Ryze Renewables announced that construction is underway for two renewable diesel production facilities in Nevada. Once operational, these plants will manufacture high-cetane (80+) renewable diesel fuel from agricultural oils and animal fats, using a patented catalytic hydrogenation technology that the company says is more efficient than current conversion processes.

Ryze says that its hydrogenation process introduces the hydrogen in a more efficient manner than others, allowing the reactor temperatures to be uniform and controlled. This increases yield, lowers operating costs, and allows for feedstock flexibility.

When completed, the two Ryze Renewables facilities are expected to produce a combined 11,000 barrels per day (BPD) of renewable diesel fuel for Western US and Canadian markets.

Ryze Renewables has partnered with Phillips 66, an energy manufacturing and logistics company. Through a long-term supply and offtake agreement, Phillips 66 will supply both plants with feedstock and move 100% of the renewable product from the plants to customers in West Coast markets.

Renewable diesel fuel is a drop-in fuel that does not need to be blended with traditional diesel like current biodiesels. Additionally, producing renewable diesel has lower overall emissions than other biofuels, which translates to a low carbon intensity (CI) score and maximizes the low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) credit from the California Air Resources Board.

The first plant in Reno is expected to come online in mid-2019, while the second facility in Las Vegas will become operational starting in early 2020.

The Reno plant will use an existing processing facility located on a developed 10-acre parcel complete with all permits, utilities, operation buildings, and tanks setup to process fuel products. The facility is being repurposed with the necessary additional infrastructures and hydro-processing equipment to take advantage of the existing facility to produce 3,500 barrels per day of drop-in Renewable Diesel.

The Las Vegas plant will be based on an existing biodiesel processing facility located on a developed 14-acre parcel complete with all permits, utilities, operation buildings, and tanks setup to process fuel products. Similar to Reno, the facility is being repurposed with the necessary additional infrastructures and hydro-processing equipment to take advantage of the existing facility to produce 7,500 barrels per day of drop-in Renewable Diesel.