro-processing and technology’s impact on feedstock usage and CAPEX requirements
- Renewable diesel production outlook, including the rise of single-step processing
Questions
1.
Could you outline the major components and steps in the process of producing renewable diesel from oils and fats?
2.
How different is the process of making renewable diesel from making SAF [sustainable aviation fuel], given similar feedstocks are used to produce these end products?
3.
Many refineries have been converted to produce renewable fuels. What are the main steps in that conversion? What needs to be added and where is investment required?
4.
Feedstock is key for renewable fuels. Which feedstocks are used today and how might they progress? There has already been a shift towards waste oils and residues.
5.
What is the range of quality or source of used cooking oils and waste available for refining today?
6.
Could you expand on renewable diesel pre-treatment, considering the variety of feedstock grades, wastes and oils? What steps are required and how much investment is typically directed towards pre-treatment?
7.
You mentioned that the biggest investment in converting refineries is oriented towards the pre-treatment capability. Once pre-treatment capacity has been reached initially, is a regular cost incurred for operations and processing these materials?
8.
Is the grade of feedstock from pre-treatment similar across the renewable diesel and SAF end products? Are there different requirements across these?
9.
You mentioned the limited availability of used cooking oil vs demand. How important do you think it is for producers to consider and invest in expanding their pre-treatment capabilities to widen the feedstock they can use in their processes? Do you think that’s a critical step for producers and their plans for renewable diesel and other fuels?
10.
We talked about regulations favouring certain feedstocks and pre-treatment, but how might flexibility on the feedstock used impact protecting renewable fuel margins, especially with the rising costs of oils and wastes?
11.
You mentioned hydro-processing as the second step in the refining process. What are the main challenges in this next stage of producing renewable diesel from pre-treated, used feedstock?
12.
Could you break down Honeywell UOP’s Ecofining solution for renewable diesel and SAF production? What technology or catalyst does it offer? How does it fit into the picture being developed?
13.
Could you discuss the market drivers for the trend towards standalone, away from co-processing?
14.
How do you think Honeywell’s Ecofining compares to options such as Neste’s NexBTL and Haldor Topsoe’s HydroFlex? How are these different or similar? Are their capabilities distinctive or pretty similar?
15.
You mentioned the single-step vs double-step process and the achievable flexibility with the former. What CAPEX reduction can single-step achieve? Do you think some of the flexibility in the end product can be captured in a single-step process?
16.
Is there any attempt or catalyst to move towards a single-step process for SAF or is the two-stage process just necessary for that end product? Where are investments, advancements and innovations being made?
17.
How much runway do you think there is for cost reduction in renewable fuel production and for process optimisation? What more is needed to get a process with high yields and cost minimised?
18.
How much do you think the pressure from the dynamics of increased renewable diesel production, limited supply of wastes and favoured feedstocks can be balanced by proper investment and the achievable cost reductions? Do you think refiners can reasonably expect to protect margins and perhaps even expand them, even if cost pressures on feedstock and other elements persist?
19.
Are there any points you’d like to mention or expand on?
