Method for activating hydrotreating catalysts

A method for in-situ activation of a hydrotreating catalyst by in situ loading, passivation and sulphiding of the hydrotreating catalyst, the method comprising:

• loading at least one hydrotreating catalyst in at least one hydrotreating reactor;
• passivating acid sites of the hydrotreating catalyst in the hydrotreating reactor by contacting the hydrotreating catalyst with an effective amount of at least one nitrogen compound at a temperature of 120° C. to 300° C., where the nitrogen compound is selected from the group consisting of N,N′-diethyl-1,3-propanediamine (DEAPA), tetramethyl-1,3-propanediamine (TMPDA), N-methyl-1,3-propanediamine, N,N′-dibutyl-1,3-propanediamine, N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)propane-1,3-diamine (DMAPAPA), N-(3-aminopropyl)-1,3-propanediamine, N,N′-1,2-ethanediyl-bis-1,3-propanediamine, N-(aminopropyl)diethanolamine (APDEA), and mixtures thereof;
• and
• sulphiding the hydrotreating catalyst in the hydrotreating reactor by contacting the hydrotreating catalyst with an effective amount of a sulphiding agent to provide the in-situ activated hydrotreating catalyst.