Renewable Diesel Pretreatment
Pretreatment for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
ARA’s HCU Pretreat process (also known as HVO pretreatment) is a single-step solution that cleans up a wide variety of feedstock materials using a simple refinery process, providing renewable diesel pretreatment and pretreatment for sustainable aviation fuel.
With just water, heat, pressure and turbulent flow, HCU Pretreat ensures a clean, high-value stream ready for conversion.
HCU Pretreat Renewable Diesel Pretreatment Advantages
SEND ME MORE INFORMATION:
For licensing information, contact:
Chuck Red | cred@ara.com | 850-628-0332
Jocelyn Goodwin | jgoodwin@ara.com | 850-532-8124
The HCU Pretreat process (also known as HVO pretreatment) consists of a continuous, refinery-friendly, single-step process that utilizes common refinery equipment such as pumps, heat exchangers, and a hot oil furnace or refinery high-pressure steam. The HCU Pretreat process requires only water, heat, and pressure to remove metals and other inorganics from most common feedstocks. This patented process is most commonly used for renewable diesel pretreatment as well as the pretreatment of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Seen above: an illustration of the HCU Pretreat renewable diesel pretreatment process
Commercially-Proven
The first commercial HCU Pretreat units, including units for renewable diesel pretreatment and the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), have begun production with the pretreated product consistently meeting specifications.
ARA’s HCU Pretreat has Launched at Montana Renewables
Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA), an international research and engineering company that provides innovative solutions, is excited to announce the successful startup of the first commercial Hydrothermal Cleanup (HCU) Pretreat unit at Montana Renewables in Great Falls, MT. This groundbreaking...
Sinclair Selects ARA’s HCU Pretreat for Renewable Diesel Project at its Sinclair, Wyoming Refinery
Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) today announced the licensing of its patented Hydrothermal Cleanup feedstock pretreatment technology (“HCU Pretreat”) to Sinclair Wyoming Refining Company (Sinclair) for the development of a 7,500 BPD renewable feedstock pretreatment unit at Sinclair’s renewable diesel...
Euglena Co., CLG and ARA Announce Successful Production of Euglena Based Renewable Jet Fuel
Euglena Co., Ltd. (Euglena) (HQ: Tokyo, Japan, CEO: Mitsuru Izumo), Chevron Lummus Global (CLG), (HQ: Richmond, California, co-Managing Directors: Bharat Srinivasan and Ujjal Mukherjee), and Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) (HQ: Albuquerque, New Mexico, President & CEO: Robert Sues) are...
No Mass Loss
Our HCU Pretreat process preserves nearly 100% of the feedstock – including the lipid portion of phospholipids and organically bound chlorides.
while
Competing technologies can have 5-10% feedstock depending on level of contamination in feedstock, losses due to:
- all gums to a waste product
- oils remaining in spent
- bleaching clay
- oils lost in wastewater emulsion
preserves nearly 100% of the feedstock
No Equipment Modification
- Our HCU Pretreat process is the same, regardless of the level of inorganic content in the feedstock.
- Operating costs are similar for differing levels of inorganic content; RBD soybean oil (20ppm inorganics), DCO (50 ppm inorganics), UCO (200-500 ppm inorganics), and brown grease (>1000 ppm inorganics).
while
Conventional technologies require more frequent changes of filter media for higher inorganic content feedstocks.
performance successfully demonstrated on many challenging feedstocks
Lower CAPEX and OPEX
- HCU Pretreat provides as much as a 50% savings in CAPEX compared to traditional pots and pans pretreatment utilizing less than half the number of pieces of major equipment and requiring less than ⅙ of the footprint of a pots and pans pretreatment unit.
AND
- HCU Pretreat provides approximately $0.07/gallon OPEX savings.
provides as much as a 50% savings in CAPEX
No Solid Waste
- No diatomaceous earth/ bleaching clay filtering and disposal.
while
Competing technologies require the purchase and disposal of tons of diatomaceous earth, used for filtering, per day and often still require other filtering media.
