OREANDA-NEWS. August 09, 2013. Neste Oil has added technical corn oil (TCO), a residue generated during ethanol production, to the range of inputs it uses to produce NExBTL renewable diesel.

This nonfood input further extends the number of waste and residue-based feedstocks used by Neste Oil. Last year, Neste Oil produced enough NExBTL renewable diesel from waste and residues to power 740,000 cars for a year.

"Our strategic aim is to constantly extend the range of renewable feedstocks we use to produce renewable fuels, and in particular the volume of waste- and residue-based materials we use," says Matti Lehmus, Neste Oil's Executive Vice President, Oil Products and Renewables. "Technical corn oil is an excellent addition to our feedstock base, as it is officially approved for producing renewable fuel intended for the growing North American market."

Trials to confirm the suitability of technical corn oil for producing NExBTL renewable diesel were carried out in spring 2013. Technical corn oil also meets Neste Oil's strict sustainability criteria. Following an extensive evaluation, Neste Oil has now started using technical corn oil on a commercial basis. Supplies of this input are currently sourced from the US.

One of the key strengths of the NExBTL hydrogenation technology developed by Neste Oil for producing renewable diesel is that it can use a wide variety of feedstocks without impacting the quality of the end-product. Neste Oil is currently the world's only biofuel producer capable of refining premium-quality renewable fuel from over 10 different feedstocks on an industrial scale. Neste Oil is also continuing research on completely new types of inputs, such as microbial oil and algae oil, for use as future inputs for its renewable fuel.

All of the renewable inputs used by Neste Oil comply with the relevant biofuel-related legislation in all the markets in which its renewable fuels are sold, as well as the company's own strict sustainability criteria, and are 100% traced back to their source.