Well-to-Tank environmental analysis of a renewable diesel fuel from vegetable oil through co-processing in a hydrotreatment unit

A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study of HidroBioDiésel (HBD) was carried out. This partly renewable diesel fuel is obtained from the co-processing of soybean vegetable oil with conventional fossil fuel in hydrotreating facilities of crude oil refineries. The environmental profile of HBD was assessed for the fossil energy use and climate change impact categories. The production systems of equivalent fuels -blends of Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME, a biofuel obtained by means of transesterification of vegetable oil) and mineral diesel with sulphur content below 10 ppm were also assessed for comparison purposes. The environmental performance of HBD systems compares favourably to those of FAME and diesel blends for the selected impact categories. The estimated environmental benefits of HBD (assuming a 13% renewable blend) include reductions of up to 2% in fossil energy use and 9% in climate change impacts.