Renewable diesel

john in la · Sep 9, 2022

Here you go George. Everything you ever wanted to know
about using hydrogen to make renewable diesel.

This refinery in my hood uses hydrogen from the Valero oil
refinery next to it to process animal fat and used vegetable oil
into renewable diesel.

You will also notice this is nothing new as they have been
open since 2013 and produce 290 million gallons a year.

And for the we dont build new refineries in America crowd
you can notice they have a new refinery in port Arthur Tx
scheduled to come on line this year producing 470 million
gallons.
DIAMOND GREEN DIESEL

used red MN · Sep 9, 2022

Let me just add this. I do infrared inspection on the equipment in a refinery that produces hydrogen called a hydrogen reformer. Hydrogen is not a byproduct of the refining process. Refineries produce hydrogen in reformers to use in the refining process to ..crack.. or breakdown the molecular chain of hydrocarbons ..essentially crude oil stocks.. They invest a lot of money in the reforming equipment that uses natural gas, steam, catalyst in a process that takes place at around 1500F. So if you think this company is just being given hydrogen as a byproduct that is incorrect the cost of the hydrogen is likely one of their highest cost inputs. Also a lot of carbon has already been given off to produce the hydrogen. Sounds kind of like the EVs the ..pollution-carbon.. is just produced at a different location.

john in la · Sep 9, 2022

Nobody said it was cheap. In fact renewable diesel cost more than diesel made from crude. Just some say it is cleaner burning.

Steve@Advance · Sep 9, 2022

No idea what the numbers are, but is there really enough used cooking oil, animal fat, and corn oil out there to sustain a refinery long term?

And the practicality of collecting it?

john in la · Sep 9, 2022

Steve.

I have no idea of the numbers either but this place has been going for 9 years and they are building another plant twice as pig. Lot of money to invest if you wasnt sure you could find feed stock.

Tony in SD · Sep 9, 2022

I dont know if it is cleaner burning or not but I do know from experience that the diesel filters do not like biodiesel in the winter up in the cold north country.

john in la · Sep 9, 2022

Renewable is suppose to tolerate the cold better than bio. More on par with regular diesel from crude.

Geo-TH,In · Sep 9, 2022

Thanks John.
There is a lot to learn about new energy sources.
Never too old to learn something new.
People are waking up to energy and how it affects our lives and the economy.

Someplace I read something new about solar in California.
Solar output drops off when California needs it the most, in the afternoon when it's the hottest.

Output drops because of the angle of the sun relative to the solar panels..

I haven't figured out why they don't change the angle of the panels?

dcarp · Sep 9, 2022

I think there would be enough used cooking oil if it was really collected instead of dumping in on the streets. A common practice for most of those pumping trucks is to pump out a restaurants grease trap, then open the drain valve some and drive to the next stop and repeat. Whenever the truck comes you can follow the trail on the streets. I witnessed this in Houston, Katy & now Schulenburg, Texas.

Check Break · Sep 9, 2022

(quoted from post at 11:39:38 09/09/22) This refinery in my hood uses hydrogen from the Valero oil refinery next to it to process animal fat and used vegetable oil into renewable diesel.

This sounds like the same fuel we burn, except that I'm told our fast food grease is shipped to Singapore, refined, and returned to us as fuel. A local refinery is in the process of being repurposed, so in a year or two, maybe we'll be burning local fuel.

Check Break · Sep 9, 2022

(quoted from post at 12:39:59 09/09/22) No idea what the numbers are, but is there really enough used cooking oil, animal fat, and corn oil out there to sustain a refinery long term? And the practicality of collecting it?

When minimum wage hits $22/hr, maybe not, but for now, all is well.

M-MAN · Sep 10, 2022

Nothing Renewable about it. Once diesel is burned its gone. Reprocessed would be more accurate.

Nothing wrong with using up the old cooking oil. People have been running it in old diesels for decades. It will be cleaner this way. Hopefully it won't stink as bad in the new trucks and tractors as what they are using now.

Check Break · Sep 10, 2022

(quoted from post at 05:00:14 09/10/22) Nothing wrong with using up the old cooking oil. People have been running it in old diesels for decades. It will be cleaner this way. Hopefully it won't stink as bad in the new trucks and tractors as what they are using now.

There's no smell in it's liquid form and it looks like water. Exhaust does have a slight smell, but it's nothing like No. 2. A little smoke when over fueled, but none under load, even without a turbo.

showcrop · Sep 10, 2022

(quoted from post at 17:45:16 09/09/22) I think there would be enough used cooking oil if it was really collected instead of dumping in on the streets. A common practice for most of those pumping trucks is to pump out a restaurants grease trap, then open the drain valve some and drive to the next stop and repeat. Whenever the truck comes you can follow the trail on the streets. I witnessed this in Houston, Katy & now Schulenburg, Texas.

dcarp when was that? thirty years ago?? Used cooking oil is worth almost as much as new now. A friend used to collect it, filter it in his basement then pour it right into the tank of his old Mercedes. For the last five years it has been no longer available because the rendering companies pay the restaurants good money for it. They install tanks and the pick-up company comes and sucks it out. The port is of course locked. It made the news here a year or so ago when tanks were getting broken into and the used oil stolen.

Renewable diesel

john in la

Well-known Member

used red MN

Well-known Member

john in la

Well-known Member

Steve@Advance

Well-known Member

john in la

Well-known Member

Tony in SD

Well-known Member

john in la

Well-known Member

Geo-TH,In

Well-known Member

dcarp

Well-known Member

Check Break

Member

Check Break

Member

M-MAN

Well-known Member

Check Break

Member

showcrop

Well-known Member

Similar threads