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Catalytic hydrodeoxygenation of black soldier fly larval lipids and co-processing with vacuum gas oil into biofuel intermediates

Selimi, Jon LU orcid ; Kristensen, Tove A. LU orcid ; Qureshi, Ziyauddin S. ; Hulteberg, Christian P. LU orcid and Abdelaziz, Omar Y. LU (2025) In Sustainable Energy and Fuels
Abstract

The aviation industry's decarbonization requires sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) feedstocks that do not compete with food resources. In this context, black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) lipids represent a non-food, second-generation feedstock with strong potential for drop-in SAF production. This work presents an integrated evaluation of BSFL-derived lipids hydroprocessed over a commercial Ce/La-doped NiMo/Al2O3 catalyst across batch, continuous, and co-processing modes. In batch hydrodeoxygenation (HDO), oxygen was consistently reduced to below the analytical limit of detection, with oil yields averaging 66.3 wt% and reaching a maximum of 72.2 wt%. Maximum kerosene- and diesel-range yields were 37.8 wt% and 29.0 wt%,... (More)

The aviation industry's decarbonization requires sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) feedstocks that do not compete with food resources. In this context, black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) lipids represent a non-food, second-generation feedstock with strong potential for drop-in SAF production. This work presents an integrated evaluation of BSFL-derived lipids hydroprocessed over a commercial Ce/La-doped NiMo/Al2O3 catalyst across batch, continuous, and co-processing modes. In batch hydrodeoxygenation (HDO), oxygen was consistently reduced to below the analytical limit of detection, with oil yields averaging 66.3 wt% and reaching a maximum of 72.2 wt%. Maximum kerosene- and diesel-range yields were 37.8 wt% and 29.0 wt%, respectively. Pressure was the dominant factor affecting yields, with temperature–pressure interactions being most significant, while stirring improved performance under mass-transfer-limited conditions. Continuous fixed-bed HDO runs showed that efficient catalyst wetting was achieved at LHSV 0.5 h−1 and H2/oil ≥800 mL mL−1, conditions under which selectivity shifted toward HDO rather than decarboxylation/decarbonylation (deCOx). Co-processing BSFL lipids with vacuum gas oil enhanced hydrogen availability, promoted HDO over deCOx pathways, and yielded high kerosene- and diesel-range fractions, demonstrating the potential for integration of insect-derived lipids into existing refinery infrastructure.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
in
Sustainable Energy and Fuels
publisher
Royal Society of Chemistry
external identifiers
  • scopus:105024796883
ISSN
2398-4902
DOI
10.1039/d5se01232e
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2026
id
eff7ef67-7548-4908-91ae-758c82dd95f4
date added to LUP
2026-01-04 11:52:33
date last changed
2026-01-08 10:29:41
@article{eff7ef67-7548-4908-91ae-758c82dd95f4,
  abstract     = {{<p>The aviation industry's decarbonization requires sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) feedstocks that do not compete with food resources. In this context, black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) lipids represent a non-food, second-generation feedstock with strong potential for drop-in SAF production. This work presents an integrated evaluation of BSFL-derived lipids hydroprocessed over a commercial Ce/La-doped NiMo/Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> catalyst across batch, continuous, and co-processing modes. In batch hydrodeoxygenation (HDO), oxygen was consistently reduced to below the analytical limit of detection, with oil yields averaging 66.3 wt% and reaching a maximum of 72.2 wt%. Maximum kerosene- and diesel-range yields were 37.8 wt% and 29.0 wt%, respectively. Pressure was the dominant factor affecting yields, with temperature–pressure interactions being most significant, while stirring improved performance under mass-transfer-limited conditions. Continuous fixed-bed HDO runs showed that efficient catalyst wetting was achieved at LHSV 0.5 h<sup>−1</sup> and H<sub>2</sub>/oil ≥800 mL mL<sup>−1</sup>, conditions under which selectivity shifted toward HDO rather than decarboxylation/decarbonylation (deCO<sub>x</sub>). Co-processing BSFL lipids with vacuum gas oil enhanced hydrogen availability, promoted HDO over deCO<sub>x</sub> pathways, and yielded high kerosene- and diesel-range fractions, demonstrating the potential for integration of insect-derived lipids into existing refinery infrastructure.</p>}},
  author       = {{Selimi, Jon and Kristensen, Tove A. and Qureshi, Ziyauddin S. and Hulteberg, Christian P. and Abdelaziz, Omar Y.}},
  issn         = {{2398-4902}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Royal Society of Chemistry}},
  series       = {{Sustainable Energy and Fuels}},
  title        = {{Catalytic hydrodeoxygenation of black soldier fly larval lipids and co-processing with vacuum gas oil into biofuel intermediates}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/d5se01232e}},
  doi          = {{10.1039/d5se01232e}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}