Petrobras and Vibra test diesel with renewable content on bus lines in Curitiba

Petrobras and Vibra will begin, in January, tests with the new Diesel R5 (with 5% renewable content), produced at the Getúlio Vargas Refinery (Repar). Three bus lines operated by Auto Viação Redentor, in Curitiba, Paraná, will run on the new fuel for the next six months.

In the period, around 120 thousand liters of fuel will be supplied to the city’s buses, with the objective of evaluating, in a real situation, the influence of the new fuel on the reduction of emissions, performance and maintenance of these vehicles.

The new diesel fuel R5 is produced from the co-processing of vegetable oils or animal fat with petroleum diesel oil. The fuel leaves the refinery with 95% mineral diesel and 5% renewable diesel, also called green diesel. Vibra will make the mandatory addition of 10% biodiesel ester and will deliver the final product to the customer with 15% renewable content.

Preliminary studies show that renewable diesel reduces about 70% of greenhouse gas emissions compared to mineral diesel (oil-derived).

Green or renewable diesel is an advanced biofuel, chemically the same as mineral diesel (derived from petroleum), but produced from renewable raw materials such as vegetable oils, animal fats or even used cooking oil. It can be produced in dedicated units by co-processing in hydrotreating units of vegetable oils with petroleum diesel.

Despite not being used industrially in Brazil yet, co-processing technology is widely used in Europe and the United States, as it is the fastest and cheapest way to introduce renewable diesel in the market, as it uses existing industrial units in the oil refineries.

Currently, the National Energy Policy Council (CNPE) is discussing the possibility of renewable diesel, produced in dedicated units or by co-processing with vegetable oils, also being considered in the mandatory content of biofuel in diesel oil.

If accepted, the introduction of the new fuel will bring advantages to the consumer, as the adoption of the more modern renewable diesel makes it possible to use higher levels of renewables in new diesel engines. In addition, it will provide greater competition between biofuels for diesel engines. Competition drives the improvement of quality and cost reduction of both products (renewable diesel and biodiesel ester).