The role of coatings in the transition to renewable feedstocks

Published 2 May 2025

Refinery owners are repurposing and converting their facilities into renewable fuel sites. Companies like Phillips 66 and Shell utilize renewable feedstocks, such as used cooking oil, soybean oil and animal fats, to produce low-carbon fuels and drive a more sustainable future.

These projects represent the shift toward renewable energy in the oil and gas, petrochemical and chemical industries. The transition from nonrenewable feedstocks-such as coal, oil and natural gas-to renewable alternatives remains key for reducing carbon emissions. However, this shift brings new challenges, as the infrastructure must be adapted to accommodate these new feedstocks.

One often overlooked aspect of the shift to renewable feedstocks involves the critical role of coatings in protecting infrastructure. While advanced coatings have long supported the industry, new innovations must address the evolving demands of renewable feedstocks. These enhanced coatings will safeguard infrastructure from the more aggressive chemical environments introduced by renewable feedstocks, ensuring long-term durability and operational efficiency.

The rise of renewable feedstocks

Renewable feedstocks include various materials, from biomass and waste cooking oil to pyrolysis oil and biofuel like biodiesel and renewable diesel. These materials originate from organic sources and play a crucial role in reducing the carbon footprint of energy production. However, their chemical composition and the processes used to convert them into usable fuels differ significantly from those associated with non-renewable feedstocks.

While renewable feedstocks offer an opportunity to reduce carbon emissions, they also introduce new challenges for the infrastructure designed to handle non-renewable feedstock. These challenges primarily arise from the chemical differences between non-renewable and renewable feedstocks. As a result, the shift to renewable feedstock infrastructure opens up opportunities to develop advanced coatings and linings that offer enhanced protection for storage tanks, pipelines and processing equipment.

The challenge of renewable feedstocks

Today’s coatings were designed to protect against the corrosive and abrasive effects of non-renewable feedstocks, which have relatively consistent and well-understood chemical properties. However, renewable feedstocks present a more complex challenge. The organic nature of the feeds, combined with the varied methods used to process them, results in a broader range of chemical interactions that tend to impact coatings differently.

For example, the higher acidity and moisture content in certain renewable feedstocks can accelerate the corrosion cycle. The high temperatures and chemical reactions involved in processing bio-based feedstocks present an opportunity for developing coatings with enhanced protective capabilities beyond those designed for fossil fuels.

Innovative coating solutions

The coatings industry is developing advanced technologies tailored for renewable feedstocks to respond to these challenges. The author’s company works closely with industry partners to understand how renewable feedstocks react to process conditions. This research will help the coatings industry better understand how to develop future solutions that enhance performance. These innovations could include high-performance protective coatings with enhanced resistance to chemical corrosion, improved thermal stability and the ability to withstand the service environment conditions of bio-based materials.

Another key area of focus involves the development of tank linings that can better protect against the corrosive effects of renewable feedstocks. These linings will offer superior chemical resistance, extend the lifespan of storage tanks, and reduce maintenance costs.

Today, the company’s teams are actively engaged in internal testing efforts and lifecycle assessments to develop coatings that meet the rigorous demands of renewable feedstock applications. Lifecycle assessments will help enable asset owners to predict the long-term performance of coatings under various conditions. This proactive approach can help optimize maintenance schedules, reduce costs and ensure the longevity of assets.

Future of renewable feedstock infrastructure 

As the shift to renewable feedstocks accelerates, collaboration between asset owners, engineering and construction firms, and coating manufacturers becomes crucial in developing and establishing new protective standards for the infrastructure. Advanced coating technologies will play a key role in ensuring the longevity and resilience of these systems, safeguarding them from the harsher chemical environments that come with renewable feedstocks.

Travis Crotwell serves as PPG's Market Segment Director for Oil & Gas, Protective and Marine Coatings. With more than 15 yr of experience in protective and marine coatings, Crotwell specializes in market opportunities and development, corrosion control, and technical specification design. He excels at developing solutions that enhance the operational efficieny and safety of oil and gas infrastructure.Crotwell earned a BS degree from Nicholls State University, is an AMPP Certified Coatings Inspector and an AMPP Concrete Coatings Inspector.

Originally published in Hydrocarbon Processing.