Neste to diversify its feedstock pool beyond wastes

Finnish biofuels producer Neste said it will focus on developing new sources of renewable raw materials while growing its existing pool, and will strengthen its feedstock sourcing and pre-treatment capability.

The company will continue to focus on waste and residue raw materials in the short term, while in the longer term it expects to expand the types of feedstocks it uses, including novel vegetable oils — which do not create additional demand for agricultural land — agricultural and forest harvesting waste and residues, algae, municipal solid waste and Power-to-X for Co2 conversion.

Neste said it used 3.7mn t of renewable feedstocks last year, with waste and residues accounting for 92pc of the total and vegetable oils, mainly palm oil, making up the rest. The company aims to stop using palm oil by the end of 2023.

Animal fat from food industry waste, used cooking oil (UCO) and various wastes and residues from vegetable oils processing represent the top three waste feedstocks used, the company said. Other waste and residue raw material in Neste's portfolio include fish fat from fish processing waste, tall oil-based raw materials, technical corn oil (TCO) and acid oils. The company expects global waste and residue oils and fats availability to grow to 40mn t/yr by 2030.

All of Neste's plants are technically capable of running on 100pc waste and residues and the company is able to pre-treat low-quality raw materials to remove impurities, it said. To expand its feedstock sourcing and pre-treatment capability, Neste has acquired US renewable waste and residue fat and oil trader Agri Trading and Bunge Loders Croklaan's biorefinery in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

By Giulia Squadrin