Preem’s Lysekil refinery producing renewable fuel via coprocessing
Swedish refiner Preem AB, a wholly owned subsidiary of Corral Petroleum Holdings AB, Stockholm, is producing renewable fuel from a feedstock of biomass-based pyrolysis oil using coprocessing technology from Honeywell UOP LLC at the operator’s 220,000-b/d refinery in Lysekil, Sweden.
Using only existing plant infrastructure, the Lysekil refinery’s FCC has completed its first trial of coprocessing pyrolysis oil to produce partially renewable, low-carbon transportation fuel based on UOP’s proprietary bioliquid feed system with Optimix GF Feed Distributor technology, the service provider said on the 15th September.
Preem’s coprocessing trial of the UOP technology to coprocess pyrolysis oil produced from sustainable solid biomass materials such as sawdust or agricultural residuals comes as part of the operator’s plan to reduce carbon intensity of its transportation fuel production in line with Sweden’s Integrated Energy and Climate Plan and the European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED), under which pyrolysis oil can qualify as an Annex IX Part A-approved feedstock, UOP said.
Announcement of the completed trial follows Preem’s confirmation on the 21st June, that it had initiated coprocessing of 300 tonnes of pyrolysis oil produced from sawdust at the Lysekil FCC as part of the trial’s first phase. At the time, Preem said it would carry out a second phase of the trial involving the FCC’s coprocessing of up to 50,000 tonnes of pyrolysis oil for two years.
“Residual products from our Swedish forests have a unique potential to make Sweden self-sufficient in an increasing share of liquid renewable fuels in the long run instead of importing 85%, as we do today,” said Peter Abrahamsson, Preem’s head of sustainable development.
Given that Sweden’s statutory mixing requirements for renewables in the gasoline pool will increase to 7.8% to help reduce the country’s fuel-related carbon dioxide emissions 28% by 2030, Mr Abrahamsson added that Preem’s renewable fuels production would be an important piece of the puzzle in helping Sweden achieve its climate goals.
“Our long-term goal is to produce about five million [cu m/day] of renewable fuels by 2030, which means that we can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 12.5 million [tonnes/year], corresponding to 20% of Sweden’s total emissions,” Mr Abrahamsson said.
Last year, the operator also announced it is advancing a broader plan to convert the Lysekil refinery into Scandinavia’s largest manufacturing site for renewable fuels by 2024.
Source: Oil & Gas Journal