The project involved the expansion of an under-construction biorefinery in Paramount, California from a domestic manufacturing capacity of 30 million gallons of renewable diesel fuel by an additional 33 percent. In addition, to expanded capacity, the project expanded functionality to co-produce a renewable jet fuel that is market ready and of the quality that meets customer specifications, whether those customers are the U.S. Military, commercial aviation, or other fuel users.
To expand capacity AltAir Fuels installed two new reactors, five new heat exchangers, four new vessels, one new compressor, and a hydrogen receiving, storage and vaporizing facility. In addition, much of the existing equipment was reworked to make it compatible with renewable feedstocks including heaters, compressors, a reactor, upgrading control systems and support units such as amine and caustic, steam, cooling water and flare systems used to support the new process requirements.
In the first quarter 2016, AltAir Fuels sold renewable F-76 diesel to the US military, renewable road diesel to fuel users and renewable jet fuel to commercial aviation. Production flow rates have been demonstrated at 40 million gallons of renewable fuel per year. Delivering this renewable fuel into California’s diesel and jet fuel supply will displace equal amounts of petroleum per year and the associated reduction in greenhouse gas and other harmful emissions.