The Diamond Green Diesel facility – a joint venture of Darling International Inc. and Valero Energy subsidiary Diamond Alternative Energy LLC, is now producing renewable diesel fuel using UOP/Eni Ecofining process technology from UOP LLC, a Honeywell company.
The Norco, La., plant is capable of producing more than 130 million gallons of renewable diesel per year through the conversion of inedible oils and other waste feedstocks. Renewable diesel produced using the UOP process is chemically identical to petroleum-based diesel and can be used as a drop-in replacement in vehicles with no modifications, the companies say.
Fuel produced at the facility is designed to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Renewable Fuel Standard, which requires a minimum volume of transportation fuels sold in the U.S. to contain renewable fuel to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Diamond Green Diesel facility will produce more than 200 million ethanol-equivalent-gallons per year of biomass-based diesel as defined under the Renewable Fuel Standard.
UOP and Eni SpA jointly developed the Ecofining process, which uses hydroprocessing technology to convert non-edible natural oils and animal fats to Honeywell Green Diesel. The fuel offers a high cetane value of 80, compared with a cetane range of 40 to 60 found in diesel at pumps today. Higher cetane values help diesel engines operate more effectively.
