Brazil pioneers vegetable oil diesel mix

May 29, 2006

Brazil’s state oil company Petrobras said recently that it would introduce a pioneering low-sulphur diesel producing technology involving vegetable oils at two refineries by 2008.

Brazil’s state oil company Petrobras said recently that it would introduce a pioneering low-sulphur diesel producing technology involving vegetable oils at two refineries by 2008.
Petroleo Brasileiro SA Supplies Director Paulo Roberto Costa told a news conference the so-called H-Bio technology will combine diesel fractions from distillation, cracking and retarded coking with soy oil and hydrogen as raw materials to churn out high-quality diesel with mineral fuel qualities.
“It is a groundbreaking technology and we have asked for patents. Vegetable oil substitutes diesel fractions and adds value ... It is a revolution for Brazil, and I’m sure it is going to spread in the world from here,” Costa said.
“We will be planting diesel from now on. It is a very positive marriage between agriculture and oil,” he said, adding that the plan should give “an extraordinary boost” to the farm sector in world commodity powerhouse Brazil.
Brazil is already a world pioneer in mass use of sugar cane-based ethanol in cars and in blends with gasoline and some sector experts say it could with time become a “Saudi Arabia” of organic fuels as the world looks increasingly for alternatives to petroleum.
Costa said the high quality diesel plan, which should raise Brazil’s output and allow the country to reduce imports of the fuel, would run parallel with regular biodiesel output programmes and traditional petroleum diesel production. Brazil will blend 2% biodiesel with all normal diesel starting 2008.
Petrobras has already tested the process at its Regap refinery in Minas Gerais state, using a blend of soy oil as much as 18% jointly with mineral raw materials and hydrogen in the hydrotreatment unit.
“Economically, the test was very positive, showing a very interesting price composition. Basically, it was cheaper (than normal process),” Costa said.
Petrobras plans to use 10% soy oil in the two refineries where the technology will be installed next year and in 2008.
The programme should be expanded to five refineries in the following few years, with tentative vegetable oil usage of 5 percent.
That could rise depending on the availability of vegetable oils.
Ends

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});