Twitter headlines« Renault Unveils New Fuel Cell Concept | Main | Michigan Research Alliance Funds Thermoelectric Power Generation and Cellulosic Ethanol Projects »
PTT, Toyota To Study Use Of Bio-Hydrogenated Renewable Diesel
30 May 2008
Nikkei. Thai oil and gas company PTT PCL is partnering with the Thai unit of Toyota Motor Corp. to study the development of bio-hydrogenated renewable diesel. The study is expected to be completed by the end of next year.
Bio-hydrogenated diesel is a renewable diesel produced by hydrogenating crude palm oil or vegetable oil feedstock. It can be used to mix with diesel in a proportion of up to 50%, which is much higher than for other types of biodiesel, said Songkiert Tansamrit, PTT’s executive vice president.
If the project is viable, both sides may invest in the development of a production plant, said Songkiert.
In November 2007, Neste Oil announced plans to invest approximately €550 million (US$812 million) to build a plant in Singapore to produce NExBTL Renewable Diesel. The plant will have a design capacity of 800,000 t/a—about 245 million gallons US annually—making it the world’s largest facility producing diesel fuel from renewable feedstocks to date.
The plant will be based on Neste Oil’s proprietary NExBTL technology for the high-pressure hydrotreatment of fatty acids. (Earlier post.)
May 30, 2008 in Brief | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Comments
Posted by: P Schager | June 01, 2008 at 12:27 AM
Cool, let's cut down forests to plant palm trees.
Posted by: JCH | June 01, 2008 at 02:30 AM
No, let's replant some rainforests and switch to algae.
Posted by: clett | June 02, 2008 at 02:53 AM
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341c4fbe53ef00e552a96dcd8834
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference PTT, Toyota To Study Use Of Bio-Hydrogenated Renewable Diesel:
The only thing is, you're taking high-quality vegetable oil, which could trivially be converted into biodiesel, and spending money to turn it instead into an inferior fuel. Vegetable oil doesn't need the expensive hydrotreating to remove sulphur like petroleum does, and it produces a tiny fraction as much carcinogenic particulates as the petroleum-style molecule will. So what you're doing is to process the fuel to get the PAH's back. Modern traps might remove some 90%, but there's still a proportionate difference in the carcinogenicity of what's left.
While you're at it, you're erasing the feedstock's extremely good lubricity.
Only jet fuels really need this conversion to a more or less pure hydrocarbon molecule (for weight). Thailand is a warm country and doesn't even have to worry about neat (no-additive) biodiesel's higher pour point temperature. Diesels work great on 100% biodiesel (or straight vegoil, with a fuel heater).
When this RetroPetrol option is being pursued, the behavior you are observing is conclusively diagnostic of petroleum addiction.