Neste Oil begins use of a new liquid catalyst technology at its Porvoo refinery

Neste Oil Corporation
Press release
19 January 2011 at 9.00 am (EET)

Neste Oil begins use of a new liquid catalyst technology at its Porvoo refinery

Neste Oil's Porvoo refinery has begun use of a new liquid catalyst technology developed by US-based Headwaters, Inc. Use of the new catalyst technology will improve the overall performance of the refinery's diesel production line 4. Neste Oil is the first refiner to utilize the new catalyst on a commercial basis, and its experience with it so far has been positive.

"The work that we've done on this new catalyst technology has been groundbreaking, and is yet another example of Neste Oil's commitment to staying at the front of the refining field," says Miika Eerola, Vice President, Refinery Manager of the Porvoo refinery. "We carried out thorough tests on the new catalyst and worked closely with the supplier; our own R&D organization also played a major role in helping us introduce it."

Fouling is a typical phenomenon in the heavy oil upgrading technology used in line 4, and the introduction of the new catalyst has decreased fouling and helped improve the line's overall performance. The new liquid catalyst, Headwaters' HCAT technology, will also improve the potential to increase conversion rates on the line.

Diesel production line 4 was commissioned in 2007 and runs on sulfur-rich vacuum residue oil, which is processed into sulfur-free diesel fuel using hydrogenation technology.

Neste Oil Corporation
Hanna Maula
Director, Corporate Communications

Further information:
Miika Eerola, Vice President, Refinery Manager of the Porvoo refinery, tel. +358 (0)10 458 2300
Kari Kolsi, Vice President, R&D, tel. +358 (0)10 458 2317

Neste Oil in brief

Neste Oil Corporation is a refining and marketing company concentrating on low-emission, high-quality traffic fuels. The company is the world's leading supplier of renewable diesel. Neste Oil's refineries are located at Porvoo and Naantali in Finland and have a combined crude oil refining capacity of approx. 260,000 bbl/d. The company had net sales of EUR 9.6 billion in 2009, employs around 5,000 people, and is listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki.

Neste Oil is included in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and is featured in the Ethibel Pioneer Investment Register. It has been awarded 'Best in Class' recognition for its social accountability by the Norwegian bank, Storebrand, and is on Innovest's Global 100 list of the world's most sustainable corporations. Forest Footprint Disclosure (FFD) has ranked Neste Oil as the best performer in the oil & gas sector. Further information: www.nesteoil.com.