Neste has started up the world’s first large-scale renewable propane production facility in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The first cargo of renewable propane has been delivered to SHV Energy, who will market and sell the product to its customers across Europe as BioLPG. Neste’s new facility has a production capacity of 40,000 tonnes per year and SHV Energy will be the exclusive distributor, supplying 160,000 tonnes over four years.

According to Neste,BioLPG will enable users of existing fossil fuels to reduce their carbon footprint, without any modifications to existing gas applications technology. BioLPG can be used within a full range of existing LPG applications, from transport and commercial heating to retail leisure cylinders.

The Rotterdam refinery primarily produces Neste’s renewable diesel using various waste and residues as well as vegetable oils for feedstock. The new unit will purify and separate renewable propane from the sidestream gases produced by the refinery.

For those who are interested in  bio-propylene (in small volume anyway), this might be a good time to contact Neste.