HOLBORN Europa Raffinerie GMBH has awarded a contract to Topsoe AS to provide technology for a new renewable fuels production complex to be integrated within the company’s existing 5-million tonne/year refinery in Hamburg, Germany.
Under the mid-August agreement, Topsoe will supply its proprietary Hydroflex technology, enabling the conversion of waste and residue feedstocks into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel, according to the service provider.
The selection of Hydroflex, which allows the processing of various organic fats, oils, and greases into renewable jet fuel and diesel that meet global specifications, was essential for accommodating the specific feedstock needs of the proposed complex, said Lars Bergmann, managing director of HOLBORN’s Hamburg refinery.
This new facility is part of HOLBORN’s broader initiative to reduce emissions and increase the production of sustainable fuels, including renewable diesel and SAF, aligning with the company’s commitment to the energy transition and the European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED III).
HOLBORN had previously confirmed that the planned hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) complex is designed to produce 220,000 tpy of high-quality HVO—also known as green diesel—and SAF using biomass-based waste and residue feedstocks sourced from the agribusiness sector.
This latest contract follows HOLBORN’s June 2024 award to Maire SPA’s Rome-based subsidiaries, KT-Kinetics Technology SPA and NextChem SPA, to jointly provide engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services for the complex. Maire’s responsibilities also include the development of a pretreatment unit for renewable feedstocks and the infrastructure needed to connect the new HVO plant with existing refinery operations.
“This project marks a significant step in HOLBORN’s long-term transformation strategy, which aims to replace crude oil with alternative raw materials. Our focus is on renewable and circular solutions,” Bergmann stated when first announcing the project in June.
The HVO complex, including the pretreatment plant and connecting infrastructure, is slated to begin operations in early 2027.
