Topsoe on May 31 announced Cresta Fund Management will implement its HydroFlex solution for the production of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as part of a refinery conversion project underway in Newfoundland, Canada.

Cresta acquired a controlling interest in the former North Atlantic Refining Co. refinery, located in Come By Chance, Newfoundland, in November 2021 and rebranded the facility as Braya Renewable Fuels.

As part of the conversion project, the facility’s hydrocracker and diesel hydrotreater are being revamped to produce renewable diesel and SAF. Once the conversion project is complete, the Braya biorefinery will have the capacity to produce up to 18,000 barrels per day of renewable diesel and SAF, with production currently expected to begin during the second half of 2022.

In November, Cresta indicated that capacity at the Braya facility may later be expanded to 35,000 barrels per day. There is also potential for the biorefinery to generate green hydrogen and complete upgrades to allow expanded feedstock flexibility.

“We are proud to be part of this exciting refinery revamp with Cresta and to support their ambition to deliver renewable diesel and jet fuel for the local and global markets,” said Henrik Rasmussen, managing director, The Americas, Topsoe.

“We’re proud to be associated with this new chapter for the refinery as it fully transitions from fossil fuels to the production of sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel fuels that will be critical to decarbonizing the aviation and heavy transport sectors,” said Chris Rozzell, managing partner at Cresta. “We also applaud the concrete steps the Government of Canada is taking to meet its climate objectives, and we look forward to a collaboration to position Braya Renewable Fuels to play a vital role in boosting the country’s capacity to produce clean fuels.”