By Jesus Cabrera, Fluor Fellow, downstream process configuration and revamps and Garry Jacobs, senior Fluor Fellow, renewable fuels
This article is the first in a two-part series on the importance of the renewable fuels market to the energy transition.
The global airline industry set a goal in late 2021 to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and products like vegetable oils and wood chips could play an important role in meeting that target.
Produced from everyday biomass products such as vegetable oils, agricultural waste or animal fats, these renewable fuels are often referred to as biofuels. Products like renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel perform similarly to traditional fuels, but with less greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants. In fact, sustainable aviation fuel can reportedly reduce emissions by up to 80 percent across its life cycle.
The demand for renewable fuels—especially sustainable aviation fuel—is growing with countries across the globe providing incentives and standards. Global demand for sustainable aviation fuel is expected to more than double from 106 billion gallons in 2019 to 230 billion gallons in 2050. More than 50 airlines have used sustainable aviation fuel on flights across the globe, and last December the first passenger flight was flown using 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel.
Across the globe, Fluor is working with clients to meet this demand. Eight renewable fuels projects are underway, with an aggregate capacity of more than 100,000 barrels per day on the market by the end of 2024. Many of these projects are revamps of existing facilities, thereby allowing clients to leverage existing infrastructure and shorten project timelines.
These projects are laying the foundation for further adoption of renewable fuels. In California, Fluor is helping to convert and modernize a 100-year-old refinery and asphalt plant into a 100 percent renewable fuels facility. When completed, the facility will use feedstocks like inedible fats and oils to produce sustainable aviation fuel, renewable diesel and renewable gasoline.
Fluor is also supporting the development of the world’s largest distribution hub in Panama with a long-term plan to produce 180,000 barrels per day of renewable fuels. Fluor has three new renewable fuels projects underway in Canada and is bringing new life to a previously idled crude oil refinery by converting it to a renewable fuels facility. Europe is also championing renewable fuels where we’re helping develop two projects in Scandinavia.
There are three key characteristics that enable these projects to become a reality. What are they? Learn more in the second part of this story coming soon.