As UNICAT continues to expand its Hydroprocessing Division, we are proud to spotlight Sergio A. Robledo, Technology Director, Hydroprocessing Division (North America).
With more than 25 years of industry experience spanning both owner/operator and supplier environments, Sergio brings deep expertise in conventional fuels hydroprocessing, renewable fuels and used lube oil hydroprocessing.
Based in North America, Sergio plays a key role in building the technical foundation of UNICAT's growing Hydroprocessing Division. Working closely with customers and colleagues, he helps drive technical strategy, capability development and innovation while supporting the continued establishment of manufacturing and R&D capabilities in the region.
Looking Beyond Catalyst Performance
Hydroprocessing plays a critical role in helping refiners produce cleaner fuels, maximise the value of their feedstocks and meet increasingly demanding environmental requirements. However, improving performance is about more than catalyst activity alone.
According to Sergio, achieving better results requires a view of the full system — including feed quality, reactor protection, pressure drop, catalyst utilisation and overall unit reliability.
This is where technologies such as AFS 2.0 and MagAFS™ demonstrate the value of practical innovation combined with close customer collaboration.
In one 30,000 BPD kerosene hydrodesulfurisation unit, the conversion of existing basket filters to MagAFS helped enable operation on essentially 100% fresh feed with minimal recycle, compared with approximately 20% fresh feed before the conversion. The unit generated an estimated US$9 million increase in annual operating profit during the first year following the conversion.
MagAFS has also demonstrated the removal of up to 98% of solids, including fine and nanometre-scale particles that can contribute to cartridge plugging, pressure-drop concerns and downstream catalyst deactivation. In this application, cartridge filter life increased from 5–7 days to more than two months, reducing maintenance demands, consumables costs and production disruptions.
Innovation Built Around Customer Needs
For Sergio and the UNICAT team, the best technical solutions begin with understanding the customer's operation and the challenges within it
"At UNICAT, we believe the best solutions come from listening closely to customers, understanding the constraints of the unit and the operating objectives, and applying innovation where it makes the greatest difference. As we expand our hydroprocessing portfolio, we are building on that same foundation of technical depth, sound engineering and partnership to deliver solutions that improve unit performance, support sustainability goals and create measurable value for refiners.”
As UNICAT continues to grow its Hydroprocessing Division, this combination of technical expertise, practical innovation and close customer collaboration will remain central to its approach.
With experienced leaders such as Sergio helping to build the division's capabilities in North America, UNICAT is expanding its ability to support refiners and operators with solutions designed to improve performance, reliability and profitability.
Learn more about UNICAT's Hydroprocessing and next-generation magnetic filtration technology: MagAFS™.