- HCU Pretreat filtering requires only particulate filters used to protect pumps.
- No centrifuges required for separation of water or inorganics, while competing technologies require the use of expensive, high-maintenance centrifuges.
- Only byproduct is treatable wastewater containing inorganics.
while
Competing technologies require additional steps to achieve the same cleanup as HCU Pretreat, each producing its own waste stream.
Only byproduct is treatable wastewater
Crude Soybean Oil
| Sample | P (ppm) | Ca (ppm) | Mg (ppm) | Na (ppm) | K (ppm) | Fe (ppm) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Feed
|
642.0 |
47.6 |
50.6 |
13.2 |
229 |
<0.1 |
|
Product |
0.6 |
<0.1 |
<0.1 |
1.4 |
1.4 |
<0.1 |
|
|
2 |
Feed |
510.0 |
55.2 |
43.2 |
0.6 |
197.4 |
<0.1 |
|
Product |
0.7 |
0.1 |
<0.1 |
1.1 |
<0.1 |
<0.1 |
|
Crude Degummed Soybean Oil
| Sample | P (ppm) | Ca (ppm) | Mg (ppm) | Na (ppm) | K (ppm) | Fe (ppm) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Feed
|
254 |
36.3 |
23.7 |
0.8 |
79 |
0.4 |
|
Product |
0.4 |
<0.1 |
<0.1 |
0.2 |
<0.1 |
<0.1 |
|
|
2 |
Feed
|
57.1 |
29.3 |
13.1 |
<0.1 |
10.1 |
0.3 |
|
Product |
0.7 |
<0.1 |
0.1 |
<0.1 |
<0.1 |
0.1 |
|
Distillers Corn Oil
| Sample | P (ppm) | Ca (ppm) | Mg (ppm) | Na (ppm) | K (ppm) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Feed
|
0.8 |
3.0 |
0.6 |
56.0 |
5.2 |
|
Product |
0.0 |
0.1 |
0.0 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
|
|
2 |
Feed |
3.7 |
1.3 |
0.1 |
4.3 |
3.8 |
|
Product |
0.2 |
0.1 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
|
|
3 |
Feed |
3.3 |
<0.1 |
<0.1 |
1.9 |
1.6 |
|
Product |
0.7 |
<0.1 |
<0.1 |
0.7 |
0.5 |
|
|
4 |
Feed |
5.9 |
<0.1 |
1.6 |
1.4 |
7.2 |
|
Product |
0.6 |
0.1 |
<0.1 |
0.3 |
<0.1 |
|
POME
| Sample | P (ppm) | Ca (ppm) | Mg (ppm) | Na (ppm) | K (ppm) | Fe (ppm) | Al (ppm) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Feed
|
25.1 |
62.4 |
11.1 |
3 |
48.7 |
52.3 |
9.4 |
|
Product |
0.5 |
1.7 |
0.1 |
0.3 |
1.6 |
2.7 |
<0.1 |
|
Brown Grease
| Sample | P (ppm) | Ca (ppm) | Mg (ppm) | Na (ppm) | K (ppm) | Fe (ppm) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Feed
|
301.2 |
3951.4 |
25.2 |
185.4 |
60.8 |
575.8 |
|
Product |
4.0 |
9.6 |
0.1 |
0.0 |
0.1 |
8.3 |
|
|
2 |
Feed |
23.5 |
148.5 |
1.8 |
34.6 |
9.9 |
174.0 |
|
Product |
<0.1 |
0.2 |
<0.1 |
1.2 |
<0.1 |
3.7 |
|
|
3 |
Feed |
22.9 |
48.3 |
1.1 |
32.0 |
8.8 |
463.4 |
|
Product |
0.6 |
0.5 |
<0.1 |
0.8 |
<0.1 |
2.0 |
|
Carinata Oil, UCO, DCO, Tung Oil, Pongamia Oil, Peanut Oil, Brown Grease Blend
| Sample | P (ppm) | Ca (ppm) | Mg (ppm) | Na (ppm) | K (ppm) | Fe (ppm) | Al (ppm) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Feed
|
8.9 |
6.9 |
1.9 |
2.7 |
4.1 |
13.9 |
0.4 |
|
Product |
<0.1 |
<0.1 |
0.1 |
0.2 |
<0.1 |
<0.1 |
<0.1 |
|
Used Cooking Oil
