Italy's Saras Eyes HVO, Ethanol Expansion at Sarroch

by Adam Porter (Argus Media) Italian refiner Saras is looking to boost production of biofuels, including hydro-treated vegetable oil (HVO), at its 300,000 b/d Sarroch unit on Sardinia. -- Chief executive Dario Scaffardi said the refiner wants to increase co-processed HVO output at Sarroch from current levels of around 50,000-100,000 t/yr.

The firm uses palm oil as its main HVO feedstock, but Scaffardi said rapeseed oil (RSO) is a possibility. Supplies of used cooking oil (UCO) and animal fats (tallow) are less likely "as these have already been soaked up in the Mediterranean [region]," he said. The use of tallow appears unlikely, because managing waste animal fats is more problematic for the refiner.

The firm also wants to use a mothballed unit at Sarroch to produce either bioethanol or ethanol-based gasoline additives. The refinery's tertiary amyl methyl ether (Tame) unit has been shut for around three years, and Saras wants to convert it to use ethanol rather than methanol as feedstock. It would use sugar cane or beet to produce ethanol for conversion into gasoline additives, and plans output of around 50,000 t/yr.

Saras said it is also studying the feasibility of a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project, and of converting waste plastics to fuels on site. Without giving details on the waste plastics-to-fuel plan Scaffardi said this could run to a "very sizeable amount." READ MORE