Neste Oil celebrates grand opening renewable diesel plant

The 8 March 2011 saw refining and marketing company Neste Oil celebrate the grand opening of its renewable diesel production facility in Singapore, along with the country's deputy Prime Minister for defence Teo Chee Hean and the Finnish minister for ownership steering Jyri Häkämies.

The plant began operations back in November 2010, producing 800,000 tonnes a year of NExBTL renewable diesel.

'Only two years ago we were here to lay the cornerstone of our renewable diesel plan. The rather empty piece of land has since been turned into the world's biggest renewable diesel plant,' says the president and CEO of Neste Oil Matti Lievonen.

'As a location, Singapore has fulfilled all our expectations. It is the world's third-largest centre of oil refining, and occupies a central location in terms of product and feedstocks flows as well as logistics. Talent pool in Singapore is absolutely first-class. The government of Singapore has played an important role on promoting Neste Oil's investment and the Singapore Economic Development Board has assisted Neste Oil at every stage of the project.'

The plant cost around €550 million to build a uses a variety of renewable feedstocks to make its NExBTL, including palm oil and side stream products of palm oil production from Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as waste animal fat from Australia and New Zealand.