Korea’s Hyundai starts operations at biodiesel plant

South Korean refiner Hyundai Oilbank has started commercial operations at its 130,000 t/yr biodiesel plant at Daesan as of 17 April, according to a source from the company.

The plant is currently being fed with palm oil fatty acid distillates (Pfad). Most of the produced biodiesel will likely be kept to meet domestic demand, said other South Korea-based market sources.

Hyundai had been trialing feedstocks at the plant since last December, which include Pfad, used cooking oil (UCO) and soybean oil. It previously entered an agreement with food manufacturer Lotte Confectionery in 2022, which involved Lotte supplying UCO as feedstock to the plant.

The refiner said earlier this year that it is also considering co-processing biofuels at its 520,000 b/d Daesan refinery. It has plans for another 500,000 t/yr plant that can produce renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel and bio-naphtha, initially scheduled to come on line in the middle of the decade. But a final investment decision has yet to be reached for this plant.

By Sarah Giam