HOLBORN Turnaround 2023: Successfully completed!

The HOLBORN Europa refinery had gradually shut down its facilities since 26 August 2023 in order to carry out this year's TÜV inspection during the shutdown. Maintenance work continued until mid-October on so-called maintenance days: the facilities were checked for safety and functionality, repairs were carried out and projects were successfully integrated. In the subsequent start-up phase, the refinery gradually returned to operation.

For the largest area of the HOLBORN Europa refinery – production –, things really got going again after the maintenance work was completed: during start-up – the final phase of every shutdown – colleagues in the Operations department adjusted the paths for product flows. This step requires not only a great deal of finesse, but above all the utmost care and experience.

During commissioning, everything runs according to precise start-up plans. These extend to heating curves for individual pieces of equipment, which specify how newly lined vessels must be heated step by step so that they are not damaged. Pressures must be increased slowly, values monitored and settings adjusted. Many interdependencies must be taken into account, as individual pieces of equipment and the two large plant areas – crude oil distillation and catalytic cracking – are often interlinked in terms of process technology. Step by step, progress is made until production can start.

During commissioning, there was increased flaring activity at the refinery: the flares, an important part of our safety system, are used to control and burn off raw gases such as methane, which inevitably arise during the start-up process but cannot yet be utilised at this stage, without leaving any residue. It goes without saying that we comply with all environmental requirements and legal regulations.

During a total of six weeks of downtime, plus the shutdown and start-up of the plants, all work items were completed on schedule. Among other things, 764 safety valves, 406 heat exchangers, 356 pressure vessels, 51 columns, 27 reactors and countless filters, pipes, pumps and furnaces were inspected. Numerous people were involved in the turnaround: at peak times, HOLBORN received support from around 2,200 additional workers, including scaffolders, pipe fitters, welders, insulators, electricians, control mechanics, crane operators, engineers and experts from a wide range of contractors.

The supply of products to customers was guaranteed at all times during the turnaround, as the tanks were filled and the loading facilities continued to operate thanks to good preparation. The shutdown work had a total volume of around 110 million EUR. This investment is a commitment to the Hamburg-Harburg site, to securing the approximately 800 direct and indirect jobs associated with the refinery, and to ensuring a reliable supply of fuel to the region. With the measures implemented, the refinery is fit and safe for another five years before another TÜV inspection is due in 2028.