Dubbed Carbon Zero, and located in Riverbank, the project is designed to hydrotreat renewable oils with hydrogen from orchard and forest wood waste.
Biotechnology company Aemetis, which is leading the project along with Koch, recently announced that it had awarded an engineering services contract to Worley to support such development.
Under the newly signed contract, Worley will provide engineering to implement the Axens North America renewable jet and diesel technology at the Riverbank site.
Commenting on the project plans, Eric McAfee, Chairman and CEO of Aemetis, said, “Operations at the Aemetis Carbon Zero plant are scheduled to begin in 2023 at the rate of 45 million gallons per year, expanding to 90 million gallons by early 2025.”
“The Carbon Zero project team includes Koch Project Solutions as the EPC, Worley for engineering and technical solutions, Axens for process engineering and technology license, and ATSI serving as owner’s representative, working with our in-house Aemetis technology, development, finance, regulatory, and Global Sales and Trading team members.”
Welcoming its involvement in the development, Karen Sobel, Group President, Americas at Worley, said, “Delivering a more sustainable future for our customers is at the core of everything we do. Working with Aemetis and Koch Project Solutions on this project reinforces our commitment to helping our customers navigate the energy transition, while also underpinning our position and industry leadership in low-carbon fuels.”