PBF Energy Completes Production Unit of Louisiana Renewable Diesel Refinery

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The renewable diesel production unit of PBF Energy Incorporated's (NYSE:PBF) (Parsippany, New Jersey) St. Bernard Renewables project in Louisiana is mechanically complete and has been turned over to operations, with the first feedstocks to be introduced this month, the U.S. refiner said Friday.

The pre-treatment unit of the 306 million-gallon-per-year facility in Chalmette, Louisiana, is expected to be complete in June. The project involves renovating and replacing parts of a hydrocracker, which was mothballed in 2010 by a previous owner. Industrial Info is tracking two projects tied to the renewable diesel refinery. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Petroleum Refining Project Database can click here for the related project reports.

PBF and Eni Sustainable Mobility agreed in February to partner in a 50:50 joint venture to own and run the renewable diesel refinery. Total projected capital costs for the St. Bernard Renewables facility and related project infrastructure are expected to be in the $650 million to $700 million range, up $50 million from the previous estimate in February. For more information, see February 17, 2023, article - PBF, Eni Reach Joint Venture Deal for Louisiana Renewable Diesel Refinery.

"While (we are) a bit disappointed in the rise in the budget, the project is well in hand, and we are getting towards the end," said Matthew Lucey, PBF's president, during the company's first-quarter earnings conference call. Lucey is expected to become chief executive officer of PBF in July, when Tom Nimbley steps down from the position to become executive chairman of the company's board of directors.

The company reported first-quarter 2023 net income of $385.9 million, compared with a net loss of $3.3 million in first-quarter 2022.

"In 2023, PBF will continue to conduct extensive maintenance and multiple turnarounds across our refining system," the company said in an earnings press release.

On the East Coast, PBF's Delaware City, Delaware, coker and hydrocracker will undergo maintenance work this spring, and on the West Coast, the company's refinery in Torrance, California, will see work on its hydrocracker this spring and a turnaround this fall at its fluid catalytic cracking/alkyl unit. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Petroleum Refining Project Database can click here for a list of Delaware City active maintenance and refining project reports, and click here for a list of active Torrance maintenance and refining project reports.

Subscribers can click here for all project reports mentioned in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).