Process for the manufacture of diesel range hydrocarbons

1. A process for the manufacture of diesel range hydrocarbons, wherein total feed comprising fresh feed is hydrotreated in a hydrotreating step to form a hydrotreated product, and the hydrotreated product is isomerised in an isomerisation step to form diesel range hydrocarbons, and wherein the fresh feed comprises at least 20% by weight of triglyceride C 12 -C 16 fatty acids, C 12 -C 16 fatty acid esters, C 12 -C 16 fatty acids, or combinations thereof,

wherein at least one inorganic or organic sulphur compound or a refinery gas and/or liquid stream containing sulphur compounds is added to the total feed or fresh feed to give a total feed comprising 100-10,000 w-ppm sulphur calculated as elemental sulphur,

wherein during the hydrotreating step, the pressure is in the range of 2-15 MPa, and the temperature is between 200 and 400° C., and

wherein during the isomerisation step, the pressure is in the range of 2-15 MPa, and the temperature is between 200 and 500° C.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the fresh feed contains at least 30% by weight of triglyceride C 12 -C 16 fatty acids C 12 -C 16 fatty acid esters, C 12 -C 16 fatty acids, or combinations of thereof.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the fresh feed contains more than 5% by weight of free fatty acids.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the total feed contains less than 10 w-ppm alkaline and alkaline earth metals, calculated as elemental alkaline and alkaline earth metals, less than 10 w-ppm other metals, calculated as elemental metals, and less than 30 w-ppm phosphorus, calculated as elemental phosphorus.

5. The process according to any one of claims 1 - 4 , wherein the total feed comprises less than 20 wt-% of fresh feed and additionally at least one diluting agent.

6. The process according to claim 5 , wherein the diluting agent is a diluting agent selected from hydrocarbons and recycled products of the process or mixtures thereof and the diluting agent/fresh feed-ratio is 5-30:1.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the total feed contains 1000-8000 w-ppm of sulphur calculated as elemental sulphur.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the fresh feed is of biological origin selected from plant oils/fats, animal fats/oils, fish fats/oils, fats contained in plants bred by means of gene manipulation, recycled fats of the food industry and mixtures thereof.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the fresh feed is selected from rapeseed oil, colza oil, canola oil, tall oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, hempseed oil, olive oil, linseed oil, mustard oil, palm oil, peanut oil, castor oil, coconut oil, lard, tallow, train oil, fats contained in milk and mixtures thereof.

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the fresh feed comprises feed of biological origin and hydrocarbon or hydrocarbons.

11. The process according to claim 1 , wherein in the hydrotreatment step a catalyst bed system is used comprising one or more catalyst beds.

12. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrotreatment is carried out in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst, said hydrogenation catalyst containing a metal from the Group VIII and/or VIB of the Periodic System.

13. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the hydrotreating catalyst is a supported Pd, Pt, Ni, NiMo or a CoMo catalyst, the support being alumina and/or silica.

14. The process according to claim 1 , wherein an isomerisation catalyst containing molecular sieve is used in the isomerisation step.

15. The process according to claim 14 , wherein the isomerisation catalyst comprises a metal from Group VIII of the Periodic System.

16. The process according to claim 14 , wherein the isomerisation catalyst contains Al 2 O 3 or SiO 2 .

17. The process according to claim 14 , wherein the molecular sieve is selected from SAPO-11, SAPO-41, ZSM-22, ZSM-23, and ferrierite.

18. The process according to claim 15 , wherein the metal is selected from Pt, Pd and Ni.

19. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the fresh feed contains at least 40% by weight of triglyceride C 12 -C 16 fatty acids C 12 -C 16 fatty acid esters, C 12 -C 16 fatty acids, or combinations thereof.

20. The process according to claim 5 , wherein the diluting agent/fresh feed-ratio is 10-30:1.

21. The process according to claim 5 , wherein the diluting agent/fresh feed-ratio is 12-25:1.

22. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the total feed contains 2000-5000 w-ppm of sulphur calculated as elemental sulphur.

23. The process according to claim 1 , wherein during the hydrotreating step, the pressure is in the range of 3-10 MPa, and the temperature is between 250 and 350° C.

24. The process according to claim 1 , wherein during the isomerisation step, the pressure is in the range of 3-10 MPa, and the temperature is between 280 and 400° C.