Catalytic coprocessing of used cooking oil with straight-run gasoil in a hydrotreating pilot plant

is a professor of chemical engineering at the University of La Laguna in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain. Since 1985, she has served as head of the heterogeneous catalysis research group at the university. Her main research interest is heterogeneous catalysis in the production of biofuels from renewable raw materials. Ms. Alayón has directed numerous research projects and doctoral theses, and is the main author of several research papers about biofuels, heterogeneous catalysis and petroleum chemistry.

is a chemical engineer completing his PhD in chemistry and chemical engineering at the University of La Laguna in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain. He works in collaboration with the Cepsa Research and Development (R&D) Center in Madrid, Spain and the Cepsa refinery in Tenerife, Spain to study the development of new biofuels and the addition of used cooking oil in a conventional diesel hydrotreating unit.

is responsible for the planning department of Cepsa’s Tenerife refinery. Previously, he held responsibility for process engineering and advanced process control. He also teaches in the chemical engineering department at the University of La Laguna, where his subjects cover simulation in chemical engineering, petroleum technology and process design. Mr. Macías-Hernández is the author of several research papers and has participated in research groups under framework programs of European cooperation.

María Ángeles Romero Vázquez is a Senior Research and Development Chemical Engineer at CEPSA’s Research Center in Madrid. In the refining department, she is responsible for hydroprocessing, development of lubricant base oils, and hydrogen production by steam reforming. She graduated in chemical engineering from Complutense University in Madrid and also holds an MBA degree. Her work is focused on optimizing the selection of catalysts to be loaded at industrial units by combining pilot plant testing of commercial catalysts vs. potential crude oil baskets and dialogue with catalyst suppliers. She also provides technical assistance to CEPSA refineries through modeling and follow-up on industrial units.

J. Frontela Delgado is the manager of Cepsa’s R&D Center. She earned her degree in chemical engineering at Complutense University of Madrid in 1986. From 1986 to 1990, she was involved with the Institute of Catalysis and Petroleochemistry in Madrid. She joined Cepsa’s R&D Center in 1990, where she acquired industrial experience in different refining and petrochemical processes. In 1992, she assumed responsibility of the hydroprocessing area at the R&D Center, and in 2004 she began managing the bitumen area. In 2012, she became responsible for the refining department and biomass area. Since 2014, Ms. Delgado has been responsible for the entire Cepsa R&D Center. She has been involved in several R&D projects funded by Spanish and European programs, and she isalso the author of several technical papers and patents.