| Sample | P (ppm) | Ca (ppm) | Mg (ppm) | Na (ppm) | K (ppm) | Fe (ppm) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Feed
|
41.2 |
1.5 |
10.8 |
14.2 |
33.9 |
|
|
Product |
1.4 |
0.3 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
|
|
|
2 |
Feed |
24.9 |
1.0 |
3.2 |
7.0 |
11.4 |
|
|
Product |
0.1 |
0.3 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.5 |
|
|
|
3 |
Feed |
13.1 |
2.9 |
0.8 |
18.2 |
7.4 |
4.4 |
|
Product |
<0.2 |
0.1 |
<0.1 |
0.6 |
0.7 |
0.1 |
|
|
4 |
Feed |
13.4 |
3.3 |
0.8 |
46.5 |
12.8 |
8.4 |
|
Product |
0.3 |
<0.1 |
<0.1 |
0.3 |
0.4 |
<0.1 |
|
Choice White Grease
| Sample | P (ppm) | Ca (ppm) | Mg (ppm) | Na (ppm) | K (ppm) | Fe (ppm) | Al (ppm) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Feed
|
335 |
586 |
19.3 |
54 |
106 |
33.1 |
15.2 |
|
Product |
0.6 |
0.8 |
<0.1 |
0.5 |
<0.1 |
0.1 |
<0.1 |
|
Poultry Fat
| Sample | P (ppm) | Ca (ppm) | Mg (ppm) | Na (ppm) | K (ppm) | Fe (ppm) | Al (ppm) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Feed
|
643 |
73.8 |
10.5 |
97.4 |
523 |
16.5 |
14.8 |
|
Product |
0.8 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.7 |
1.2 |
0.2 |
<0.1 |
|
|
2 |
Feed |
335 |
135 |
15.7 |
72.4 |
132 |
6.7 |
22.4 |
|
Product |
2.0 |
<0.1 |
<0.1 |
0.2 |
0.5 |
0.1 |
0.3 |
|
Packers Tallow
| Sample | P (ppm) | Ca (ppm) | Mg (ppm) | Na (ppm) | K (ppm) | Fe (ppm) | Al (ppm) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Feed
|
142 |
<0.2 |
0.2 |
229 |
59.4 |
<0.1 |
<0.1 |
|
Product |
0.7 |
0.7 |
<0.1 |
1.6 |
<0.2 |
0.2 |
<0.1 |
|
Brown Grease/Yellow Grease Blend
| Sample | P (ppm) | Ca (ppm) | Mg (ppm) | Na (ppm) | K (ppm) | Fe (ppm) | Al (ppm) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Feed
|
42 |
1029 |
12.6 |
90 |
36 |
198 |
751 |
|
Product |
0.5 |
1.0 |
<0.1 |
1.4 |
0.9 |
2.7 |
0.8 |
|
|
2 |
Feed |
28 |
520 |
6.8 |
65 |
22 |
108 |
413 |
|
Product |
<0.1 |
1.5 |
<0.1 |
0.5 |
0.4 |
1.3 |
0.4 |
|
|
3 |
Feed |
600 |
308 |
32.2 |
212 |
153 |
316 |
1027 |
|
Product |
1.4 |
2.9 |
0.2 |
2.3 |
3.3 |
12.7 |
2 |
|
|
4 |
Feed |
18 |
562 |
2.9 |
31.9 |
12.4 |
223 |
553 |
|
Product |
0.5 |
<0.1 |
0.1 |
0.7 |
0.9 |
<0.1 |
<0.1 |
|
|
5 |
Feed |
30.4 |
498 |
3 |
35 |
40 |
336 |
516 |
|
Product |
0.4 |
0.5 |
<0.1 |
0.2 |
<0.1 |
1.9 |
1.4 |
|
|
6 |
Feed |
27 |
496 |
<0.1 |
31 |
29 |
334 |
519 |
|
Product |
0.4 |
0.2 |
<0.1 |
<0.1 |
0.6 |
1.7 |
0.8 |
|
DCO - UCO - Brown Grease Blend
| Sample | P (ppm) | Ca (ppm) | Mg (ppm) | Na (ppm) | K (ppm) | Fe (ppm) | Al (ppm) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Feed
|
173 |
272 |
22.1 |
128 |
68 |
79 |
356 |
|
Product |
1.1 |
1.0 |
0.1 |
2.0 |
0.7 |
2.9 |
0.3 |
|
Product Quality
Does HCU Pretreat® product meet the specifications for typical Hydrodeoxygenation/Isomerization backend technologies?
