Marathon implements Topsoe technology at Martinez facility

•Marathon Petroleum’s former refinery in Martinez, California, has been repurposed to produce renewable diesel through the company’s joint venture with Neste

•The Martinez Renewable Fuels Facility is currently operating with a capacity of 260 million gallons per year. Additional production capacity is expected to be online by the end of 2023, bringing the total capacity to approximately 730 million gallons per year of renewable fuels

•The fuels are produced using Topsoe’s licensed HydroFlex technology

Topsoe, a global leader in carbon emission reduction technologies, was selected by Marathon Petroleum Corp. as the technology provider for renewable fuels production at the Martinez Renewable Fuels Facility in California. The facility, part of Marathon’s 50/50 joint venture with Neste, utilizes Topsoe’s HydroFlex technology to convert bio-feedstock into renewable diesel.

The continued partnership between Topsoe and Marathon builds upon the successful operation at Marathon’s Dickinson facility in North Dakota, which also uses Topsoe’s HydroFlex renewable fuels technology and achieved design capacity in the second quarter of 2021.

Henrik Rasmussen, managing director, The Americas, Topsoe, said, “We are very pleased to continue our close collaboration with Marathon to bring even more renewable fuels to the American market. It’s a pleasure working with Marathon on these very successful projects.”

Jeff Sexton, Refining Technology Director at Marathon, said, “As we continue to challenge ourselves to lead in sustainable energy, our renewable fuels production facilities in Dickinson and Martinez have been important contributors. The ramp-up of our first phase of production capacity at Martinez has been successful, and we look forward to bringing the facility up to full production capacity by the end of this year.”

What are renewable fuels?
Renewable fuels are low-carbon fuels that are chemically identical to regular petroleum diesel or jet fuel but made from renewable sources. These renewable fuels produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions while performing the same as regular petroleum diesel or jet fuel. They can be used as a drop-in fuel without modification to engines or infrastructure. Renewable fuels are made from waste, animal fats, used cooking oils and organic materials such as soybean oils.

What is HydroFlex
With HydroFlex, customers can convert low-value feedstocks into drop-in renewable jet and diesel that meets all globally accepted specifications for these fuels. The innovative HydroFlex process layout offers lower capital expenditure (CAPEX), but also a lower energy consumption during operation, resulting in a lower Carbon Index (CI). Topsoe’s HydroFlex can be deployed in both grassroots units and revamps for co-processing or stand-alone applications. HydroFlex is by far the most successful renewable fuels technology globally.