Brazil – Petrobras partners with Vibra Energia to test new renewable diesel made partly from edible oils.
Petrobras and Vibra begin testing in January with the new Diesel R5 (with 5% renewable content), produced at the Getúlio Vargas Refinery (Repar). Three bus lines operated by Auto Viação Redentor, in Curitiba, Paraná, will run with the new fuel for the next six months.
In the period, about 120,000 liters of fuel for city buses will be supplied, with the aim of evaluating, in real situation, the influence of the new fuel on the reduction of emissions, performance and maintenance of these vehicles.
The new Diesel R5 fuel is produced from the coprocessing of vegetable oils or animal fat with petroleum diesel oil. The fuel leaves the refinery with 95% mineral diesel and 5% renewable diesel, also called green diesel. Vibra will make the mandatory addition of 10% biodiesel ester and deliver the final product to the customer with 15% renewable content.
Preliminary studies indicate that renewable diesel reduces by about 70% of greenhouse gas emissions compared to mineral diesel (petroleum-derived).
Green or renewable diesel is an advanced biofuel, chemically equal to mineral diesel (derived from petroleum), only produced from renewable raw materials such as vegetable oils, animal fats or even used cooking oil. It can be produced in units dedicated by coprocessing in hydrotreatment units of vegetable oils with petroleum diesel.
Although not yet used industrially in Brazil, co-processing technology is widely used in Europe and the United States, because it is the fastest and cheapest way to introduce renewable diesel to the market, since it uses existing industrial units in oil refineries.
Currently, the possibility of renewable diesel, produced in dedicated units or by co-processing with vegetable oils, is under discussion at the National Energy Policy Council (CNPE), produced in dedicated units or by co-processing with vegetable oils, also to be considered in the mandatory biofuel content in diesel oil.
If accepted, the introduction of the new fuel will bring benefits to the consumer, as the adoption of renewable diesel, more modern, makes it possible to use higher levels of renewables in new diesel engines.
In addition, it will provide greater competition between biofuels for diesel engines. Competition drives quality improvement and cost reduction of both products (renewable diesel and biodiesel ester).
Petrobras and Vibra test diesel with renewable content in bus lines of Curitiba, December 28, 2021
