ExxonMobil starts new unit at Antwerp refinery

EXXONMOBIL has started operations of a new unit for producing high-value transportation fuels at its Antwerp refinery in Belgium.

The unit will convert heavy, higher-sulfur residual oils into fuels such as marine gasoil and diesel. The new coker will help to meet the demand for lower-sulfur fuel oil which will comply with new standards due to be implemented by the International Maritime Organisation in 2020. The 50,000 bbl/d unit adds to the existing capacity of 320,000 bbl/d at the Antwerp refinery.

“Our investment in Antwerp strengthens ExxonMobil’s competitiveness and position as a leading European refiner by expanding the refinery’s product slate and increasing our ability to deliver larger quantities of cleaner, higher-value fuels to European customers,” said Bryan W. Milton, president of ExxonMobil Fuels & Lubricants Company. “The US$2bn we have invested in our Antwerp refinery over the last decade has made the facility one of the most modern and efficient in the world.”

The coker is the first of several expansion projects planned by ExxonMobil in Europe. It is currently constructing a new hydrocracker in Rotterdam and considering expanding its Fawley refinery site in the UK.