Chile’s state-owned oil company ENAP manufactures renewable diesel from UCO

State-owned Chilean oil company Empresa Nacional del Petróleo (ENAP) announced Jan. 15 that it has produced renewable diesel from used cooking oil (UCO) at its Aconcagua Refinery located in the municipality of Concón in the Valparaíso region.

The company said it manufactured 350,000 liters (92,460 gallons) of ENAP renewable diesel in 2024 as a test batch.

The product complied with the Chilean NCH 62 regulation, ENAP stated.

The process was verified by an independent certifier who confirmed carbon reductions of 80 percent compared to traditional diesel fuel.

Gloria Maldonado, the president of ENAP’s board of directors, highlighted the historical role of this production for the development of Chile and the company, which turns 80 this year.

“The energy of tomorrow is produced today,” she said. “And the ENAP of the future is one that advances responsibly towards the generation of low-carbon fuels, in line with our relevant role as a state company. Producing renewable fuels is a key point within our Strategic Plan 2040, with which we aspire to be protagonists in the decarbonization of the country, providing fuels with less environmental impact,” she said.

ENAP’s general manager, Julio Friedmann, said, “The success of this development, carried out in one of our refineries, allows us to expand our fuel offering, incorporating solutions with a lower CO2 footprint for our clients and end consumers. In fact, we have already signed agreements to develop and market these types of fuels.”

The production of ENAP renewable diesel from waste is a significant contribution to the change in the energy matrix of Chile, ENAP stated, which complements the other efforts the South American country is making.

“This milestone demonstrates, once again, that the National Petroleum Company is at the forefront in terms of innovation and technological development on the path of energy transition,” said Diego Pardow, Chile’s minister of energy. “The use of low-emission fuels is part of the mitigation measures of our sectoral plan for climate change in the energy sector and is a very important step in the commitment assumed as a country to reduce our carbon footprint.”

Aisén Etcheverry, Chile’s minister of science, technology, knowledge and innovation highlighted the impact on environmental responsibility.

“We highly value this ENAP initiative, which combines collaborative efforts, which is what effectively allows us to make changes, change things, address challenges with new tools, resulting in truly impressive figures such as the 80 percent reduction in the carbon footprint of this diesel,” Etcheverry said. “This is the talent that Chile has, which allows development with a future in which our daughters and sons can live.”