As you may know, AmCham member ExxonMobil is building a new unit for high-quality fuels at their refinery in Rotterdam.
This week, on October 25, the first part of the new hydrocracker unit arrived by barge in Rotterdam. The vacuum fractionation tower of about 50 meters long and 9 meters wide, was built in Belgium. The tower was shipped to Rotterdam, and arrived at the ExxonMobil refinery last Tuesday.
With an investment of over a billion dollars in a new hydrocracker unit, ExxonMobil reinforces the leading position of the Rotterdam refinery in the European refining sector. The hydrocracker will convert heavier products in cleaner, higher-quality end products such as base oils for lubricants and ultra-low sulfur diesel. The Rotterdam refinery is already one of the most energy efficient refineries in Europe, and this investment will further increase energy efficiency by five percent.
The refinery already produced low-sulfur diesel fuel, but with the new hydrocracker unit production will now be further expanded. In addition, ExxonMobil's proprietary hydrocracking technology used for the first time in Rotterdam, will allow us to produce EHC™ Group II base oils in Europe. Base oil is the main ingredient for the production of high quality lubricating oils and greases. This helps us meet the growing demand for cleaner fuels for transportation, while at the same time we contribute to the energy efficiency of the European transport sector.
The construction of the hydrocracker is also good for employment in the port of Rotterdam. The refinery employs over 650 people daily and supports numerous contractors and service providers. On average, more than 600 additional workers will be on site daily during a three-year construction period, with workforce numbers peaking at approximately 1,300 workers in 2017, generating a positive economic impact. Once the installation is expected to start up end of 2018, forty additional jobs are expected.
ExxonMobil’s presence in the Netherlands dates back to 1891, making it the country’s oldest oil and gas company. ExxonMobil is also the oldest U.S. industrial company in the Netherlands. ExxonMobil now has several manufacturing sites in the Rotterdam area, including a refinery, a lubes plant and four petrochemical plants. Its Esso fuels are sold to branded wholesalers and resellers. For more information visit the ExxonMobil website or follow them on Twitter.
