April 18, 2024 [Hydrocarbon Processing]- The Davis Refinery is a fully-permitted 49,500-bpd, innovative, greenfield refinery being built in Belfield, North Dakota (U.S.) will utilize state-of-the-art environmental technology and controls to produce ultra clean transportation fuels for local and regional sales. In developing and permitting the Davis Refinery, Meridian developed substantial intellectual property for small full-conversion refineries that can achieve permitting for air quality purposes as a Synthetic Minor Source, utilizing local crude oil sources to meet the demand for clean fuels which meet all current and foreseen EPA standards.
Meridian has been working to complete integrated design of Davis such that the purchase of Davis modules and equipment can proceed. As part of that effort, Meridian has made additional design modifications that are responsive to the evolving marketplace for clean fuels and the energy transition. From the early development of the project, the design for Davis has incorporated vegetable oil co-processing to comply with the EPA’s Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). As the Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) under the RFS has increased, Meridian has explored the limits of this process with Meridian’s process licensor, Axens NA, utilizing the Axens Vegan® technology.
As Mark Fonda, Meridian’s EVP and Chief Technology Officer explained, “Meridian has now determined that up to 20% (4,000 bpd) of the capacity of the Diesel Hydrotreater can be allocated to process vegetable oil. This allows us to not only meet our RINS credit balance under the RFS, but to also offset our Scope 1 CO2 emissions. This is an important development for the energy industry as it enables the refining industry to accelerate decarbonization and to play an even greater role in the transition to a carbon neutral future.”
Dr. Anand Karre, Meridian’s Environmental Manager, added: “Davis is the first full-conversion refinery ever permitted as a synthetic minor source and the only refinery ever to meet the Class 1 Air Quality standards of the Environmental Protection Agency. The Davis design includes implementation of state-of-the-art, Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (LAER) technology and Best Available Control Technology (BACT). This includes Ultra-low-NOx burners, Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR), Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS), Enhanced LDAR optical gas imaging (OGI), Cascade Flare System with Vapor Recovery and elimination of Evaporative Circulating Cooling Water using only Fin-Fan Air Coolers.”
William Prentice, Chairman and CEO of Meridian, said, “Even after having obtained all the requisite permits, and after successfully defending those permits, Meridian has continued to improve the design for Davis and further reduce GHG and other emissions. Davis will soon come to fruition as major equipment purchases are initiated and as Meridian resumes field construction activities this summer. Among other things, this latest development also means that the Davis Refinery will become an even larger market for North Dakota’s agricultural products.”
Meridian has issued a white paper on this development which is available on its website.
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