Rijeka, the principal seaport and the third – largest city in Croatia, located in the Primorje - Gorski Kotar County on Kvarner Bay, a beautiful inlet of the Adriatic Sea, known as a gateway to Croatia’s islands through INA’s Rijeka refinery has successfully started to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for the first time.
This milestone is part of INA’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and comply with European renewable energy regulation. The pilot project involved processing biogenic feedstock at the refinery’s hydrocracking unit and alongside SAF, renewable diesel (HVO) was also produced marking a major for INA in entering a new era of domestic energy transformation.
Between 5th and 13th May 2025, the pilot project saw a total of 1.000 tons of bio – feedstock, a by - product of palm oil mill effluent was processed at the INA refinery facilities, resulting in fuel that is significantly less harmful to the environment than conventional kerosene and in addition, renewable diesel fuel (HVO) was produced from processed vegetable oils.
The entire process was certified with the international certification under the ISCC European standards for sustainable biofuels by Bureau Veritas, a global company specializing in testing, inspection, and certification services, playing a significant role in Europe.
In cooperation with the American company Chevron Lummus Global, a joint venture providing technology for renewable and conventional fuels, base oils, and sustainable petrochemicals, whose technology was applied at the Hydrocracking unit, INA refinery successfully tested the capability of processing feedstock in combination with fossil fuels, all without the need to build new refinery systems.
The project was technically demanding, requiring eight months of preparation that included the procurement of special filters, enhancement of laboratory methods, increased capacity as key plants, and the development of systems for the safe handling of this new type of feedstock.
The aim of this initiative was not only an example to demonstrate technological capability, but also to align with EU’s ambitions goals for increasing the share of renewable energy in transport by 2030.
INA plans to complete all the necessary preparations by 2029 to move from the pilot phase to continuous production and regular supply of sustaionable aviation fuel to the market. This would position Croatia among the few countries in the region with domestic SAF.
Director of Development at INA, Ivica Jerbić, said that the company has the knowledge, people, and technology to implement this process in practice and emphasizing that processing bio - feedstock in existing facilities is one of the most effective ways to decarbonize the industry and reduce emissions.
Operational Director of Refining and Marketing, Goran Pleše, highlighted that with this move, INA is positioning itself among the few regional energy companies actively laying the foundation for a sustainable future.
Link
https://avioradar.net/en/rijeka-refinery-produces-sustainable-aviation-fuel/
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