LARTC 2026
Co-processing SAF: Why catalyst choice is crucial for refineries
Miguel Angel Antonio Tutera and Ignacio Costa TOPSOE
Across Latin America, co-processing has emerged as an attractive entry pathway for refineries looking to enter sustainable avia- tion fuel (SAF) production without immedi- ately committing to the higher Capex of a dedicated renewable unit. By blending renew- able feedstocks into existing hydrotreaters or hydrocrackers alongside conventional fossil streams, refiners can begin producing SAF within months rather than years. This proposition has made co-process- ing one of the fastest-growing entry points into renewable fuels in the region. In Latin America, Topsoe is currently working with multiple refineries in different countries on tailored catalyst systems to produce renew- able fuels – among them a project that, in Q4 2026, is expected to become one of the world’s first references for SAF co-process- ing at 5%. This underscores both the com- mercial momentum behind this pathway and the technical readiness required to exe- cute it reliably. Why co-processing, and why now? Co-processing allows refiners to blend renewable materials – such as vegetable oils, animal fats, and used cooking oil – into an existing unit alongside fossil feed, rather than building or repurposing a facility dedi- cated exclusively to renewables. The appeal is straightforward: minimal capital invest- ment, fast implementation, and the flexibil- ity to adjust renewable content in response to market demand or regulatory pressure. For refiners across Latin America exam- ining emerging SAF mandates and look- ing to diversify revenue through renewable fuel, co-processing offers a pragmatic, de- risked way to participate in the SAF market while preserving the option to scale further or move to a dedicated unit later. Under ASTM D1655, co-processing of renewable esters and fatty acids into jet fuel is capped at 5% by volume, with a separate pathway allowing hydroprocessed renewa- ble hydrocarbons to be co-processed or co- fractionated at up to 24% of feed and 10% of product. These regulatory ceilings mean co-processing will not replace dedicated renewable fuel production for refiners tar- geting high-volume SAF output. However, for the initial phase of blending mandates now taking effect globally, it is the fastest and most capital-efficient route to a compli- ant product. Different production demands Blending even a modest volume of renew- able feedstock into a conventional hydro- treater changes the processes inside the unit in ways that matter. Renewable feeds require substantially more hydrogen to strip out oxygen through hydrodeoxygenation, and the reaction is highly exothermic. The resulting higher exotherms in the reactors need to be managed carefully to protect catalyst and equipment. Deoxygenation also produces significant water, which must be handled to avoid corrosion in down-
Topsoe is working with multiple refineries globally on tailored catalyst systems to produce renewable fuels including SAF
imise intermediate-product quality, with medium HDO activity and high double-bond saturation that helps limit coking and safe- guards against pressure drop. TK-3002 and TK-3003 round out the main-bed chemistry, with TK-3001 offering improved HDO selectivity, higher activity, reduced coking, and greater metals tolerance. Taken together, the system combines dedicated contaminant capture at the top of the bed with downstream HDO functionality, help- ing refiners manage both catalyst protec- tion and stable reactor hydraulics under the more demanding conditions created by renewable feeds. Since the series is designed to operate via the hydrogenation route rather than decar- boxylation, oxygen reacts primarily as water rather than CO2. This improves yield signifi- cantly, while also reducing the need to purge the CO2 and simplifying downstream han- dling by avoiding a large CO2 load through the high-pressure loop. Where deep dewaxing is needed to meet freezing point specifica- tion, the series is complemented by Topsoe’s TK-930 D-Wax catalyst, which has industry- wide recognition for its performance and is deployed across multiple commercial sites following strong pilot-scale results. Together, this catalyst system is built to deliver longer, steadier cycle lengths under the specific, more complex conditions of co-processing: higher hydrogen demand, elevated exotherms, increased water for- mation, and a contaminant profile that dif- fers meaningfully from straight fossil feed. For refiners, the practical outcome is a unit that can sustain its target blending ratio over a full cycle without the pressure drop esca- lation or premature catalyst deactivation that renewable feedstocks can otherwise introduce. This reflects a broader Topsoe approach to reactor grading and contami- nant control that has evolved over more than five decades, from basic inert void fillers to fully engineered filtration and guard systems developed to address fouling and contami- nation challenges in commercial operation.
stream equipment. Contaminants carried in with the renewable feedstock, phosphorus in particular, can accelerate catalyst fouling and shorten cycle length if the catalyst sys- tem is not designed to capture them. More broadly, renewable feeds can introduce a multi-contaminant profile, and maintaining low pressure drop through the guard sec- tion becomes an important part of preserv- ing stable unit operation over the full cycle. Jet fuel specifications add a further layer of difficulty. Freezing point is one of the most demanding parameters in ASTM D1655, and meeting it requires convert- ing the straight-chain n-paraffins produced during deoxygenation of renewable feed- stocks into branched i-paraffins through deep dewaxing, without over-cracking the renewable molecules out of the jet fraction. Getting this balance right, while maintain- ing stable pressure drop and a commer- cially viable cycle length, is what separates a well-executed co-processing project from one that struggles to hit target run lengths. TK-300X series as an enabler Topsoe’s TK-300X series – the third-gen- eration hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) cata- lyst family comprising TK-3001, TK-3002, and TK-3003, together with the TK-3000 PhosTrap™ guard catalyst – was developed to address exactly this set of challenges. In co-processing service, the graded HDO cat- alysts are loaded on top of the existing fossil catalyst, with loading ratios calibrated to the target blending percentage so that the cycle length of this HDO catalyst matches the cat- alyst loaded for the fossil service beneath it. TK-3000 PhosTrap sits at the top of the bed and is designed to capture phosphorus and other contaminants before they reach the main catalyst, using a pore structure that allows deeper diffusion into the pellet and picks up four to six times more phos- phorus by volume than the previous genera- tion of guard catalyst. TK-3001 sits downstream of the PhosTrap guard and is designed to max-
did you know? Topsoe’s catalyst system is built to
What this means for refiners entering the market For a refinery evaluating co-processing as an entry point into SAF, the unit-level modifica- tions required are typically limited to cata- lyst change-out, along with adjustments to hydrogen supply, water separation, and cor- rosion protection. These are changes that are manageable without major capital invest- ment, particularly at blending ratios up to 5%. Choosing a catalyst system engineered specifically for co-processing conditions, rather than adapting one designed for stan- dalone renewable service, is what determines whether that investment translates into a unit that reliably hits its production and cycle- length targets from the first run onward. Topsoe has supported renewable fuel pro- duction since 2004, and roughly a third of SAF produced globally today uses its tech- nology. As co-processing continues to gain traction across Latin America as a fast, capital-light route into SAF production, the TK-300X series and Topsoe’s experience can help refiners in the region make that transi- tion with the operational stability and know- how their investment case depends on. Contact: Miguel Angel Antonio Tutera, MITU@topsoe.com and Ignacio Costa, IFCO@topsoe.com deliver longer, steadier cycle lengths under the specific, more complex conditions of co-processing
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