"Chevron has vast natural gas resources. Our gas-to-liquids business complements the company's liquefied natural gas and pipeline businesses by providing a unique opportunity to convert natural gas into ultraclean liquid transportation fuels to meet growing demand."Chi-Wen Hung Vice President, Gas-to-Liquids Developments
Global Gas
Chevron is making strategic investments in promising new ways to produce transportation fuels. Through our joint venture with Sasol, the South African-based leader in gas-conversion technology, we plan to produce ultraclean diesel fuel from natural gas. High-quality gas-to-liquids fuels could help diversify our downstream fuel supplies. In 2006, we also formed a new business unit to develop ways to accelerate the commercial production of biofuels from a number of renewable feedstock sources, including those based on advanced cellulosic technology. We have long been involved in developing renewable energy and continue our strategy to evaluate and capture profitable positions in renewable technologies and businesses.
Renewable Biodiesel
Alicia Boutan, vice president of Business Development for Chevron Technology Ventures, helped negotiate our investment in a new facility in Galveston, Texas, that will turn renewable feedstocks into biodiesel. The facility will have the potential to produce 100 million gallons per year of this clean-burning fuel, which represents about one-half of current U.S. production of biodiesel. Completion is expected in 2007.
2006 Milestones
- Established research alliances to advance the development of renewable transportation fuels
- Joined a study to demonstrate the performance of E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline
- Installed California's first megawatt-class hydrogen fuel cell cogeneration plant
- Developed cogeneration and biomass facilities for a municipal water pollution control plant that generates electricity from organic matter