This news from Neste is well-timed as I just released my special report on global renewable diesel production (or what in the EU sometimes call hydrotreated vegetable oil or HVO production) in my December Biomaterials report published by Tecnon OrbiChem.

Neste Corporation announced today its decision to invests around EUR 1.5 billion to expand Neste’s biorefinery capacity in Singapore by up to 1.3m tons/year (tpa) from around one million tons.  Target start-up of the new production line is in the first half of 2022.

Neste says it will have more option to choose between different product solutions in the newly expanded biorefinery in addition to producing renewable diesel.  The new production line will include additional logistics capabilities and as well as enhanced raw material pretreatment for the use of low-quality waste and residue raw materials, which can also be used for the existing refinery.

Neste says it currently has a global renewables production capacity of 2.7m tpa.  Of this total, over one million is produced in Singapore, the same amount in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and the rest in Porvoo, Finland.  Before the new production line in Singapore, Neste aims to debottleneck its existing production to bring the existing capacity to 3m tpa by 2020.  By 2022, Neste will have a total production capacity of 4.5m tpa.

Aside from renewable diesel, Neste has also already been producing and selling co-products bio-based naphtha and bio-based propane. In June this year, the blog reported Neste’s collaboration with IKEA bio-based polymers.  Last month, Neste announced its collaboration with Clariant on bio-based renewable raw materials for hot-melt adhesives, plastics and coatings applications.