Process for producing a hydrocarbon component

A process for producing base oil, said process comprising the steps wherein a feedstock comprising at least one compound selected from the group consisting of triglycerides, carboxylic acids having a carbon number C1-C38, esters of C1-C38 carboxylic acids with C1-C11 alcohols, C1-C38 alcohols, C1-C38 aldehydes, C1-C38 carboxylic acid anhydrides, and metal salts of C1-C38 carboxylic acids, esters of C1-C38 carboxylic acids with C12-C38 alcohols, natural waxes, dicarboxylic acids and polyols, is subjected to a ketonisation step carried out in the presence of metal oxide catalyst under a pressure from 0 to 10 MPa and at a temperature ranging from 100 to 500° C.,

• the ketonisation product is hydrodeoxygenated in the presence of a hydrodeoxygenation catalyst under a hydrogen pressure ranging from 0.1 to 20 MPa at a temperature ranging from 100 to 500° C., and
• after the hydrodeoxygenation step hydroisomerization is carried out under a hydrogen pressure ranging from 1 to 15 MPa at a temperature ranging from 200 to 400° C. in the presence of a hydroisomerization catalyst,
• to give a base oil product comprising branched hydrocarbons having carbon numbers of at least C18, at least 90% by weight of saturated hydrocarbons, 5-20% by weight of mononaphthenes and wherein fused dinaphthenes and polynaphthenes are in a concentration of no more than 1% by weight, and wherein at least 50% by weight of the saturated hydrocarbons have a width of the carbon number range of no more than 9.