Increased Efficiency for Processing Low Carbon Intensity Biodiesel Feedstocks at an Existing Biorefinery

The objective of the Increased Efficiency for Processing Low Carbon Intensity Biodiesel Feedstocks at an Existing Biorefinery project was to increase the efficiency of processing low carbon intensity feedstocks into biodiesel at the existing refinery operated by American Biodiesel, Inc. dba Community Fuels at the Port of Stockton in Stockton, California. The project, which leveraged a substantial amount of existing infrastructure at the biorefinery, included the design, construction, and commissioning of new storage tanks, an additional reactor, and related upgrades of equipment for separation and purification of the biodiesel product and glycerin co-product. The new equipment and operational modifications implemented during this project have improved product yields and extended the upper limit of free fatty acid content and other feedstock impurities in the feedstocks that can be effectively processed at the biorefinery. This has made efficient processing feasible for a wider range and greater volume of waste greases, agricultural byproducts, and other lower-grade feedstocks with low carbon intensity values. The project includes upgrades to the existing on-site quality control laboratory, which will allow it to accommodate the larger number of samples requiring analysis as a result of the project. All biodiesel produced at the biorefinery will be analyzed to ensure that it meets fuel quality specifications, which will contribute to maintaining the viability of the biofuel supply in California. During operations at the biorefinery from June 2019 to May 2020, the average carbon intensity of the biodiesel produced was about 45 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per mega joule (which represents nearly a 40 percent reduction from the start of the project agreement and about 60 percent reduction relative to the ultra-low sulfur diesel baseline) and low carbon intensity feedstocks accounted for about 40 percent of the total feedstock processed. Over some periods during the project, feedstock achieved blends containing more than 55 percent low carbon intensity feedstocks, far exceeding the 25 percent objective established as the project goal. Over the projected 20-year lifetime of the project equipment, the project is expected to result in the displacement of more than eight million petroleum diesel gallon equivalents per year and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions of more than 1.25 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents.