Ecofining™, a proprietary biofuel technology

Biofuels are obtained by subjecting raw materials to a series of processes. Wastes, refuse and oils arrive at the biorefinery in ships and tankers and are stored in tanks before being subjected to two treatments:  

• a physical one to remove impurities 
• a chemical one that leads to the actual transformation into biofuels.  

During the first (physical) treatment, components critical to the Ecofining™ section are removed from the raw materials. In particular, solid residues and gums are eliminated through washing and centrifugation procedures (degumming), and subsequently metals are removed via a bleaching earth filtration system (bleaching). The resulting oil, free of metals and solid residues, then passes to the second (chemical) treatment, which involves the use of hydrogen for the biofuel transformation process and consists of two stages:

• hydrodeoxygenation (to eliminate oxygen)
• isomerisation (to transform n-paraffins into isoparaffins with suitable cold flow properties).

Oils are primarily composed of triglycerides and fatty acids which, through these two stages, are transformed into hydrocarbons that are entirely similar (isoparaffins) to those of fossil diesel. Thanks to hydrogenation — which involves the use of hydrogen produced within biorefineries by plants such as Steam Reformers — total oxygen removal is achieved. Its presence in products derived from biogenic raw materials would otherwise promote the formation of bacterial colonies and slime.

HVO biofuel is therefore unaffected by these issues. This is also why HVO can be used in its pure form, in compatible engines, without having any particular impact on vehicle maintenance. Moreover, pure HVO has a high calorific value, similar to that of fossil diesel, and a much higher cetane rating than fossil diesel, which permits excellent combustion, especially during cold starts, reducing engine noise and ensuring high thermodynamic combustion efficiency. HVOlution is free of aromatics and polyaromatics and meets the EN15940 European specification for synthetic paraffinic and hydrotreated (XTL) diesel.

Ecofining™ is the technology that has enabled us to convert two of our conventional refineries into biorefineries: Venice-Porto Marghera (the first refinery in the world to be converted into a biorefinery in 2014), Gela (where operations begun in 2019) and the SBR plant in Chalmette (USA). Furthermore, we plan the total conversion of the Livorno refinery, the partial conversion of the Sannazzaro de’ Burgondi refinery and the construction of new biorefineries in Priolo,  which will be managed in a joint venture with Q8 Italia), in Malaysia and South Korea.