AM-01-09 ELEGANT SOLUTIONS FOR ULTRA LOW SULFUR DIESEL

Description:

The newly approved specifications for ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) in the U.S. are daunting. Some refiners claim that producing diesel with <15 ppm sulfur, if it is possible at all, will require very high pressure and expensive hydrotreating or hydrocracking units. This brute force approach to reducing sulfur is effective but there are more elegant and less costly ways to reach the goal. Cookie cutter solutions for making ULSD will be expensive. The wide variation in refinery configurations and feedstocks means that every refiner will find a different optimum strategy. Understanding the implications of various feedstock and processing options is key to making the most economical decisions for meeting current and future diesel regulations. This paper will describe the issues and the latest understandings surrounding the reduction of sulfur in diesel to ultra low levels. Strategies for producing 15 ppm S diesel will be described, focusing on catalytic solutions. Preliminary data from a new, breakthrough catalyst will be presented.