Wynnewood refinery making renewable diesel at half rate, pretreatment unit delayed

CVR Energy has completed the hydrocracker conversion to produce renewable diesel at its petroleum refinery in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, said David Lamp, CEO, during a first-quarter earnings call May 2.

The hydrocracker conversion was completed during a planned turnaround that began in late February and ended the first week of April. The unit is running on soybean oil at half capacity as “we work out the bugs and work toward certification of renewable diesel product,” Lamp said.

“A whole lot of what we’re processing now was bought quite a while ago,” he added. “The good news is the unit is up and running and very stable … Whether we ramp up the rate, or how fast, is an open question.”

Lamp said the refinery will continue running at half rate through this cycle of catalyst life and then “take a look at it again when we place another order of catalyst.”

Advancements are also being made on the pretreatment unit, but equipment with long lead times and the ongoing supply-chain issues are slowing progress. Lamp said the pretreatment unit is currently in the permitting phase and he anticipates completion in the second quarter of next year.