EXXONMOBIL has made a final investment decision to spend more than US$1bn expanding its Fawley refinery in the UK.
The investment is the biggest the company has made in the UK for nearly 30 years, and much higher than the US$650m it originally estimated it would spend on the project in September last year. The company announced today that it will spend more than US$1bn increasing production of ultra-low sulfur diesel by almost 45%, or 38,000 bbl/d.
The project includes a hydrotreater unit to remove sulfur from fuel, supported by a hydrogen plant that the company says will help improve the refinery’s overall energy efficiency. Detailed engineering and design is underway, with construction set to begin in late 2019, and start-up scheduled for 2021.
“ExxonMobil continues to invest in the Fawley refinery and chemical plant, Britain’s largest integrated facility,” said Bryan Milton, President of ExxonMobil Fuels and Lubricants Company. “This investment will make Fawley refinery the most efficient in the United Kingdom”.
The company says the investment will help reduce the UK’s reliance on foreign diesel, with more than half of supplies imported in 2017.
The decision follows an announcement earlier this month to invest in an expansion project at its Singapore refining and petrochemical complex to increase yields of higher-value products.
By Adam Duckett
Source: The Chemical Engineer
The investment enables the steam cracker to increase the share of renewable and recycled raw materials used in its (ethylene and propylene) production. The move supports the Borealis Strategy 2030 for a circular economy. The Porvoo investment program is expected to be completed in 2025.
Murray Auchincloss, bp’s CEO, said in a statement: “As I set out in February, BP’s destination from IOC [international oil company] to IEC [integrated energy company] is unchanged – and we need to deliver as a simpler, more focused, and higher-value company.
Founded in 1972, Tecnofilm has expanded its product portfolio over the years to offer a wider range of compounds and functional polymers for various industrial applications and technical articles. The company has patented several of its products.
