Sinopec's Zhejiang goes into biofuel production

The Economic Observer reported that the Zhejiang-based unit of Sinopec Group or China Petrochemical Corp., is planning to produce aviation fuel from used cooking oil. According to the report, the unit, Sinopec Zhenhai Refining & Chemical Co., possesses a capacity to produce 20,000 tons per year of aviation biofuels from used cooking oil. The largest refinery of China Petrochemical, the unit has finished production trials and is likely to be ready for reviews by the aviation authorities of China in January next year.
This is a significant step to be undertaken before the biofuel can be used in commercial flights. Zou Jianjun, a professor at the Civil Aviation Management Institute of China said, “The cost of extracting biofuel from waste cooking oil and whether the fuel can be produced at a massive scale are two key factors that could hinder the market penetration of such fuel.”
Nevertheless, experts say that the cost of refining waste cooking oil is still one and a half to two times more compared to the cost of regular jet fuel. (August 6, 2012)