By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Oct. 20 -- Neste Oil Corp. has begun construction of a 170,000 tonne/year biodiesel plant at its 200,000 b/cd Porvoo, Finland, refinery, which it plans also to upgrade to produce high-quality diesel from heavy fuel oil.
Neste will spend 100 million euros for a facility to produce biodiesel from 100% renewable raw materials in the form of vegetable oils and animal fats.
The plant is expected to come on line by summer 2007. It might enable Finland to beat by 3 years the European Union's 2010 targets for biofuel use.
Government measures such as tax breaks are needed to ensure that biofuels can come to the market, Neste said.
Neste also is investing 600 million euros in a new production line at the Porvoo refinery to produce over 1 million tonnes/year of high-quality diesel fuel from heavy fuel oil. The line is due to be commissioned in the fourth quarter of 2006.
