Claudia Prati

Paolo Pollesel

Giacomo Fernando Rispoli

Andrea Amoroso

The invention relates to a method for revamping a conventional refinery of mineral oils into a biorefinery, characterized by a production scheme which allows the treatment of raw materials of a biological origin (vegetable oils, animal fats, exhausted cooking oils) for the production of biofuels, prevalently high-quality biodiesel. This method allows the re-use of existing plants, allowing, in particular, the revamping of a refinery containing a system comprising two hydrodesulfurization units, Uand U, into a biorefinery containing a production unit of hydrocarbon fractions from mixtures of a biological origin containing fatty acid esters by means of their hydrodeoxygenation and isomerization, wherein each of the hydrodesulfurization units Uand Ucomprises: The operative configuration obtained with the method, object of the present invention, also leads to a substantial reduction in emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere, with respect to the original operative mode. The invention also relates to the transformation unit of mixtures of a biological origin obtained with said conversion method and particularly hydrodeoxygenation and isomerization processes.

Method for revamping a conventional mineral oils refinery to a biorefinery

The invention relates to a method for revamping a conventional refinery of mineral oils into a biorefinery, characterized by a production scheme which allows the treatment of raw materials of a biological origin (vegetable oils, animal fats, exhausted cooking oils) for the production of biofuels, prevalently high-quality biodiesel. This method allows the re-use of existing plants, allowing, in particular, the revamping of a refinery containing a system comprising two hydrodesulfurization units, Uand U, into a biorefinery containing a production unit of hydrocarbon fractions from mixtures of a biological origin containing fatty acid esters by means of their hydrodeoxygenation and isomerization, wherein each of the hydrodesulfurization units Uand Ucomprises: a hydrodesulfurization reactor, (A) for the unit Uand (A) for the unit U, wherein said reactor contains a hydrodesulfurization catalyst; one or more heat exchangers between the feedstock and effluent of the reactor; a heating system of the feedstock upstream of the reactor; an acid gas treatment unit downstream of the reactor, containing an absorbent (B) for H2S, said unit being called Tin the unit Uand Tin the unit U, and wherein said method comprises: installing a line L between the units Uand Uwhich connects them in series; installing a recycling line of the product for the unit Uand possibly for the unit U, substituting the hydrodesulfurization catalyst in the reactor Awith a hydrodeoxygenation catalyst; substituting the hydrodesulfurization catalyst in the reactor Awith an isomerization catalyst; installing a y-pass line X of the acid gas treatment unit Tof the unit U; substituting the absorbent (B) in the acid gas treatment unit Twith a specific absorbent for C02 and H2S. The operative configuration obtained with the method, object of the present invention, also leads to a substantial reduction in emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere, with respect to the original operative mode. The invention also relates to the transformation unit of mixtures of a biological origin obtained with said conversion method and particularly hydrodeoxygenation and isomerization processes.

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Anzio, Italy

Claudia Prati