Renewable Diesel Fuel from Processing of Vegetable Oil in Hydrotreatment Units: Theoretical Compliance with European Directive 2009/28/EC and Ongoing Projects in Spain
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Abstract
Oil hydrotreating units in refineries are aimed at reducing the sulfur content of fuels to accomplish standard par-ticular specifications. However, this process is currently one of the best available technologies to produce biofuels from vegetable oil in a refinery. Vegetable oils can be processed or co-processed in these units if several adaptations are performed, so some properties could be improved in comparison with conventional fuel such as density and cetane number. This study highlights the theoretical greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions (using a life cycle assessment–LCA-approach) of a hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) from bibliographical data. Results were compared with other biofuel production processes, such as those obtained by transesterification of vegetable oil (FAME, fatty acid methyl ester). It has also been included the comparison with conventional fossil diesel as a benchmark in order to assess the theoretical compliance with GHG savings proposed in European Directive 2009/28/EC. Finally, ongoing projects and future perspectives in Spain are mentioned.
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