Capture diesel growth opportunity in Danube Refinery – Hydrocracking Project Package

The emerging challenge for the EU refining industries is the rapidly growing diesel demand. While simply adding more distillation capacities could help to ease the diesel situation, such stand-alone solutions would, however, also result in higher motor gasoline output to an already long EU motor gasoline market.

Having market and technology development scenarios analyzed, MOL concluded that middle-distillate output of an existing refinery could innovatively be increased via enlarging crude distillation capacity and conversion factor at the same time. A three-element package including a 1.3 Mt/year crude oil distillation capacity increase, the construction of a 1.5 Mt/year new vacuum gas oil hydrocracker combined with the incremental 300 kt/year revamp of the existing delayed coker proved best-fit for Danube Refi nery. The innovative concept will deliver an additional 1.3 Mt/year middle-distillate, will not increase current motor gasoline output and provides for lowest possible capital investment. Such arrangement will also support the replacement of the descending domestic crude volume, will enable continued lube base oil production and significantly enhance flexibility to match seasonal middle distillate/gasoline market volatilities.
The USD 420 million project package was approved by MOL Board of Directors in 24.05.2007. Project execution is now in progress, with basic engineering design of the new hydrocracker unit nearing completion. Coordinated by a dedicated team of experts, the new and revamped units are scheduled to go on stream by end of 2010.

Thernesz Artur, Szalmásné Dr. Pécsvári Gabriella, Valkai István, Dr. Kis Gábor, Kátai István, Rabi István