Hydroprocessing of Biomass-Derived Oils and Their Blends with Petroleum Feedstocks: A Review

Concerns over the declining availability of light conventional crude oils coupled with increasing energy demands and growing environmental concerns have sparked a global interest in the use of renewable oils as potential feedstocks for biofuel production. Over the past 2 decades, a considerable number of research studies in the area of renewable oil processing has been conducted around the world. The present review summarizes recent progress in processing biomass-derived oils, such as pyrolysis bio-oils, edible/inedible vegetable oils, and animal fats, and co-processing these oils with petroleum feedstocks using conventional hydroprocessing technologies, such as hydrotreating and hydrocracking. The main focus of this review is to provide an understanding of the effects of biomass feedstocks on process operation, catalyst performance and deactivation, feedstock conversion, and product yield and quality.