EU Refinery Maintenance

European refinery maintenance for the first half of 2024 will peak at 1.18mbpd in April according to an Energy Aspect forecast. Analysts at shipbroker Gibson said European spring maintenance is expected to peak around March.

• In Germany, Bayernoil’s Vohburg refinery’s 60kbpd CDU (Topping 2) remained offline since 10 October according to WoodMac.
• Bayernoil’s Neustadt refinery shut the hydrogen plant on 1 January. The 40kbpd hydrocracker remained shut since 6 October according to WoodMac.
• In France, TotalEnergies’ Gonfreville refinery halted a unit on 25 Jan according to a community alter. The 206kbpd CDU and 40kbpd gasoil hydrotreater have been shut since 10 Jan according to WoodMac.
• Total’s Feyzin refinery shut the CDU and VDU in an unplanned outage on 20 December according to Bloomberg. Works are scheduled to last until 16 February, affecting 109kbpd.
• Total’s Donges refinery’s 39kbpd visbreaker and the 55kbpd FCC remained offline since 18 December and 13 December, respectively. The firm halted a hydrodesulfurization unit for planned maintenance on 12 January, according to a report by Le Progres citing the company.
• ExxonMobil’s Fos Sur Mer refinery in France has halted on 20 Jan for a planned maintenance, the firm said in a statement. The ESSO SAF CEO said late last year, the facility is planning a major turnaround in early 2024. WoodMac reported the facility shut the 112kbpd CDU on 26 Jan, the 30kbpd FCC on 27 Jan and the 44kbpd on 24 Jan.
• Ineos’ Lavera refinery halted the 30kbpd in an unplanned outage on 27 January. Works are expected to be completed on 31 Jan according to Bloomberg.
• In the UK, Total’s Fina Lindsey refinery is scheduled to undergo a full turnaround between 16 January and 13 March according to Bloomberg.
• Essar’s Stanlowe refinery is scheduled to start planned maintenance for six weeks on 1 February at a crude and hydrogen tie-in unit according to Bloomberg.
• Ineo’s Grangemouth refinery’s VDU and hydrocracker remained offline since early April.
• In Belgium, TotalEnergies shut the 74kbpd FCC and 58kbpd gasoline hydrotreater on 26 Jan at its Antwerp refinery. Previously the firm also halted the hydrocracker on 18 Jan according to WoodMac. Bloomberg expects works to last until 10 March. The firm is looking to postpone planned work on a gasoline producing unit next year at the refinery according to Bloomberg sources.
• In the Netherlands, the 83kbpd VDU at BP’s Rotterdam refinery remains halted since 11 April to Bloomberg. BP plans a turnaround this spring at the refinery, a person familiar with the matter said. Works are scheduled to start in April and are expected to last several weeks.
• The 33kbpd visbreaker was shut on 21 Jan according to WoodMac.
• Shell’s Pernis refinery shut the 56kbpd hydrocracker on 27 January according to WoodMac. Shell is planning start maintenance at the 404kbpd Pernis refinery in Rotterdam by the end of January, the firm said via X. Works are expected to run until mid-April. The firm plans to take the FCC offline to install a new reactor, sources told Bloomberg earlier this month.
• In Italy, Eni’s Agib Taranto refinery is planning works at the residual hydrocracker from 14 February until 16 March. Works could result in a full halt, people familiar with the operations told Bloomberg.
• Anonima’s Falconeri refinery has planned works between 10 January and 11 February affecting 78kbpd according to Bloomberg.
• In Spain, the Petronor 220kbpd Bilbao refinery in northern Spain halted its 44kbpd V3 vacuum unit on Jan 21 for maintenance according to Bloomberg. The unit is scheduled for restart on Feb 4, the firm said in a statement.
• Repsol’s Cartagena refinery shut the 100kbpd CDU on 28 Jan according to WoodMac.
• In Croatia, the INA Rijeka refinery has planned works until 29 February affecting 90kbpd. The unit halted on 14 December according to Bloomberg.
• In Norway, Equinor plans to undergo maintenance at the Mongstad refinery in Nordhordland, Norway, from the beginning of April until the middle of May, a spokesperson told Bloomberg. As part of the maintenance, the refinery will shut the crude, petrol coke and gasoil units and one of the reformers. The refinery has a processing capacity of 12mn tons per year, or 240kbpd.
• In Finland, Neste is ramping down its Porvoo refinery ahead of strikes. The refinery has been put into a “safe state” ahead of the February 1-2 strike according to Bloomberg reports. "No finished product will come out, petrol, diesel and the others that we make here," union representative Sami Ryynanen said last week.