Biobased & renewable fuels

We are advancing energy together by increasing our focus on biobased and renewable fuels.

What are biobased & renewable fuels?

Expanding our energy portfolio with biobased and renewable fuels

SHV Energy’s strategy for sustainable development over the next 20 years is to ensure that the source and supply of our clean, safe and efficient gas products becomes increasingly renewable, biobased and lower carbon.

All fuels that are derived from non-fossil feedstock, including things like biomass, manure, waste, agricultural residues and renewable materials are called biobased and renewable fuels. We are exploring the following biobased and renewable fuels: bioLPG, bioLNG, rDME, hydrogen and future fuels, such as ammonia, methanol and novel e-fuels.

BioLPG

BioLPG, also called biopropane and renewable propane, is chemically identical to LPG. It is compatible with all LPG products, but with a lower carbon footprint, thanks to the sustainably sourced renewable feedstock it is produced from. BioLPG has absolutely no compromise on performance and can be produced in several ways, depending on the feedstock and process. Currently, the main production method is the renewable (or HVO) biodiesel production process which also generates a by-product of bioLPG. During the refining process, a variety of waste ‘off-gases’ are produced that contain propane or bioLPG. For every tonne of biodiesel, 50 kg of bioLPG is generated from this off-gas stream. This co-product is then purified to make it identical to conventional propane.

BioLNG

Natural gas or methane can also be produced from sustainable, renewable feedstock. The methane produced can be liquefied which is often called bioLNG, and can also be abbreviated as LBM. BioLNG can be produced from a range of bio waste materials like agricultural residues, industrial and municipal waste, manure, sewage sludge and forestry residues. Biomethane is generated from biogas produced via anaerobic digestion of organic and biodegradable waste. Biogas is then upgraded to biomethane through the removal of CO2 and other impurities. Biomethane is also generated via methanation of synthesis gas produced via thermal gasification of cellulosic materials such as forestry residues or other residual and post-consumer waste . BioLNG can be used as a drop-in replacement for LNG.

Renewable DME

Renewable DME (dimethyl ether) is a clean, colourless gas, similar to LPG, that is easy to liquefy and transport. Renewable DME can be produced using a variety of feedstocks such as waste from pulp and paper mills, forest products, agricultural residues, manure and municipal waste. It can either be produced from methanol dehydration or directly from synthesis gas produced via thermal gasification. Like LPG, renewable DME is gaseous at normal temperature and pressure. You probably already have some DME in your house – it’s currently used all around the world in the personal care industry as a benign aerosol propellant. Thanks to the huge availability of potential feedstock and it’s clean and easy handling properties, it is now increasingly being explored for use as a clean fuel alternative. Options include blending rDME with LPG, as a replacement of diesel and gasoline and as an efficient hydrogen carrier for the future energy mix.

Hydrogen

Hydrogen is increasingly seen as a major part of the energy transition and the future energy scenario for our markets around the world. Right now, most of the world’s hydrogen is produced industrially from natural gas and coal, which generates significant carbon emissions. We call this “grey” hydrogen since the feedstock source is fossil. If you capture the carbon emissions either for storage (called CCS) or reuse (called CCU) this can generate ‘blue’ hydrogen. Whilst this process uses fossil feedstocks it has a very limited impact on CO2 emissions. The CO2 captured can then be used, together with H2, to produce other alternative fuels. Additionally, “green” hydrogen is generated using renewable energy sources, like green electricity from wind and solar. We are very keen to explore how green hydrogen can play a role for our off grid, decentral customers around the world.

Future fuels

Our future energy product portfolio is also likely to include new energy sources that are currently still being explored - ammonia, methanol and other e-fuels. Our experts at SHV Energy are constantly on the lookout for new, biobased and renewably sourced fuels to offer our customers. We are currently exploring a couple of promising new fuels together with our stakeholders and partners around the world. Do you have an idea or suggestion for us to consider? Please get in contact with us via biofuels@shvenergy.com.

Vision

Our commitment to innovation in biobased and renewable fuel solutions

SHV Energy Group is proud to supply our customers around the globe with decentralised, clean, safe and efficient energy. We believe that biobased and renewable fuels will play a central role in transitioning to a carbon neutral world.

The use of new renewable and low carbon feedstocks such as biomass, agricultural, residential and industrial waste products is an exciting opportunity for the SHV Energy Group as well as for our partners and customers. We work together with feedstock providers, technology suppliers and policy makers to make sure that biobased gas innovation continues to prosper. As a global decentralised energy supplier, we welcome sustainable, high quality and safe biogas initiatives particularly those that provide cleaner, lower carbon energy for consumers living or working beyond the natural gas grid. In turn, we remain committed to providing a valuable low carbon alternative energy supply for our ever-increasing customers.

Collaborations

Advancing energy through active collaboration

We are keen to collaborate and encourage options that prioritise off-grid, local and circular solutions. We are actively seeking strong partnerships around the world and engaging with the scientific community. Our current portfolio of projects includes both process optimisation of the HVO route as well as novel conversion technologies that makes the most efficient use of locally available feedstocks, including biobased wastes and residues, in our target markets in Europe, Turkey, India, Brazil, China and the USA. Some examples of these collaborations are included here:

Helicopter view of Delfzijl, The Netherlands

Case study

SHV Energy, SkyNRG and KLM announce a project to build first European plant for sustainable aviation fuel.

SHV Energy has invested in a new plant for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) that will be developed by SkyNRG. SHV Energy will purchase the bioLPG that is produced.

Case study

SHV Energy partners with Oberon Fuels to accelerate use of renewable DME (rDME) to decarbonise transportation.

SHV Energy and Oberon Fuels, a producer of ultra-low-carbon, renewable dimethyl ether, have partnered to accelerate the use of renewable DME to reduce the carbon footprint of transportation fuel.

Researcher in a field with a test tube and a tablet

Case study

Ulster University collaboration - researching the energy solutions of the future.

We have a global portfolio of research and development projects. We are particularly focused on the area of novel bio-based transformation processes for the production of bioLPG and other biogases from renewable sources of feedstock.

We are a member of several partnerships that help us develop our biobased and renewable fuels.