The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has given Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) pathway approval to BP Products North America to produce renewable diesel from carinata oil and diesel at its Cherry Point refinery in Washington, Biodiesel Magazine reported.
The EPA’s granting of renewable identification numbers (RINS) would allow for the production of D5 biofuel by co-processing carinata oil and diesel via a hydrotreating process at the facility in Blaine, the 14 June report said.
In 2015, the EPA opened a public comment period on its analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from carinata oil feedstock used in the production of biofuels, including biodiesel, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), Biodiesel Magazine wrote.
At that time, the EPA said the analysis could be used in the future to determine whether biofuels produced using carinata oil feedstock met the necessary GHG reductions required for qualification under the RFS.
In 2022, the EPA approved an RFS fuel pathway allowing the Renewable Energy Group to generate D4 biomass-based diesel RINs and D5 RINS for biofuels produced using carinata oil feedstocks.
Referencing both the 2015 comment period and 2022 REG pathway approval in its 22 May approval document for the BP Cherry Point refinery, the EPA said it estimated that renewable produced at the facility from carinata oil achieved a 51-61% GHG reduction when compared to the statutory petroleum baseline.
To qualify as an advanced biofuel under the RFS, a renewable fuel must achieve at least a 50% GHG reduction.
In May, bp issued a statement about renewable fuel production at the Cherry Point facility, indicating that the refinery, which has the capacity to process 250,000 barrels/day (bpd) of crude oil, had started producing renewable fuels via co-processing in 2018.
The facility had co-processed beef tallow, used cooking oil, canola oil, soyabean oil and corn oil, along with other materials, the report said.