“By expanding the cracker, OMV is consistently delivering on its petrochemical strategy for a future-proof refinery. This goes hand in hand with the growth in the chemical industry and serves as a response to increasing customer demand. At the same time, this 40-million-euro investment will provide key economic stimulus for the region and for OMV’s Burghausen site,” said Thomas Gangl, OMV chief downstream operations officer.

The initial groundwork is under way, and the upgraded units are expected to go online in the third quarter of 2022.

The Burghausen site is part of OMV’s refinery network, operating alongside its two other sites in Schwechat, Austria, and Ploiesti, Romania. The refinery at Burghausen processes roughly 3.8 million t/y of crude oil and produces mostly petrochemicals such as ethylene, propylene and butadiene, as well as middle distillates such as kerosene, diesel and heating oil.

A new high-purity isobutene unit with a capacity of about 60,000 t/y was due to go on stream at Burghausen last September. The €64 million plant uses new technology developed in partnership with BASF and is integrated into the refinery’s metathesis unit, which produces propylene.

Author: Elaine Burridge, Freelance Journalist