ConocoPhillips and Tyson Foods, Inc. will announce a strategic alliance Tuesday to produce renewable diesel fuel from beef, pork and poultry by-product fat.
Over the last year, the companies have been collaborating on ways to leverage Tyson’s knowledge of protein chemistry and production with ConocoPhillips’ processing expertise to introduce a renewable diesel domestically.
Using a proprietary thermal depolymerization production technology, the animal fats will be processed with hydrocarbon feedstocks to produce a high-quality diesel fuel that meets all federal standards for ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD). The addition of animal fat also improves the fuel’s ignition properties, while the processing step improves its storage stability and handling characteristics.
Investments made by ConocoPhillips and Tyson will allow for the processing and handling of fat and enhance the ability of the United States to produce energy from a variety of sources, including domestically-produced vegetable oils.