Leading Canadian petroleum refiner Imperial has announced it is set to go ahead with a US$560M (CA$720M) investment in a renewable diesel complex at its Strathcona refinery near Edmonton.
The facility would produce more than 1bn litres/year of renewable diesel once operational, the company said on 26 January.
Imperial said it expected the project, which would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Canadian transportation sector by about 3M tonnes/year, to receive regulatory approval shortly.
“Imperial supports Canada’s vision for a lower-emission future, and we are making strategic investments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our own operations and to help customers in vital sectors of the economy reduce their emissions,” Brad Corson, Imperial chairman, president and CEO, said.
First announced in August 2021, a significant portion of the renewable diesel from the project would be supplied to the Canadian province British Columbia in support of the province’s plan to lower carbon emissions.
Imperial said it also planned to use renewable diesel in operations as part of the company’s emission reduction plans.
The renewable diesel facility will use low-carbon hydrogen produced with carbon capture and storage technology to help Canada meet low emission fuel standards.
The company said it had entered into an agreement with Air Products for low-carbon hydrogen supply and was developing agreements with other third parties for bio-feedstock supply.
The low-carbon hydrogen and bio-feedstock would be combined with a proprietary catalyst to produce premium lower-emission diesel fuel, Imperial said. Site preparation and initial construction were underway, with renewable diesel production expected to start in 2025.
