Industrial | Id.Lab Pilot Programs (HC & FCC) | Upcoming Energies

Across its Id.Lab pilot environments in Sines and Brazil, Galp continues to test and validate innovative refining technologies that support the transition to lower-carbon fuels and more flexible feedstock processing.

At Sines Id.Lab, the HC pilot unit was revamped to accommodate bio-based feedstocks. During the first year of operation, the team successfully produced the first HVO droplets, validating processing windows and catalyst behavior under real operating conditions. The pilot campaign also benchmarked two catalytic systems for biojet production and evaluated alternative biogenic feedstocks, including Cashew Nut Shell Liquid and Camelina, for diesel co-processing.

In parallel, Id.Lab Brazil conducted oxy-combustion pilot tests on FCC units (MDU/CMDU) using Galp’s catalyst. These tests focused on improving catalyst regeneration strategies while enabling the processing of heavier or more complex feedstocks, such as high-asphaltene residues, vacuum residues, and circular or biogenic streams like pyrolysis oils.

Together, these pilot environments allow rapid experimentation with feedstock recipes, operating conditions, and catalyst configurations under controlled conditions. This significantly reduces technological risk before industrial implementation and supports data-driven decisions for future plant trials and investment.

Next steps include extended reliability testing, emissions benchmarking, product quality validation (ASTM/EN compliance), and techno-economic and lifecycle analysis to support scale-up and industrial deployment.