Renewable diesel refinery opened in Rotterdam

Neste Oil has opened Europe's largest renewable diesel refinery in Rotterdam, with an annual production capacity of one billion litres of renewable diesel.

The oil refinery produces premium-quality NExBTL renewable diesel, ranked as the cleanest and highest-quality renewable on the market today. It will use Neste Oil's wide feedstock base consisting of a variety of vegetable oils, by-products of vegetable oil refining (e.g. stearin), as well as waste oils and fats.

The plant is also capable of utilising future feedstocks, such as algae oil, which have been developed through a project at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. In partnership with the university, Nest oil are developing the technologies needed to grow microalgae on an industrial scale as a raw material to be used in fuel.

Matti Lievonen, president & chief executive officer of Neste Oil, commented: "This refinery represents a huge investment in our economy and provides a boost to sustainable growth. It will help the Netherlands realise its ambitions as a leader of the bio-based economy and a major biomass hub in Europe."

The oil refinery will reduce greenhouse gases by a total of over 1.5 million tonnes annually, and cost around 670 million (562 million) to build.