Conversion of crude tall oil to renewable feedstock for diesel range fuel compositions

Method for conversion of crude tall oil into a renewable diesel fuel composition by a sequence of reaction and separation steps wherein the method comprises the steps of:

• a) removal of non-oil contaminants present in the crude tall oil and recovering valuable organic compounds present in the crude tall oil, thereby forming a refined tall oil stream;
• b) removal of the volatile fraction of the refined tall oil stream from step a), thereby forming a volatiles free oil stream comprising organic components with boiling points, at atmospheric pressure, of 170° C. or higher;
• c) separation in a vacuum distillation system, said system comprising a vacuum distillation column and a thin-film evaporator, of the volatiles free oil stream of step b) into at least two process streams or phases wherein a first process stream or phase is substantially comprising components with boiling points, at atmospheric pressure, in the range of 170-400° C. and a second process stream or phase is substantially comprising components with boiling points, at atmospheric pressure, over 400° C.;
• d) directly or indirectly passing components from the first process stream or phase of step c) through a catalytic bed comprising a deoxygenation catalyst at elevated temperature, thereby forming a diesel range fuel depleted in oxygen.