SAF (HEFA)

Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) is today’s most widely deployed SAF pathway. Waste and residual lipids are hydrotreated and isomerised. The final product slate can be shifted toward SAF, renewable diesel (HVO) and naphtha, depending on market demand and plant configuration. The SAF is certified as HEFA-SPK under ASTM D7566 Annex A2.

Feedstocks include Used Cooking Oil (UCO), animal fats, tall oil, and other residual oils and fats listed in RED III Annex IX.

The process for HEFA-based SAF production generally includes:

• Feedstock reception, blending and storage
• Degumming (acid, water or enzymatic)
• Bleaching and adsorbent treatment
• Filtration and polishing
• Hydrotreatment (deoxygenation)
• Isomerisation and selective hydrocracking
• Fractionation into SAF, renewable diesel and naphtha
• Hydrogen supply, off-gas and sour water treatment
• Storage and loading

DSEC has designed and built biodiesel plants since 1989, including vegetable oil and UCO pre-treatment units, and pre-treatment for HVO renewable diesel. Its expertise in oilseed processing and vegetable oil refining applies directly to HEFA feedstock pre-treatment, for new stand-alone HEFA plants and for refineries co-processing lipid feedstocks.