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Pretreatment systems for biofuels

Increasing demand for hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) calls for proven, reliable processes. Renewable fuel producers can rely on comprehensive Alfa Laval HVO pretreatment systems to produce renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuels from a wide range of fats and oils, including recycled animal fat and used cooking oils. Our automated HVO pretreatment systems produce feedstock free from impurities and adjust free fatty acids for conversion into renewable hydrocarbon transportation fuels.

Boost the quality and yield of HVO biofuels

Flexible, automated pretreatment systems for continuous handling high volumes of multiple feedstocks
High yields of high-quality pretreated fats and oils
Vast experience in energy-efficient and robust processing for the edible oil and the petroleum refining industries
Leading technologies for waste water treatment and water recycling
Global service network with local presence

Producing high-quality biofuels requires know-how. Alfa Laval has a deep understanding of hydroprocessing oils and fats into renewable fuels based on extensive experience with pretreatment systems for edible oil and petroleum refining.

To meet blending mandates and environmental legislation for low-carbon fuels, Alfa Laval helps optimize HVO pretreatment systems, prolonging the lifespan of the hydrotreating catalyst to fit the HVO licensors and refiners turn-around cycle times. No matter the feedstock type or quality, Alfa Laval HVO pretreatment systems can reduce the content of phosphorous, trace metals, chlorides, polyethylene and other impurities or adjust acidity through conditioning, degumming, adsorption and deacidification (if required).

Based on proven edible oil refining and petroleum refining technologies, these reliable HVO pretreatment systems from Alfa Laval optimize stand-alone facilities for HVO production as well as oil refineries converted into HVO production facilities. All backed by our global service network with a local presence.

How it works

Physical refining process or chemical refining process

Alfa Laval biofuel pretreatment systems include both physical refining processes and chemical refining processes. For HVO the preferred process is physical refining, involving special degumming and/or enzymatic degumming, adsorption, and deacidification (if required). The chemical refining process is mainly used in pretreatment of traditional biodiesel (fatty acid methyl esters), where Alfa Laval also has a vast experience.

Removal of phosphorous and trace metals

To remove phosphorous and trace metals, the fats and oils (tallow, soy, rapeseed, distillers, corn oil, etc.) as well as recycled animal fat and used cooking oils undergo degumming with acid treatment (citric or phosphoric acid), and washing and adsorption using bleaching clays or similar with Alfa Laval high speed separators and plate heat exchangers.

Chloride removal

Chlorides, if present, are removed at the front-end of the process by water washing and onward processing in Alfa Laval high speed separators and plate heat exchangers.

Polyethylene removal

Polyethylene, if present such as in some tallow qualities, can be removed by crystallization and filtration.

Fatty acid removal

In some cases, the fatty acid content must be limited to eliminate the risk of corrosion due to metallurgy in the HVO section. This can be achieved by co-processing a blend of feedstocks, if needed, as well by steam stripping the oil under vacuum conditions using an Alfa Laval Aalborg High Pressure Natural Circulation boiler, welded and gasketed plate heat exchangers and an Alfa Laval stripping column.

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