St1 and SCA’s Joint Venture Commences the Production of Renewable Fuels in Gothenburg, Sweden

(St1) The Gothenburg Biorefinery, a joint venture between St1 and SCA, has officially opened on 10 April. Inaugurated by Minister of Energy and Business Ebba Busch, the plant marks an important milestone in the journey towards more sustainable energy production.

Swedish Minister for Energy, Business and Industry, explains how important the biorefinery is for both Sweden and the EU.

“Increasing domestic biofuel production is important for Sweden and the EU to achieve our high climate goals, but it is also important to increase our ability to produce our own fuels. It is quite clear that biofuels are needed, not all transport will be electrified, but all good forces are needed to push Sweden forward towards net zero emissions, this refinery is a step on the way”, says Ebba Busch, Swedish Minister for Energy, Business and Industry.

Following an extensive start-up phase since the beginning of the year, the biorefinery has now commenced operations to produce Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), Bio-Diesel (HVO), Bio-Naphtha, and Bio-LPG. Located at the St1 refinery site in Gothenburg, the biorefinery's inauguration signifies the culmination of years of planning and effort, transforming an idea and a vision into a state-of-the-art facility. With an investment of 4 billion SEK and over 2.5 million working hours, the project has transitioned from vision to reality, poised to revolutionise the renewable energy landscape.

Henrikki Talvitie, CEO of St1 Nordic Oy, states "The Gothenburg biorefinery represents our largest single investment in St1's history, and a significant milestone in our energy transition roadmap. It underscores the scale and breadth of our ambition to drive the energy transition. This marks an important step toward realising our vision of becoming the leading producer and seller of CO2-aware energy."

The biorefinery has an annual design capacity of 200,000 tons of renewable fuel production. The design of the biorefinery brings flexibility to the process by allowing the use of a wide range of feedstocks. Used cooking oil, animal fats, and tall oil fatty acids, the latter from SCA's paper and pulp mills, will be integrated.

“This is a historic step for SCA's renewable energy business and the partnership with St1 gives us the opportunity to create additional value and a greater climate benefit from each tree. By refining our tall oil, which is a by-product of the company's pulp mill, we can become even more resource-efficient and contribute to making society better able to transition the wider transport sector. SCA's total climate benefit is already around 13 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, which accounts for about a quarter of Sweden’s territorial emissions, and we are confident that this plant can help increase our positive contribution even more,” says Mikael Källgren, president SCA Renewable Energy.

Throughout the project, intensive efforts have been made to map potential feedstock suppliers, fostering the development of a global feedstock supply chain, and establishing strong, long-term partnerships with supply chain partners. The St1-owned fatty food waste recycling company, Brocklesby Ltd, plays a pivotal role in securing feedstock collection.

Helen Ljungqvist, Managing Director of the St1 Refinery, expressed her pride in the project's completion, stating, "I am very proud of the hard work that has brought this project to realisation and allowed us to enter operations. It's gratifying to witness the culmination of our efforts, resulting in a robust value chain from feedstock to sustainable aviation fuel."

The fuels produced at the biorefinery will lead to an annual reduction in road and air traffic emissions by approximately 500,000 tonnes CO₂, compared to their fossil fuel equivalent. All production at the Gothenburg Biorefinery will be certified according to sustainability certification ISCC (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification.

St1 Nordic Oy is an energy group whose vision is to be the leading producer and seller of CO2-aware energy. The Group researches and develops economically viable, environmentally more sustainable energy solutions. St1 focuses on fuels marketing activities, oil refining and renewable energy solutions such as waste-based advanced biofuels and industrial wind power. The Group has 1259 St1 and Shell branded retail stations and gas filling points in Finland, Sweden and Norway. Headquartered in Helsinki, St1 employs currently more than 1000 people. www.st1.com READ MORE

Excerpt from Honeywell/SAF Magazine: Honeywell has today announced that the St1 Refinery has started using Honeywell’s Ecofining technology to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The biorefinery in Gothenburg, Sweden will provide SAF to regional airlines, including Braathens Regional Airlines. The production of SAF with Ecofining technology also supports Honeywell’s alignment of its portfolio to three powerful megatrends, including the energy transition and future of aviation.

The Gothenburg plant will produce 200,000 tons of renewable fuels annually and can utilize flexible feedstocks, including used cooking oil, animal fats, and tall oil fatty acids from paper and pulp mills. In addition to SAF, the biorefinery will produce biodiesel, bio-naphtha, and bio liquid petroleum gas. St1 reported the fuels produced at the biorefinery will reduce road and air traffic emissions by about 500,000 tons of CO₂ annually compared to fossil fuels.

"The Gothenburg biorefinery is a significant milestone in our energy transition roadmap and an important step in St1's journey towards more sustainable energy production. With Honeywell’s Ecofining technology helps us taking an important step toward realizing our vision of becoming the leading producer and seller of CO2-aware energy,” said Miika Eerola, St1 Head of Refining, Projects & HSSE.

The SAF produced at St1’s facility will support the European Union’s ReFuelEU initiative, which requires aviation fuel to contain a blend of at least 2% SAF beginning in 2025. The required percentage gradually increases over time, eventually increasing to 70% by 2050, contributing to the European Green Deal's goal of climate neutrality that follows the same timeline.

Honeywell helped pioneer SAF production with its Ecofining process, which was developed in collaboration with Eni S.p.A. and has been used to produce SAF commercially since 2016. The company now offers solutions across a range of feedstocks to meet the rapidly growing demand for renewable fuels, including SAF. When blended with traditional jet fuel, SAF can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional fossil fuels.

"For more than a decade, our Ecofining technology has been an innovator in the renewable energy sector,” said Barry Glickman, vice president and General Manager of Honeywell Sustainable Technology Solutions. “In partnership with St1, we are proud to be supporting the global energy transition and the European Union’s ReFuelEU initiative by providing a proven technology for reducing CO2 emissions."

More than 50 sites globally have licensed Honeywell's SAF technologies, with refineries projected to exceed a combined capacity of more than 500,000 barrels of renewable fuel per day when fully operational. Beyond SAF, Honeywell's renewable fuels portfolio also includes Ethanol to Jet technology and eFining, which converts green hydrogen and carbon dioxide into e-fuels. READ MORE