Page 153 - CW E-Magazine (23-4-2024)

News from Abroad

nised as the most affordable and safe 16 partners, with VTT Technical the Finnish hydrogen business and
option on a large scale. Research Centre of Finland and Geolo- technology ecosystem. The project
gical Survey of Finland GTK assuming also aims to establish pathways for
Because Finland lacks natural the central roles in project coordination continued research, inviting partner
ground formations suitable for gas and research activities. companies to contribute to ongoing
storage, the focus of the HUG project advancements in the field,” explained
is on constructed gas storage solutions. “The overall goal of the HUG pro- Project Managers Mr. Pasi Valkokari
ject is to build the basis for a large- from VTT and Mr. Teemu Lindqvist
The two-year project brings together scale hydrogen storage concept for from GTK.

PROJECT UPDATE
Exxonmobil’s UK refinery expansion set to begin

diesel supply in 2025

American energy major, Exxon-
mobil, is on track to begin diesel supplies
from its $1-bn expansion at UK’s
largest oil refinery in the first quarter
of 2025.

A new production facility at the
Fawley refinery on the south coast of
England will initially be geared to pro-
duction of diesel, helping to reduce
imports of the fuel into the UK. It could
be reconfigured at a later point to make
conventional jet fuel or sustainable
aviation fuel from vegetable oils. It
will also allow for more petrochemicals
output, said a Bloomberg report.

Originally configured as a gaso-
line-focused site, the project that’s fini-
shing at Fawley, will shift its production with its partners Taylor Woodrow and ted foundations, equipment, pipework,
balance away from the motor fuel toward BGEN. electrical, and instrumentation.
diesel, jet fuel and chemicals. Exxon
has previously said its refining business The project was awarded to the The primary objective of this pro-
could move away from gasoline and alliance in March 2022 with Kent’s ject is to enable the production of
toward chemicals, where demand growth responsibilities including project man- low-sulphur diesel in compliance with
is forecast to outpace other products in agement, engineering and procure- the 2025 Euro 7 emissions standards.
the coming years. Fawley is Exxon’s ment, module fabrication and logistics, The upgrade is anticipated to increase
second-biggest oil-processing facility in as well as completions and commis- production by an impressive 40% at
Europe, with capacity to process about sioning. Fawley, and reducing imports to the
270,000 barrels of crude a day. UK by around 25%. The new hydrogen
In addition to the construction, plant, which has daily capacity is 55-
Meanwhile, Kent, a leading engi- completion, and commissioning of a million standard cubic feet, will push up
neering and project management com- new diesel hydrotreater and a steam consumption of natural gas at Fawley.
pany, has announced its involvement in methane reforming hydrogen plant, The site’s main source of hydrogen is
ExxonMobil’s Fawley project along- the alliance will also execute associa- currently from its reformer.

Chemical Weekly April 23, 2024 153

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