Chevron and Novvi announce the first production of 100% renewable base oil from Deer Park plant

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Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. 

Chevron Products Company (a division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc.) and Novvi LLC (a joint venture of Amyris, Inc. and Cosan S.A. Industria e Comercio) have announced the first production of 100% renewable base oil from Novvi’s facility in Deer Park (Houston). Novvi products bring sustainable high-performance alternatives to oil and lubricant product lines. 

Figure 1. Chevron and Novvi announce the first production of 100% renewable base oil from Deer Park plant 

Chevron, leading manufacturer of premium base oils and one of the world’s largest suppliers of finished lubricants, is an equity investor in Novvi, a California-based company that engages in the development, production, marketing, and distribution of high-performance base oils from renewable sources. The agreement was announced in 2016. The Chevron-Novvi partnership combines the hydroprocessing technologies of Chevron, particularly ISODEWAXING, with Novvi’s innovative platform. 

Though Novvi products can be made from any plant sugar, including cellulosic sugars, today’s products are made from sustainably grown Brazilian sugarcane. Sugarcane provides a high-quality feedstock and brings the added benefit of sequestering carbon dioxide with exceptional efficiency. Studies show that Novvi chemicals could sequester as much as three tons of carbon dioxide for every ton of chemicals used. Sugarcane syrup is used to produce Biofene® (β-farnesene), a renewable hydrocarbon molecule certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB). 

Thanks to Biofene’s molecular structure, Novvi base oils provide performance benefits that improve engine efficiency and extend equipment life, further reducing environmental consequences and greenhouse gas production, while helping customers lower equipment costs. Novvi has developed renewable products through its technology platform that are also applicable in plastics, rubber, personal care, wax, and electric vehicle fluids. The invention and scale of this technology is designed to provide more choice to manufacturers aiming to improve performance and reduce the carbon intensity of their products.

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