EMRD™ renewable diesel process technology
Evolving and regionally diverse fuels regulations are helping to drive demand for renewable diesel made from bio-feedstocks. One challenge when converting vegetable oils and fats into renewables diesel is the high cloud point of n-paraffins, making selection of the right process technology and dewaxing catalyst critical for meeting diesel cold flow specifications.
ExxonMobil offers EMRD™, a proprietary process technology, and BIDW™, a proprietary bio-dewaxing catalyst, to produce renewable diesel from bio-feedstocks. When combined they offer a range of benefits that can help refiners enhance renewable diesel production, while helping to meet stringent seasonal product specifications.
Key Benefits
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High yield
- Two stage process has a higher diesel yield versus a single stage process.
- BIDW dewaxing catalyst has exceptional ability at deep delta cloud to retain diesel product and avoid cracking.
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Operating flexibility
- Two stage process design allows for separate control of hydrotreating and dewaxing operations.
- A separate hydrotreating step enables better control, optimization, and flexibility compared to a single stage process, with the ability to remove contaminants before the dewaxing catalyst.
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Efficient process design
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BIDW dewaxing catalyst has a high selectivity to isomerization, which consumes less H2 than cracking.
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Improved process design, unit operations, and technical support when hydrotreating and dewaxing operations are provided by a single solution provider.
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EMRD™ process technology configuration
- Stage 1
Hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) step to convert triglycerides to n-paraffins.
- Stage 2
Selective isomerization of the n-paraffins to iso-paraffins to improve cold flow properties.
- Catalyst
The EMRD™ process utilizes ExxonMobil’s
BIDW dewaxing catalyst suite.
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Advantages
- Two stage process provides flexibility to adjust operating conditions as needed for changing objectives.
- Handles variations in product cold flow properties due to different feed types or to address new requirements.
- Extended dewaxing catalyst lifetime due to customized conditions and contaminant control.
- Potential to produce jet if fractionation is added.
- EMRD process technology enables operational costs to be lowered through reduced hydrogen consumption in the dewaxing step due to the selectivity of BIDW™ to isomerization rather than cracking.
- EMRD process technology meets operational requirements while minimizing equipment sizing and capital costs.
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Services include
- Initial consultations and proposal development.
- Basic engineering package, including design specifications.
- Technical support during FEED, and EPC stages.
- Technology training, catalyst loading and start-up support.
- Unit monitoring support.
EMRD™ process
