Question
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Considering the growing interest in maximising renewable and biomass feeds (including Fischer-Tropsch liquids) through the FCC, what are the most noticeable options you see refiners adopting beyond 2030? To what extent can renewable feed pretreatment be simplified (if at all)?
Mar-2023
Answers
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Theo Maesen, Chevron Lummus Global, tmaesen@chevron.com
An FCC will convert biomass into renewable naphtha, for which there are policy incentives in some parts of the world. Due to feedstock volume limitations, the size of an FCC typically limits renewable gasoline production to co-processing. In most parts of the world, stand-alone operations are more policy-enabled than the co-processing of biomass and fossil-derived feedstocks. Since the feedstock volumes suffice to hydroprocess biomass into renewable diesel and jet in a stand-alone operation, hydroprocessing is usually preferred over FCC.
Renewable feed pretreatment typically consists of multiple unit operations to make RBD (refine, bleach and degum) grade biomass. An alternate approach is a hydrothermal water wash to hydrolyse most of the gums. How effective this simpler approach is will depend on the feedstock portfolio.
Mar-2023
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