From Startup to Scale: How Imperial’s Team Brought Renewable Diesel to Life in Canada

Bringing a first-of-its-kind project from concept to commercial operation is never simple. Doing it safely and reliably while helping expand Canada’s supply of lower-carbon fuels is an even greater challenge.

That’s exactly what Imperial’s Renewable Diesel Team accomplished at the Strathcona Refinery, earning the team the Canadian Fuels Association’s 2026 Innovation Award.

The team—Colin Margetts, S&U Business Team Leader, alongside Mitch Unger, Shan Marugan, Bilal Shah, David Wong, Sherry Strickland, and Joe Grant—led the design, construction, commissioning, startup, and early operation of the refinery’s renewable diesel unit. The project marks an important step in expanding Canada’s supply of lower-carbon liquid fuels while supporting the Clean Fuel Regulations.

Unlike conventional biofuels, renewable diesel can be used as a direct replacement for traditional diesel without modifications to vehicles or equipment. At Strathcona, the team developed a unit capable of converting Canadian-grown canola oil into renewable diesel that performs reliably in Canada’s demanding climate.

“This is a fuel that is an immediate substitute for anyone who runs diesel today,” says Colin. “By replacing conventional diesel with it, you can dramatically reduce the carbon intensity of your fuel.”

Bringing the project to life required much more than innovative technology. It demanded years of planning and close collaboration across engineering, operations, maintenance, logistics, and technical teams. Experienced refinery personnel were embedded in the project years before startup to help ensure the new unit would integrate seamlessly with existing operations.

For Colin, that collaboration stands out as one of the project’s greatest successes.

“It was one of the most amazing things to see come together,” he says. “A huge team of people from all over the world really focused on this one goal.”

Components arrived from around the world, followed by months of testing, inspections, and system verification before startup. The preparation paid off, with the unit achieving startup with zero safety incidents despite the complexity of the project and hundreds of contractors working onsite.

“Safety is really a non-negotiable for us,” says Colin. “You build safety through culture, and that takes a lot of time, effort, and diligence.”

Once operational, the team’s work was far from over. Renewable diesel production introduced an entirely new supply chain, from sourcing Canadian canola by rail to delivering a new lower-carbon fuel to customers. They also adapted the unit to withstand Alberta’s harsh winters, implementing extensive heat tracing and insulation improvements to keep operations running reliably through freezing temperatures.

The team’s preparation continued to pay dividends.

“We far exceeded any of the expectations that we had,” says Colin. “We’ve had far fewer issues and far less downtime than we were expecting.”

Today, the renewable diesel unit is transforming Canadian-grown feedstocks into lower-carbon fuel while providing valuable lessons for future renewable fuel projects across the country.

For Colin, the award has also given the team an opportunity to pause and appreciate what they accomplished together.

“Putting almost a billion dollars’ worth of steel in the ground and starting it up is something most people are lucky to do once in their career,” he says. “We not only did it—we did it successfully across the board.”

Through years of planning, collaboration, problem-solving, and an unwavering commitment to safety, Imperial’s Renewable Diesel Team delivered more than a new processing unit. They demonstrated how existing refinery expertise, combined with innovation and operational excellence, can help strengthen Canada’s lower-carbon fuel supply and build a strong foundation for the future of renewable fuels industry partners share knowledge, build trust and work together long before implementation begins.