Ensyn wins EPA’s approval on renewable gasoline

Ensyn has been granted a key regulatory approval from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its renewable gasoline product, RFGasoline, the company announced on Tuesday. 

This approval, pursuant to Title 40 CFR Part 79 promulgated under the Clean Air Act, is required for the sale of RFGasoline into US commerce.

This approval follows the recently announced Part 79 approval of Ensyn's renewable diesel product, RFDiesel.

RFGasoline, a drop-in gasoline transportation fuel, is created by processing Ensyn's renewable crude (RFO), a liquid cellulosic feedstock for refiners, with customary petroleum feedstocks in conventional petroleum refineries (RFO Coprocessing). 

Ensyn is developing and commercializing RFO Coprocessing in a strategic alliance with Honeywell's UOP, a global leader in technology solutions for the refining industry.

Ensyn's RFO is produced by processing non-food solid biomass, including wood residues, with Ensyn's RTP technology. Technology licensing, engineering services and supply of equipment is being provided to RTP projects by UOP through Envergent Technologies, a joint venture between UOP and Ensyn.

 "We are very pleased that RFGasoline has received this important regulatory approval," said Veronica May, vice president and general manager of UOP's renewable energy and chemicals business. " With Part 79 regulatory approvals now in hand for both RFDiesel and RFGasoline, Ensyn and UOP can accelerate the commercial introduction of RFO Coprocessing, an attractive solution for refiners wishing to easily integrate cellulosic feedstocks into their operations in a cost-effective manner."

Ensyn notes that it is advancing its RFO Coprocessing business with UOP and an array of first-class, global industry leaders. The Part 79 registration process involved a number of these leaders. The liquid RFO feedstock was produced at one of Ensyn's commercial facilities and shipped to Brazil. Using Petrobras' proprietary FCC coprocessing technology, 400 gal of coprocessed diesel were produced in a technical collaboration between Petrobras and the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). 

The gasoline fraction was shipped to a major international oil company in the US for initial evaluation and preparation for the Part 79 test. The final RFGasoline product was then shipped to Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio, Texas, where independent Part 79 testing was conducted.

"This approval is another key step in the commercialization of our refinery coprocessing business," said Dr. Robert Graham, chairman of Ensyn. "Refiners can now proceed with commercial deployment of RFO Coprocessing and sell both key products, renewable gasoline and renewable diesel, into US commerce. Ensyn and UOP can now expedite offtake negotiations with refiners, while Ensyn and its project partners proceed with expansion of RFO production capacity in order to meet demand."