Alfa Laval to supply feedstock-pretreatment systems to CVR Energy

Alfa Laval announced Dec. 14 that it has entered into an agreement with a subsidiary of CVR Energy Inc., a U.S.-based renewable fuels and petroleum refining company, to supply processing systems for feedstock pretreatment*, part of a strategic investment in the refinery supporting CVR’s expansion into renewable diesel production.

Alfa Laval will supply pretreatment systems, consisting of various equipment such as separators, heat exchangers, pumps and agitators intended to reduce contaminants in the feedstocks before conversion into renewable diesel.

The systems are intended to support a more cost-effective supply of sustainable feedstocks.

As part of the ongoing energy transition, many refineries in the U.S. and Europe are being converted into biofuels plants.

According to the International Energy Agency, replacing fossil fuels with biofuels is one of the primary ways to decarbonize the transport sector. And in the “Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario,” biofuels are expected to make up 64 percent of the sector’s renewable energy consumption in 2030.

“Alfa Laval has extensive experience and expertise in both oil refining and biofuel processes,” said Nish Patel, president of the food and water division at Alfa Laval. “Together with our premium product range, we thereby become a reliable partner for our customers in this important transition towards a more sustainable energy supply. By changing and optimizing the current processes, we can make a big difference as we work in parallel on tomorrow’s solutions.”

According to IEA, the annual global demand for biofuels is estimated to grow by 28 percent by 2026, reaching nearly 50 billion gallons.

*Editor’s Note: CVR Energy’s Wynnewood, Oklahoma, renewable diesel unit came online earlier this year, but the company noted its feedstock-pretreatment unit was still in the permitting phase as of early May, and long lead times due to ongoing supply-chain issues were slowing progress.