Aemetis on schedule with engineering for SAF and renewable diesel plant

In October 2021, Aemetis has announced that it has entered into an agreement with engineering and construction firm CTCI Americas to conduct permitting and engineering work for the Carbon Zero renewable jet and diesel plant to be built in Riverbank, California, US. CTCI Americas is a subsidiary of US$2.3 billion revenues CTCI Corp., a global engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firm with extensive technology and energy industry project engineering and construction experience in California.

In addition to CTCI, the engineering and project management team for the Carbon Zero renewable jet and diesel plant includes ATSI, Inc. of Amherst, NY in the role of Owner’s Engineer to advise Aemetis on technical matters related to the project. ATSI is a firm with 40 years of engineering and project management firm with senior engineers who have extensive experience in the construction and commissioning of oil refineries worldwide, including the commissioning of a US$10 billion refinery in Asia. ATSI has performed more than five years of an owner’s engineer and project management work with Aemetis, including carbon reduction projects at the Keyes ethanol plant and the ongoing carbon capture and underground sequestration (CCUS) projects in Riverbank and Keyes, California.

The Aemetis Carbon Zero plant is being developed at a 125 acre former US Army munitions production facility. The process design utilises renewable hydrogen and renewable hydroelectric electricity to hydrotreat renewable oils to produce SAF and renewable diesel. The Riverbank plant is designed for a capacity of 90 million gal./yr with full flexibility for either 100% SAF or 100% renewable diesel production.

“With the extensive engineering and construction experience of CTCI and ATSI, we are fortunate to have a team of engineers and construction managers with experience in building renewable fuels plants in California,” said Eric McAfee, Chairman and CEO of Aemetis. “The Aemetis plant process design for the Riverbank plant utilises renewable oils, renewable hydrogen and renewable power to produce advanced renewable fuels that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality. There are a limited number of firms with an ability to execute large-scale renewable fuels projects within California’s environmental requirements.”

“CTCI brings an experienced EPC team of engineers, designers, supply chain, and project management to the Aemetis SAF and renewable diesel plant,” stated Patrick Jameson, CEO of CTCI Americas. “We are currently working on several sustainable and renewable fuel projects including an EPC of a large renewable diesel plant in California.”

“ATSI has worked closely with Aemetis for many years and we are comfortable with the high standards of project execution required to meet their expectations,” said Brian Fojtasek, President of ATSI, Inc. “Our role as the Owner’s Engineer firm on the SAF and renewable diesel project enables Aemetis to have an expert independent view of technology, engineering, construction, and project management to improve the speed, cost, and quality of project execution.”

SAF has a significant environmental advantage over traditional jet fuel, with up to a 100% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on a life cycle basis when utilising low-carbon energy and feedstocks along with carbon sequestration. SAF is a vital solution in the decarbonisation of aviation.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/clean-fuels/13092022/aemetis-on-schedule-with-engineering-for-saf-and-renewable-diesel-plant/