Albemarle to Provide Catalysts to Neste Oil for NExBTL Process
01 August 2008
Albemarle Corporation has been awarded a multi-year order from Neste Oil Oyj, Finland to produce catalysts made exclusively for Neste for use in their NExBTL renewable diesel process.
Neste Oil’s refinery-based proprietary NExBTL technology is based on the high-pressure hydrogenation of fatty acids. The product is a synthetic diesel fuel, free of oxygen and aromatic compounds. Side products include propane and gasoline. (Earlier post.) Neste Oil and Albemarle have worked together for several years to develop the catalysts for the NExBTL renewable diesel process. Albemarle’s multi-year order with Neste includes scheduled deliveries of the catalysts for 2008, 2009 and 2010.
Neste Oil currently operates one NExBTL plant in Porvoo, Finland, with a second NExBTL diesel plant under construction in Porvoo. Neste Oil is also currently building world-scale NExBTL plants in Singapore and Rotterdam, and has plans for further growth of NExBTL renewable diesel business.
This is what biodiesel was always supposed to be. An improvement on the fossil fuel variety. It's beginning to look as if the chemists are going to hit the bioenergy sweet spot before Craig Venter even gets close.
Posted by: Alton Finester | 01 August 2008 at 06:57 AM