Method for producing renewable fuels
According to the present invention, organic material is converted to biogas through anaerobic digestion and the biogas is purified to yield a combustible fluid feedstock comprising methane. A fuel production facility utilizes or arranges to utilize combustible fluid feedstock to generate renewable hydrogen that is used to hydrogenate crude oil derived hydrocarbons in a process to make transportation or heating fuel. The renewable hydrogen is combined with crude oil derived hydrocarbons that have been desulfurized under conditions to hydrogenate the liquid hydrocarbon with the renewable hydrogen or alternatively, the renewable hydrogen can be added to a reactor operated so as to simultaneously desulfurize and hydrogenate the hydrocarbons. The present invention enables a party to receive a renewable fuel credit for the transportation or heating fuel.
1. A process for producing a fuel having renewable content comprising:
(a) obtaining at a fuel production facility renewable hydrogen produced from one of (i) biogas derived from waste organic material, (ii) methane that qualifies as renewable, or (iii) a combination of (i) and (ii);
(b) combining renewable hydrogen from step (a) with a crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon in a reactor under conditions to hydrogenate the liquid hydrocarbon and incorporate the renewable hydrogen;
(c) providing the fuel, said fuel comprising at least a part of the liquid hydrocarbon that comprises the incorporated renewable hydrogen, wherein a lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) of the renewable content of the fuel is at least 20% lower than 98 kg CO2e/mmBTU; and
(d) generating or causing generation of a fuel credit.
2. The process of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the renewable hydrogen comprises subjecting the biogas, the methane, or the combination to a reforming process that produces the renewable hydrogen.
3. The process of claim 2 , wherein said reforming process is one of an autothermal reforming process and a steam methane reforming process.
4. The process of claim 1 , wherein step (d) comprises generating numerical information associated with the fuel credit.
5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the fuel credit is a California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) credit.
6. The process of claim 5 , wherein the California LCFS credit is associated with GHG savings related to a) the biogas, b) the methane that qualifies as renewable, c) the renewable hydrogen, d) the fuel, or e) a combination thereof.
7. The process of claim 5 , wherein the California LCFS credit is associated with GHG savings related to at least one of the biogas and the methane that qualifies as renewable.
8. The process of claim 5 , wherein the California LCFS credit is associated with GHG savings related to the renewable hydrogen.
9. The process of claim 5 , wherein the fuel is a liquid transportation fuel, and wherein the California LCFS credit is associated with GHG savings related to the liquid transportation fuel.
10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the fuel credit is a Renewable Identification Number (RIN).
11. The process of claim 1 , wherein the reactor is a hydrogenation reactor.
12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the reactor is a hydrocracking reactor.
13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the combining of the renewable hydrogen with the crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon in the reactor under conditions to hydrogenate the liquid hydrocarbon and incorporate the renewable hydrogen comprises combining the renewable hydrogen with the crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon in the reactor in the presence of a catalyst.
14. The process of claim 1 , wherein the fuel is gasoline, diesel, heating oil, or jet fuel.
15. The process of claim 1 , wherein the combining of the renewable hydrogen with the crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon comprises desulfurization.
16. The process of claim 15 , wherein the hydrogenation and desulfurization are simultaneous.
17. The process of claim 1 , wherein the crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon is desulfurized.
18. A process for producing a fuel having renewable content comprising:
(a) obtaining at a fuel production facility renewable hydrogen produced from a combustible fluid feedstock, said combustible fluid feedstock comprising one of (i) methane derived from renewable biomass comprising cellulose, (ii) methane that qualifies as renewable, or (iii) a combination of (i) and (ii);
(b) combining renewable hydrogen from step (a) with a crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon in a reactor under conditions to hydrogenate the liquid hydrocarbon such that the renewable hydrogen is incorporated into the hydrocarbon and ultimately is part of the fuel, wherein a lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of the renewable content of the fuel is at least 20% lower than 98 kg CO2e/mmBTU; and
(c) generating or causing generation of a fuel credit.
19. A process for producing a fuel having renewable content comprising:
(a) obtaining at a fuel production facility combustible fluid feedstock, said combustible fluid feedstock derived from one of (i) biogas derived from waste organic material, (ii) methane that qualifies as renewable, or (iii) a combination of (i) and (ii);
(b) processing the combustible fluid feedstock to produce renewable hydrogen;
(c) combining renewable hydrogen with a crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon in a reactor under conditions to hydrogenate the liquid hydrocarbon and incorporate the renewable hydrogen to produce a hydrogenated liquid hydrocarbon, wherein said fuel comprises the hydrogenated liquid hydrocarbon or a hydrocarbon derived from the hydrogenated liquid hydrocarbon, and wherein a lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of the renewable content of the fuel is at least 20% lower than 98 kg CO2e/mmBTU; and
(d) generating or causing generation of a fuel credit.