The company is also bringing online a new, more than €700 million (US$943 million) diesel production line that has been under construction for the last four years.

The new renewable diesel plant is the first to produce second-generation renewable diesel based on Neste Oil’s proprietary NExBTL technology. NExBTL Renewable Diesel is a hydrocarbon and offers better product characteristics and engine performance than first-generation biodiesels. The new plant will be capable of producing 170,000 t/a of NExBTL diesel fuel from a flexible mix of vegetable oil and animal fat.

The new diesel line will improve the company’s overall refining margin significantly, as it will convert low-value heavy fuel oil into premium-quality diesel fuel. Output will total approximately 1 million t/a of sulfur-free diesel.

Both new facilities reflect Neste Oil’s strategic focus on developing and producing cleaner traffic fuels.