NextChem and Saola Energy to jointly license a technology for the production of renewable diesel
Type of post: NEWS.
NextChem
(company of Maire Tecnimont Group
focused on the energy transition) will cooperate with Saola Energy (technology company with
extensive experience in engineering, process design, and project execution) to
license a technology for the production of renewable
diesel, suitable for both small bolt-on facilities and large plants.
Press release: “NextChem's portfolio will include a
new HVO Technology (renewable diesel) focus on US market”, 10/2/2020.
Figure 1. Saola Energy has
successfully implemented its patented renewable diesel technology at East
Kansas Agri-Energy (EKAE), an ethanol plant located in Garnett (Kansas). Saola
helped EKAE during the construction, commissioning, and startup phases of its
renewable diesel facility.
NextChem and Saola Energy will combine their
knowhow and expertise to deliver a comprehensive solution to the marketplace.
NextChem will be the licensor of the combined technology and will provide
clients with EPC services to ensure a successful deployment. Saola Energy’s
patented technology consists of a hydrotreatment step followed by isomerization
to produce high-quality renewable diesel fuel from oils and residual fats. It
can process at industrial scale a wide range of feedstocks.
Furthermore, the process has a modularized approach
and is conceived for capacities as low as 10 million gallons per year
(approximately 30.000 ton/year), making it ideal for both smaller bolt-on
facilities with access to a limited supply of captive feedstock. The
integration of the technology with existing plants will allow the optimization
of their economics via the valorization of byproducts. Companies handling waste
oils and residual fats will have access to new opportunities in the market for
second generation renewable fuels.