Colombia’s Ecopetrol starts clean fuel production

09 September 2010 16:56  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS)--Colombian state oil company Ecopetrol opened its $1.023bn (€0.808bn) hydro-treatment plant at the Barrancabermeja refinery for clean fuel production, Ecopetrol said on Thursday.

The Barrancabermeja refinery produced the first barrel of clean or hydro-treated gasoline with fewer than 300 parts per million (ppm) of sulphur on Wednesday, in accordance with the strictest international standards.

A few weeks earlier, the refinery had started production of diesel with less than 50 ppm of sulphur, meeting national level requirements for Colombian cities with high consumption, Ecopetrol said.

With the start-up of operations at the plant, Colombia would reduce its dependence on diesel imports of less than 50 ppm of sulphur.

It was estimated that 47.2 tonnes/day on average of sulphur would be removed from gasoline and diesel, which equates to a reduction in sulphur emissions of approximately 98.9%.

Construction of the plant began in 2007. The plant is made up of seven units: diesel hydro treatment, gasoline hydro treatment, hydrogen production, disposal of sour waters, sulphur recovery, tail gas treatment, and amine regeneration, Ecopetrol said.

($1 = €0.79)

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By: George Martin
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