Diamond Green Diesel to expand renewable fuel capacity
Published by Francesca Brindle,
Editorial Assistant
Hydrocarbon Engineering,
Honeywell UOP has announced that the Diamond Green Diesel facility in Norco, Louisiana, will expand its annual production capacity of renewable diesel from 10 000 bpd to 18 000 bpd, using Honeywell UOP's EcofiningTM process technology.
Diamond Green Diesel, which is owned by Valero Energy Corp. and Darling Ingredients Inc., is the largest commercial advanced biofuel facility in the US. The company plans to complete the expansion in the second quarter of 2018 (2Q18).
The Diamond Green Diesel facility converts inedible oils and other waste feedstocks to produce Honeywell Green DieselTM, a high quality renewable fuel. Unlike biodiesel, renewable diesel produced using the Ecofining process 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% lifecycle reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared with diesel from petroleum.
Fuel produced at the facility is qualified as 'biomass-based diesel', an advanced biofuel under the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which requires a minimum volume of transportation fuels sold in the US to contain renewable fuel as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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.
It features a cetane value of 80, compared with a cetane 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 commercialised the UOP Renewable Jet Fuel ProcessTM, which originally was developed under a contract with the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to produce renewable jet fuel for the US military. Honeywell Green Jet Fuel produced by this process technology can be blended with petroleum-based fuel. When used in up to a 50% blend with petroleum-based jet fuel, Honeywell Green Jet Fuel requires no changes to aircraft technology and meets all critical specifications for flight.
Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/clean-fuels/20032017/diamond-green-diesel-to-expand-renewable-fuel-capacity/
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