Biowaste as Raw Material

Together with partners, OMV is actively pursuing the development of industry-scale projects to produce biofuels and/or biochemicals from waste biomass. Waste biomass such as agricultural, forestry, and wood processing residues or mixed municipal waste are not in competition with the food and feed chain. While the conversion of such waste biomass to high-value products is often technically challenging, the related benefits are a significant reduction in CO₂ compared with fossil-based fuels and local resource utilization that creates value.

Co-Processing

OMV uses new technologies to increase the quality and stability of fuels with biogenic components through what is known as Co-Processing. Co-Processing involves introducing biogenic feedstock during the fuel refining process instead of the conventional method of blending biogenic components into fuel after production. This concept allows OMV’s existing refineries to produce transportation fuels from various types of biogenic feedstock, such as domestic rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, used cooking oil, or future advanced oils. The high degree of integration within OMV refineries reduces greenhouse gas emissions from Co-Processing by up to 85% compared with the EU standard for similar finishing steps for biofuels.

Co-Processing

In 2016 and 2017, OMV successfully conducted the first field trials of Co-Processing in the Schwechat refinery using rapeseed oil and obtained certification in accordance with the REDcert standard, an EU-recognized system for the certification of sustainable biomass. In 2020, a further field trial was successfully completed at the Petrobrazi refinery. OMV continues to implement the Co-Processing technology, and by 2025, the Company aims to co-process approximately 200,000 t of sustainable feedstock per year, depending on future legislation.

Sustainability Strategy 2025 Target

• Raise the share of sustainable feedstock co-processed in the refineries to ~200,000 t per year by 2025

Status 2020

• Basic engineering finalized for Schwechat refinery
• Process studies finalized for Petrobrazi refinery

Action Plan to Achieve the Target

• Selection of technical concept and start of process design work for Co-Processing at the Petrobrazi refinery
• Perform detail engineering for Co-Processing in Schwechat

SDG targets: 8.4 Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production, with developed countries taking the lead; 9.4 By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities; 12.5 By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse; 13.1 Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries

Other Projects and Products

OMV is currently planning to construct and operate a pilot plant to convert different types of raw glycerin, an eligible second-generation bio-feedstock, into propanol. Propanol can be used as a biofuel blend and for biochemicals.

During 2020, Borealis achieved a milestone by launching additional renewable polyolefin grades based on second-generation feedstocks sourced from biomass waste. To that end, Borealis and Neste, the world’s leading provider of sustainable renewable diesel and renewable jet fuel, and an expert in delivering drop-in renewable chemical solutions, have entered into a strategic cooperation for the production of renewable polypropylene (PP). Neste offers bio-based alternatives (including ones based on lower-quality waste and residue oils) to conventional fossil-based feedstock for use in the production of polymers and chemicals. Borealis will use Neste’s renewable propane, produced in Rotterdam, at its facilities in Belgium to create an entire portfolio of applications based on renewable PP. Through this project, Borealis uses bio-based feedstock to partially replace fossil feedstock in the commercial production of PP.

In 2020, Borealis also launched Bornewables™, a new range of circular polyolefin products. Bornewables™ are produced with renewable feedstock derived entirely from waste and residue streams. These premium polyolefins provide similar material performance as virgin polyolefins, but with a reduced carbon footprint. Unlike renewable feedstocks that are produced with agricultural crops grown for food and livestock feed, Bornewables™ are made of renewably sourced feedstocks that are derived from waste and residue streams, including vegetable oil production, and oil waste and residues. The entire Bornewables™ product range is ISCC PLUS-certified.