MOSCOW (MRC) -- PBF Energy aims to begin production at a planned renewable diesel project at its Chalmette refinery in Louisiana in the first half of 2023, said the company.
The 20,000 bbl/day project will incorporate certain idled assets, including an idle hydrocracker, along with a newly-constructed pre-treatment unit. PBF has been advancing the project for more than a year, with a focus on completing engineering, permitting, securing longer-lead time equipment and commencing initial site preparations, it said.
At the same time, PBF continues discussions with potential strategic and financial partners, it added. Last year, company officials indicated a project cost of USD550m.
PBF Energy expects to begin producing renewable diesel at its Chalmette refinery in the first half of 2023, marking the company's deepest move yet into lower-carbon business lines. PBF has already delayed plans to begin the 20,000 b/d renewable diesel project at Chalmette, after announcing in April of last year that it planned to convert an idled hydrocracker at the facility within six months.
As MRC wrote previously, in H1 September, 2021, US-based PBF Energy began the process of restarting aromatics production in Chalmette, southeast Louisiana, USA after an unscheduled maintenance, caused by Hurricane Ida. The plant's production capacity is 185,000 mt/year of benzene, 180,000 mt/year of toluene and 270,000 mt/year of xylenes. PBF Energy restarted most of the production at its refinery in Chalmetta around September 17, 2021. The facility was shut down due to a power outage when Hurricane Ida hit the coast on 29 August.
Benzene is feedstock for the production of styrene monomer (SM), which, in its turn, is the main raw material for the production of polystyrene (PS).
As per ICIS-MRC Price Report, Russia's prices of domestic polystyrene (PS) rose significantly this month.
Iranian general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) to be shipped this month was offered in the domestic market at Rb193,000-195,000/tonne CPT Moscow, including VAT. Prices of European styrene monomer (SM) increased this week and were in the range of USD1,460-1,503/tonne.
PBF Energy Inc. is one of the largest independent refiners in North America, operating, through its subsidiaries, oil refineries and related facilities in California, Delaware, Louisiana, New Jersey and Ohio.
MRC