Topsoe, a player in carbon emission reduction technologies, entered into an agreement with Refinaria de Petróleo Riograndense SA (Riograndense) to supply its cutting-edge HydroFlex™ and H2bridge™ technologies.
These technologies will be used to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel at Riograndense’s renewable fuels plant in Rio Grande, Brazil.
Meeting Growing Demand
The collaboration comes in response to the growing global demand for SAF. According to the International Energy Agency’s Net Zero Scenario, over 10% of fuel consumption in aviation must be SAF by 2030 to achieve net zero CO2 emissions by 2050.
However, in 2023, the International Air Transport Association estimated that global SAF production accounted for only about 0.2% of total jet fuel demand.
Emissions Reduction Goals
Elena Scaltritti, Chief Commercial Officer at Topsoe, stated, “With Brazil setting ambitious airline emissions reduction targets in October this year, Riograndense is one of the country’s early movers to ensure SAF supply is available for airline operators on time. We look forward to partnering with Riograndense to grow the supply of renewable fuels in Brazil”.
SAF Leadership
Felipe Jorge, Managing Director at Riograndense said, “We believe Topsoe is the right partner for Riograndense to progress towards the total conversion to a biorefinery, which will allow us to become a reference in SAF production in Brazil”.
Global Reach
Topsoe’s collaboration with Riograndense follows several successful implementations of its HydroFlex™ technology in other global projects.
Notable examples include renewable fuels refineries in Hamburg (HOLBORN), Canada (Braya Renewable Fuels), Spain (Cepsa Bioenergia), and China (Guangxi Hongkun Biomass).
HydroFlex™ technology allows customers to convert various fats, oils, and greases into drop-in renewable jet fuel and diesel that meet all globally accepted specifications for these fuels.
The technology is versatile, with applications in both grassroots units and revamps for co-processing or fully renewable operations.
Green Hydrogen Production
Topsoe’s H2bridge™ technology complements HydroFlex™ by enabling the production of green hydrogen.
It does so by processing waste propane and off gases from the HydroFlex™ process and converting them into hydrogen. Later it is consumed in the same process.
This integration not only improves the efficiency of the operation but also reduces the carbon intensity of the final product.
As per the press release, by leveraging both HydroFlex™ and H2bridge™, Topsoe offers a comprehensive solution for renewable fuel production that significantly reduces carbon emissions and aligns with global sustainability goals.
