BP Europa SE announced its intention to market its Ruhr Oel GmbH – BP Gelsenkirchen operation in Germany for potential sale. Its assets include the bp refinery in Gelsenkirchen and DHC Solvent Chemie GmbH in Mülheim an der Ruhr.
The marketing process for a suitable buyer will begin immediately with sales agreements targeted for 2025. Assuming this is successful, timing for the completion of the sale and transfer of the company to a new owner will be subject to regulatory and governmental approvals. During the sales process, the refinery will continue to operate as usual.
The Ruhr Oel GmbH – BP Gelsenkirchen site (Source: BP)
Emma Delaney, EVP, customers & products said, “bp needs to continually manage its global portfolio as we position to grow as a simpler, more focused, higher-value company. After a thorough review, we have concluded that a new owner would be better suited for the site to take it forward. We are convinced that the refinery can unlock its full potential under new ownership.”
In recent years, bp has implemented numerous projects to modernize the infrastructure of the refinery in Gelsenkirchen. This includes, for example, renewing the power grid and establishing an independent steam supply. With initiatives like these, the site can meet the demands of modern refinery operations. The continued transformation of the site, initiated in 2024, aims to reduce the refinery’s complexity and processing capacity. Today, the refinery can process crude oils from around the world, produce high-quality fuels and also has the potential to manufacture biofuels and process recycled plastics.
Patrick Wendeler, chief executive of BP Europa SE, said, “With significant investments, we have been able to substantially modernize our site in recent years. Due to its current production capabilities and its location – in the heart of Europe and particularly within the chemical cluster of North Rhine-Westphalia – it offers significant potential to a new owner supported by a highly qualified team.”
With a current workforce of around 2,000 employees and 160 apprentices, Ruhr Oel GmbH – BP Gelsenkirchen (ROG) operates the two plants in Horst and Scholven in Gelsenkirchen as an integrated refining and petrochemical site, as well as the Bottrop tank farm. The refinery has a processing capacity of around twelve million tonnes of crude oil per year. This is used to produce petrol, diesel, jet fuel and heating oil, as well as more than 50 other products, primarily for the chemical industry. In addition to its major importance for the domestic fuel and energy supply, the Gelsenkirchen site also plays a key role in the North Rhine-Westphalia chemical industry.
In addition, ROG is the sole owner of DHC Solvent Chemie GmbH and has a share in the Maatschap Europort Terminal (MET) in the Netherlands. It also holds shares in the N.V. Rotterdam-Rijn-Pijplining (RRP) crude oil and product pipeline and Nord-West Oelleitung GmbH (NWO) with its pipelines, crude oil tanks, tank farms and unloading points.