by Anna Simet (Biodiesel Magazine) Biodiesel Magazine’s annual production map showed 34 renewable diesel/SAF plants under development, construction or operating in the U.S., as of September. The following includes updates regarding some of these projects.
This fall, Biodiesel Magazine chatted with Mindi Farber-DeAnda, team lead of the U.S. EIA’s Petroleum & Natural Gas Modeling regarding biodiesel, renewable diesel and SAF capacity growth. At the time, she said EIA forecast that U.S. renewable diesel capacity would outpace biodiesel capacity in October—and that proved to be true.
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(EIA’s) monthly Short-Term Energy Outlook contains more current data, with information for August showing capacity for renewable diesel (and associated fuels including renewable heating oil, renewable jet fuel, renewable naphtha, renewable gasoline and other biofuels) having reached 2.134 billion gallons—an increase of over 50% in just one year. Biodiesel capacity was down slightly, by 347 MMgy, when compared to the 2.431 billion gallons of capacity in place as of August 2021.
So, what’s attributing to a slight dip in biodiesel capacity? Farber-DeAnda shared what hasn’t a major factor, and that’s conversions from biodiesel to renewable diesel. “These are very different facilities … renewable diesel is much more complex … we are seeing [conversions] happen more at refineries. Some biodiesel facilities are just closing over time. We are seeing greater biodiesel exports, but just not enough to warrant more production.”
The EIA’s 2021 annual report saw a substantial drop in petroleum refining capacity.
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In the next report, which will contain data from 2022, Farber-DeAnda said EIA expects up to 660,000 bpd additional conversions to renewable diesel.
Biodiesel Magazine’s annual production map showed 34 renewable diesel/SAF plants under development, construction or operating in the U.S., as of September. The following includes updates regarding some of these projects, in various stages of development.
Project name: Next Renewable Fuels
Location: Port Westward, Oregon
Project type: Greenfield
Fuel/s: SAF, renewable diesel, renewable propane
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Project name: Heartwell Renewables
Location: Hastings, Nebraska
Project type: Greenfield
Fuel/s: Renewable diesel
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Project name: Montana Renewables
Project type: Refinery conversion
Location: Great Falls, Montana
Fuel/s: Renewable diesel, SAF, naphtha
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Project name: CastleRock Green Energy
Location: Shelton, Washington
Project type: Greenfield
Fuel/s: Unspecified/low-carbon
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Project name: CVR Energy
Location: Wynnewood, Oklahoma
Project type: Refinery conversion
Fuel/s: Renewable diesel
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Project name: Martinez Renewables
Location: Martinez, California
Project type: Refinery conversion
Fuel/s: Renewable diesel, naphtha, propane
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Project name: Alder Green Crude
Location: U.S. Southeast, undisclosed
Project type: Greenfield
Fuel/s: Greencrude (for conversion into SAF/biochemicals)
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Project name: Vertex Energy
Location: Mobile, Alabama
Project type: Refinery conversion
Fuel/s: Renewable diesel
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Project name: DG Fuels-Louisiana
Location: Undisclosed, Louisiana
Project type: Greenfield
Fuel/s: SAF
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Project name: World Energy-Galena Park
Location: Galena Park, Texas
Project type: Refinery conversion
Fuel/s: SAF
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Project name: REG Geismar LLC
Location: Geismar, Louisiana
Project type: Expansion
Fuel/s: Renewable diesel, propane, naphtha
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Project name: Gevo NZ1
Location: Lake Preston, South Dakota
Project type: Greenfield
Fuel/s: SAF