BP Oil U.K. Ltd. has begun commissioning a 60 million ($90 million) hydrofiner at its Grangemouth refinery in Scotland.
The schedule calls for start of commercial operation early this year.
The 35,000 b/d hydrofiner will enable BP to make diesel fuel containing less than 0.5 wt % sulfur to meet new European Commission (EC) standards for diesel.
The new standards are to go into effect next October.
In a BP publication, Peter Hillier, hydrofiner project manager, said the unit was completed 4 months ahead of schedule, with several months to spare before the new EC standards take hold.
He said, The early start-up is likely to bring noticeable benefits to refinery margins because there is a market for low sulfur diesel in Scandinavia and Germany.
The Grangemouth refinery can produce 9 million metric tons/year of petroleum products. It provides most of Scotlands products demand of 4-5 million metric tons/year, enabling BP to export the remainder of plant output to England, Continental Europe, and the U.S.
Refinery upgrade
The hydrofiner project is part of a program to make Grangemouth a world class operation.
BP has a 50 million ($75 million) project to upgrade its hydrocracking plant and install a sulfur recovery unit there.
Construction, which has just begun, is scheduled to be complete in first quarter 1997.
The upgrade will allow BP to increase its output of high quality, low sulfur products, giving it the flexibility to meet changing demand for diesel fuel, jet fuel, and gasoline.
BP earlier announced a 24 million ($36 million) revamp of the Grangemouth catalytic cracker unit, which is well along in construction. n
More news on p. 67
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