Yes, typical guarantees are <2 ppm of phosphorus and <5 ppm of metals for most feedstocks.
Does HCU Pretreat® hydrolyze lipids?
Operating conditions are controlled to minimize conversion of lipids to fatty acids.
Does HCU Pretreat® cause an increase in TAN?
Yes, TAN increases from 0.5%-20%, depending on the stability of the feedstock and level of contaminants.
Does HCU Pretreat® remove chlorine?
Yes, nearly 100% of inorganic chlorides and a portion of organic chlorides are removed.
Operations
Is there a bleaching step required as part of the HCU Pretreat® process?
No, our process is a single-step continuous flow process using only water. It does not require solids handling.
What is the labor requirement for HCU Pretreat®?
Our process is single-step, continuous flow process requiring less than 1 FTE board operator and less than 1 FTE field operator.
Is HCU Pretreat® operated at supercritical water conditions?
No, HCU Pretreat is operated at subcritical conditions.
How much wastewater does HCU Pretreat® produce?
About twice as much as conventional pots and pans processes, but it is the only byproduct.
Does HCU Pretreat® have other waste streams besides wastewater?
No, treatable wastewater is the only waste stream.
Does HCU Pretreat® have a catalyst requirement?
No, HCU Pretreat is a single-step continuous flow process using only water.
Does HCU Pretreat® require a system reconfiguration to change from one type of feedstock to another?
No, our process can handle a wide variety of feedstocks with the ability to easily transition from one to another or alter the blend ratio with no system reconfiguration required.
Is there a problem with corrosion in HCU Pretreat®?
No, duplex alloys provide sufficient corrosion protection in the hot sections of HCU Pretreat, unless chlorine levels in the feed dictate other alloys.
Is there a problem with fouling in HCU Pretreat®?
No, fouling is limited to heat exchangers which can be flushed and brought back online rapidly. The heat exchangers can also be spared, which can provide on stream time similar to the HDO/Isomerization unit.
Engineering and Construction
What is the footprint of HCU Pretreat®?
The HCU Pretreat footprint is 1/6 of conventional pretreatment.
Does ARA do the engineering for HCU Pretreat®?
No, ARA provides a design basis and works with our licensee’s chosen engineering firm to develop a basic engineering design package.
Does HCU Pretreat® include any proprietary equipment or require specific vendors?
No, licensees are free to work with vendors of their choice to supply equipment at the best possible cost and delivery time.
Related Technologies
For more information, contact Chuck Red at cred@ara.com or Jocelyn Goodwin at jgoodwin@ara.com
Covered by U.S. Patent 10,071,322 B2 (2018), U.S. Patent 11,781,075 (2021), and European Patent 3250660 (2023)
