February 3, 2025
BY Erin Voegele
Imperial Oil Ltd. on Jan. 31 confirmed construction on the renewable diesel facility at its Strathcona refinery near Edmonton, Alberta, is progressing on schedule. The biorefinery project is on track to begin operations in mid-2025.
Imperial in mid-2021 announced plans to construct a 20,000-barrel-per-day renewable diesel complex at its Strathcona refinery. The company made a final investment decision in January 2023, with construction beginning soon after. Once fully operational, the plant is expected to have the capacity to produce more than 1 billion liters (264.17 million gallons) of renewable diesel annually.
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During a fourth quarter earnings call, Imperial Oil President and CEO Brad Corson confirmed construction on the renewable diesel project is currently expected to be complete during the second quarter, with initial production commencing mid-year.
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More than 1.76 billion renewable identification numbers (RINs) were generated under the Renewable Fuel Standard in January, down from 1.91 billion generated during the same period of 2024, according to data released by the U.S. EPA on Feb. 20.
The U.S. EPA on Feb. 20 released updated small refinery exemption (SRE) data showing that 13 previously denied SRE petitions for Renewable Fuel Standard compliance years 2021 and 2022 are being reconsidered. No new SRE petitions were filed.
OMV Petrom has announced the start of construction for a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel (HVO) production unit at the Petrobrazi refinery in Romania. The new facility will have an annual capacity of 250,000 tons.
CVR Energy Inc. released fourth quarter financial results on Feb. 18, reporting reduced renewable diesel production. The company also said it is pausing development of SAF capacity pending clarity on government subsidies.
The U.S. EIA reduced its forecast for 2025 biodiesel production in its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, released Feb. 11. The forecasts for renewable diesel production and the production of other biofuels, including SAF, were maintained.