Petrobras refines eucalyptus oil into bunker fuel
In Brazil, Manifold Times reports Petrobras announced the Riograndense Refinery in Rio Grande, Brazil, completed a seven-day industrial test using 5% eucalyptus bio-oil blended with fossil feedstock to produce marine fuels and other petroleum products, with no cost details disclosed.
The test, conducted at the refinery’s fluid catalytic cracking unit, marks the first time a Brazilian refinery has co-processed bio-oil into fuels with renewable content. The bio-oil, supplied by Vallourec’s Florestal unit, is ISCC PLUS-certified and derived from vapors captured during eucalyptus charcoal production.
Petrobras, along with Ultra and Braskem, jointly owns the Riograndense Refinery. The trial yielded several fuel fractions, including LPG, gasoline components, and marine fuel containing bio-based inputs. Petrobras provided the technology behind the test.
Petrobras CEO Magda Chambriard said, “The Riograndense Refinery has the potential to become the world’s first refinery to produce continuously 100% renewable products. It will become a biorefinery dedicated to producing fuels exclusively from renewable materials.”
The operation supports Brazil’s push to decarbonize its fuel supply chain and adds to Petrobras’ efforts to integrate bio-content into conventional refining streams. The company has yet to announce further scale-up or continuous production timelines for bio-based marine fuels from the refinery.
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