Refining

Efficient and perfectly-positioned

Holborn is a cat-cracking refinery with medium conversion, a processing capacity of around 105,000 barrels of crude per day, and an average annual throughput of 4.5 million tonnes. Well-positioned in Hamburg – a major industrial centre – it has access to both the sea and inland waterways and can handle crude from VLCC via 142 km of pipeline from Wilhelmshaven, and from vessels of up to 80,000 metric tons direct in Hamburg itself. It also has excellent road and rail connections, with sidings on-site and an adjoining rail yard.

Significant investment at the plant, for example the installation of new units for desulphurisation and de-aromatisation of transport fuels, have resulted in a mid-conversion refinery primarily focused on producing petrol, diesel, heating oil EL and LSFO (Low Sulphur Fuel Oil) according to the IMO regulation 2020. The plant meets all EU specifications and can also produce a wide range of other high-quality products including liquefied petroleum gases, petrochemical grade naphtha, kerosene, as well as cyclohexane for the chemical market.

The plant, in short, is one of Europe’s most energy-efficient, with excellent production versatility, good track records for performance, environmental protection and safety, and low unit costs.

History

Oilinvest’s original primary motivation for European refining was to supply our European network and third parties with refined products. Until relatively recently, the Oilinvest Group operated three refineries – in Cremona in Italy, Collombey in Switzerland and Holborn in Hamburg, Germany. The Cremona and Collombey refineries have been decommissioned and converted into strategic depots and the Holborn refinery remains the Group’s main refinery.