Refineries

Neste Oil’s fossil fuel refineries are located at Porvoo and Naantali in Finland, and its two renewable diesel refineries in Singapore and Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Additional renewable diesel capacity is based at the Porvoo refinery.

The success of Neste Oil’s refineries is based on a high level of refining expertise, a commitment to introducing advanced new technologies, and the ability to refine a range of different feedstocks.

The environmental impact and safety performance of Neste Oil’s refineries is covered in more detail in the Sustainability section of the Annual Report.

Porvoo refinery

Neste Oil’s Porvoo refinery is one of Europe’s most advanced and versatile refineries and is capable of producing a comprehensive range of major petroleum products, as well as NExBTL renewable diesel. The refinery has a crude refining capacity of 206,000 bbl/d and produces around 12 million t/a of products.

The refinery’s average capacity utilization rate in 2011 was 85% (82%) and output totaled 12.0 million tons (10.6 million tons). Output was higher compared to 2010, when the largest maintenance turnaround in the site’s history took place. Russian Export Blend accounted for 61% (62%) of input in 2011.

Work on improving the productivity of Diesel Line 4 continued in 2011. New liquid catalyst technology was introduced, a world first, and improved the performance of the production process and conversion rates. A maintenance shutdown was carried out in the fall to decoke the line and help ensure future uninterrupted production.

A number of test runs using various different raw materials and combinations of inputs were carried out at the site’s renewable diesel plants during 2011; these included successfully running a batch of 100% waste animal fat. One of the plants also produced the first batch of NExBTL renewable aviation fuel supplied to Lufthansa in 2011.

The refinery achieved its longest-ever period without a single accident – 209 days, equivalent to around 1.8 million working hours – in 2011. Environmental investments continued at the site, with the launch of a project to recover gas released during loading at the refinery’s harbor. This facility is due to be completed in 2013. Read more about the VOC recovery system in the Sustainability section of the Annual Report.

Naantali refinery

Neste Oil’s Naantali refinery concentrates on specialty products, such as solvents and bitumen, and has a capacity of 58,000 bbl/d, producing approx. 3 million tons of products annually.

The refinery’s average capacity utilization rate in 2011 was 85% (84%) and output totaled 2.3 million tons (2.4 million tons). Russian Export Blend accounted for 91% (95%) of the refinery’s total feedstock input in 2011.

Preparations continued for the maintenance turnaround scheduled for spring 2012. Following an extensive energy efficiency review, an energy efficiency enhancement project was launched that will run until 2014. The refinery also achieved a record two-year period without any inflammable material incidents.

A trial run using vegetable oil was successfully carried out at the refinery’s thermofor catalytic cracking (TCC) unit. This was Neste Oil’s first-ever run using an alternative feedstock on a line designed for fossil inputs. Modernization work started on Pier 2 at the refinery’s harbor to improve harbor safety and cost efficiency.

Renewable diesel refineries in Singapore and Rotterdam

Neste Oil started up Europe’s largest renewable diesel refinery on-schedule in Rotterdam in the Netherlands in fall 2011. Based on the company’s proprietary NExBTL technology, the plant has a production capacity of 800,000 t/a of premium-quality renewable diesel.

Neste Oil has had a similar-sized renewable diesel refinery operational in Singapore since 2010, and two smaller renewable diesel plants have been operational at the Porvoo refinery since 2007 and 2009. Following the start-up of the Rotterdam refinery, Neste Oil now has a total of 2 million t/a of renewable diesel capacity. All four facilities are also capable of producing NExBTL renewable aviation fuel, as well as NExBTL diesel.

Neste Oil’s output of renewable diesel more than doubled in 2011 and totaled 0.7 million tons (0.3 million tons). Given the market situation, plants were not operated at their full capacity, however.