In April, ConocoPhillips and Tyson Foods Inc. formed a strategic alliance to produce renewable diesel from the refinery-based processing of waste animal fat. The companies expect to begin production later this year, and ramp up through spring 2009 to produce as much as 175 million gallons of the renewable fuel per year.

The ConocoPhillips refinery-based process uses a proprietary thermal depolymerization technology, and processes animal fats with hydrocarbon feedstocks to produce a high-quality diesel fuel that is chemically equivalent to petroleum-derived diesel, and meets all federal standards for ultra low-sulfur diesel. The product is not biodiesel&mash;i.e., fatty acid methyl ester—but a second-generation renewable diesel similar to NExBTL or H-Bio. (Earlier post.)