Neste to expand capacity at its Rotterdam refinery

IN BRIEF

CHINA: The country’s largest oil refiner China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) produced its first batch of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from used cooking oil (UCO) at its facility in the east of the country, Reuters reported on 28 June.

Sinopec started developing SAF in 2009 and was awarded the country’s first airworthiness certificate for the fuel in 2014, Reuters wrote.

The 100,000 tonnes/year Sinopec Zhenhai Refining & Chemical Co facility paved the way for industrial-scale SAF production.

USA: The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) has welcomed the passage of a bill by the House of Representatives allowing E15 – petrol blended with 15% ethanol – to be sold throughout the year, AgriCensus wrote on 16 June.

As well as extending a waiver allowing E15 sales during the summer, the passage of the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act on 16 June would also provide US$200M in additional funding for infrastructure to support the sale of higher blend biofuels, the report said.

Neste to expand capacity at its Rotterdam refinery

Finnish renewable fuels producer Neste announced on 27 June that it would invest US$1.93bn to expand renewable products production capacity at its Rotterdam refinery due to growing demand.

At 1.4M tonnes/year, Neste’s current renewables capacity in Rotterdam was the largest in Europe and the expansion would increase overall capacity by 1.3M tonnes/year, bringing total renewable product capacity to 2.7M tonnes/year.

Following the expansion, production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at the Rotterdam plant would be 1.2M tonnes/ year, Neste said.

The new unit was due to become operational in the first half of 2026 and would result in “a substantial amount of renewable diesel, SAF and renewable feedstock for polymers and chemicals”, the company said.

Neste said its current global renewable products capacity was 3.3M tonnes/year and would increase to 5.5M tonnes/year by the end of 2023 from its Singapore expansion project and a joint venture with Marathon Petroleum in Martinez, California.

When completed, the Rotterdam expansion would further increase the company’s total renewables production capacity to 6.8M tonnes/year by the end of 2026, Neste said.

Cargill completes Ghent waste-based plant

Global agribusiness giant Cargill has completed building a US$150M advanced biodiesel plant in Belgium to convert waste oils and residues into renewable fuel.

The 115,000 tonnes/year plant at its existing oilseeds crushing and biodiesel facility was one of the largest waste-to-biofuel facilities in Europe and the company’s first advanced biodiesel production venture, Cargill said on 15 June.

Using BDI-Bioenergy International’s patented RepCAT process technology, the facility would convert all types of liquid waste oils and fats, including used cooking oils, tallow and residues from edible oil production, into advanced biodiesel.

The advanced biodiesel produced at the facility would be used by the maritime and trucking sectors, Cargill said.

Waste oils will be among the feedstocks used at Cargill’s advanced biodiesel plant in Ghent

EU transport MEPs set ambitious targets for SAF

Transport members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have set ambitious targets for more sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) to help the EU achieve climate neutrality by 2050, the European Parliament (EP) said on 27 June.

A total of 85% of aviation fuel should be sustainable by 2050, with a gradual switch to alternatives to conventional fuel such as synthetic fuel and used cooking oil (UCO).

Space should also be allowed for electricity and hydrogen to be part of the new fuel mix, with aircraft operators encouraged to include infrastructure for hydrogen refuelling and electric recharging.

MEPs on the Transport and Tourism Committee adopted a draft negotiating mandate on the ReFuelEU aviation rules and amended the proposed definition of SAF – a term that currently covers synthetic fuels or certain biofuels produced from agricultural or forestry residues, algae, biowaste or UCO – to include recyclable carbon fuels produced from waste processing gas and exhaust gas derived from production process in industrial installations.

MEPS also proposed that some biofuels, produced from animal fats or distillates should be used in the aviation fuel mix for a limited time (until 2034).

The EP said MEPs excluded feed and food crop-based fuels from the revised definition of SAF, and those derived from palm oil and soyabeans, and soap stock and its derivatives, as they did not meet proposed sustainability criteria.

MEPs increased the European Commission’s (EC) original proposal for the minimum share of SAF that should be made available at EU airports, with a 2% share from 2025, increasing to 37% in 2040 and 85% by 2050, taking into account the potential of electricity and hydrogen in the overall fuel mix (proposed at 32% and 63% respectively).

Following approval of the draft by the whole European Parliament, MEPs would begin talks with EU governments on the final details of the legislation.

Civil aviation currently accounts for 13.4% of CO2 emissions from EU transport.