Advancing catalytic performance in hydrotreating: Part 1
Review of chemistry and catalysts determining performance in low- and medium-pressure distillate hydrotreating and FCC-PT
Andrea Battiston Ketjen
O il demand is going to be tempered by the transition to renewable energy. 1,2,3 According to the 2024 IEA’s World Energy Outlook , worldwide fossil fuel demand is projected to peak in 2030 across all scenarios. Global consumption of refined products from oil and biofuels combined is also expected to peak at the beginning of the 2030s. However, rather than a sharp decline, a fluctuating pattern is expected, with the true peak being recognisable only years after it has occurred. On average, over the next 10 years, combined global consumption of refined liquid products from fossil and renewable origins will likely remain close to the 2024 levels. In this evolving landscape, where hydrotreating technol- ogy maintains a primary role, innovation in catalysts is crucial for the refining industry to stay competitive, meet market demand, and allow a sustainable energy transition. The development of advanced hydrotreating catalysts for both conventional (fossil) and renewable feedstocks, such as waste oils and fats, 4,5 and waste plastics oils, 6 benefits from the latest technological advancements in high-throughput experimentation, including machine learning and combinatorial chemistry. These tools ena- ble a novel approach to catalyst development by helping identify deeper relationships between the properties of the catalysts’ active phase and performance. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated by the launch over the last five years of the Pulsar and Quasar catalyst platforms, along with eight hydrotreating grades, including those
within the ReNewFine renewables catalyst platform (see Table 1 ), enabling increased intake of distressed feedstock and extended cycle lengths. Achieving enhanced performance also requires a con - tinuous focus on developing new analytical techniques and kinetic models to gain a deeper understanding of the chemistry at play in the hydrotreaters for both existing and emerging technologies. This approach allows for a rational development and selection of catalysts based on their prop- erties and the reactions occurring in the multiple reactor zones of the hydrotreaters. Consequently, this method pro - motes maximum overall unit profitability, increases operat - ing flexibility, and reduces operational risks. Conventional fuels hydrotreating and operating regimes Hydrotreater performance is influenced by several factors, including feedstock characteristics, operating conditions, catalyst type, and catalyst loading configuration in the reac - tor. The operating objective and type of feedstock, along with its distillation properties, aromatic content, sulphur/ nitrogen speciation, unsaturated compounds, and contam- inants, set the challenge. The main operating conditions, particularly partial pressure of hydrogen (PPH₂) and tem - perature, also determined by reactor design and quench systems, define the intrinsic potential of the operation. Ultimately, the properties of the catalyst, with its activ- ity, stability, and catalyst loading configuration that allow
Ketjen’s new hydrotreating catalyst platforms and grades introduced in the market in the last five years
Platform
Grades KF 862 KF 787 KF 774 KF 917 KF 882 KF 872
Application
Introduction
Stars
Medium- and high-pressure distillate HT; HC-PT Low- and medium-pressure distillate HT
2023 2019 2021 2024 2023 2024 2024 2024
Pulsar
Medium-pressure distillate HT
FCC-PT
Quasar
Medium- and high-pressure distillate HT; 100% LCO-HT
HC-PT
ReNewFine
RNF 102 RNF 204
Renewables – phosphorous-trapping Renewables – hydro-deoxygenation (HDO)
The latest catalysts, introduced in 2024, are indicated in bold
Table 1
21
Catalysis 2025
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