Imperial Oil to produce renewable diesel at Strathcona refinery near Edmonton, Alberta

Strathcona refinery near Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (Photo: Business Wire)

Imperial Oil Ltd. is moving forward with plans to construct a renewable diesel complex at its Strathcona refinery near Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. This new complex is expected to produce more than 1 billion liters (264 million gallons) per year of renewable diesel from locally sourced and grown feedstocks. The project is expected to realize about 3 million metric tons per year in emissions reductions in the Canadian transportation sector.

“Imperial is excited to announce our plan to build the largest renewable diesel manufacturing facility in Canada,” said Brad Corson, Imperial chairman, president and CEO. “This world-class facility will be a significant value-generating, forward-looking project that brings together our proprietary technologies and refining scale to the benefit of the environment, the economy and local job creation. Today’s announcement further demonstrates Imperial’s commitment and support for Canada’s transition to lower-emission fuels, as well as Canada’s ambition to achieve net zero by 2050.”

Image: Business Wire

Renewable diesel production will source blue hydrogen (hydrogen produced from natural gas with carbon capture and storage) to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions relative to conventional hydrogen production. Approximately 500,000 tons of CO2 are expected to be captured annually. The blue hydrogen and biofeedstock will be combined with a proprietary catalyst to produce premium low-carbon diesel fuel.

Imperial is currently in partnership discussions with government and industry, including the government of Alberta, as well as the government of British Columbia, which have agreed to support this project under Part 3 of its low-carbon fuel legislation.

A final investment decision will be based on several factors, including government support and approvals, market conditions and economic competitiveness. The project is expected to create about 600 direct construction jobs, along with hundreds more through investments by our business partners. Renewable diesel production is anticipated to start in 2024.

Imperial’s Strathcona refinery is the largest in western Canada.