Shell Renewable Refining Process
Refiners can process 100% biofeeds into profitable renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel with our hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) technology, the Shell Renewable Refining Process. Its design draws on Shell鈥檚 100 years of owner-operator experience and the organisation鈥檚 expertise in optimising unit configurations for energy efficiency improvements and capital expenditure reductions.
The Shell Renewable Refining Process can impact trends and regulations for low carbon fuels
Driven by a need to comply with legislation, decarbonise their businesses or capitalise on the opportunity to improve profitability, a growing number of refiners are investigating their options for producing biofuels.
The principal driver for investing in biofuels capacity will vary according to a refiner鈥檚 location and the markets that it serves.
In Europe, for example, refiners are looking for ways to comply with the EU鈥檚 revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) and avoid penalties, whereas incentives in the USA mean that biofuels represent an opportunity to improve profitability.
Shell Renewable Refining Process
Benefits of our owner-operator expertise
It is important to note, however, that future regulations are likely to mandate the use of even more challenging feedstocks, such as forestry and agricultural residues. Consequently, it is vital that refiners plan carefully to avoid a regret investment.
As an owner-operator, Shell is driven to learn continuously from operational experience and to evolve its technologies, and is already working on expanding the Shell Renewable Refining Process鈥� feedstock processing window.
The Shell Renewable Refining Process benefits for energy producers
The technology can unlock value for refiners in a number of ways. For example, it can help you to:
Comply with legislation
Comply with legislation such as RED II in Europe.
Improve profitability
As biofuels have a higher market value than conventional diesel and can generate trading credits.
Future proofed investment
Ensure that your investment is future proofed, as we expect to expand the processing window through focused R&D and continuous improvement.
Minimise capital expenditure
As our design philosophy is to maximise the reuse of existing assets to help reduce costs.
Discover the benefits of investing in biofuel technology
Biofuels represent a viable alternative and cost-effective investment opportunity for refiners. In this white paper, learn about the drivers and strategies for investing in biofuels to produce cleaner energy.
The Shell Renewable Refining Process鈥� two-stage configuration
Sustainable
The ability to produce a range of cloud points that qualify for any renewable diesel market in any season.
Improved yields
Benefits can include longer cycles, slower yield decline and improved yields.
Flexibility
Refiners can gain the flexibility to swing between diesel and sustainable aviation fuel.
Discover the stages of the Shell Renewable Refining Process
Pretreatment
Features a self-cleaning filter system that, because it is integrated with the rest of the system, can reduce unit size and pretreatment capital expenditure by up to 30%.
First stage: Hydrogenation and hydrodeoxygenation
Can process a wide range of feeds with varying exotherms. The catalyst system and reactor internals are optimised for maximum product yield and stable operation, and can be tuned to the desired level of hydrogen consumption. Removes poisons, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide for enhanced second-stage performance.
Second stage: Hydroisomerisation
The two-stage configuration provides highly valuable product flexibility, yield and catalyst-stability benefits. With the poisons removed, the second stage can utilise the superior performance of a noble metal catalyst to increase product yields, improve cold flow properties and tailor the product slate according to market demand.
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Co-processing
Co-processing renewable feedstock can be a low to no capital cost response for producing hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO).
Renewables catalysts
Shell Catalysts & Technologies鈥� portfolio of renewables catalysts can help refiners unlock next-level performance from their hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) units.