Base oils production unit
Worley is supporting Shell on a project that will convert a hydrocracker into a production unit for base oils at the Wesseling site in the facility, near Cologne. The Wesseling site plans to stop processing crude oils in 2025. The new base oil plant will have a production capacity of around 300,000 tonnes per year. This is equivalent to around 9 percent of EU and 40 percent of Germany’s demand for base oils, which are used in making high-quality lubricants such as engine and transmission oils.
By repurposing the hydrocracker and introducing a high degree of electrification, the project is expected to reduce Shell’s scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by around 620,000 tonnes a year.
Worley was previously the primary engineering partner working on the Assess, Select, and Define phases of the project. Now, as the project moves into the detailed design and procurement stages, Worley’s efforts are focused on providing quality services needed to meet the necessary standards for functionality, safety, and regulatory compliance. Work will continue to be based in Worley’s office in Cologne, supported by the business’s Global Integrated Delivery team in Mumbai.
Renewable hydrogen production
Worley is also working with Shell to enable renewable hydrogen production at the facility, with work carried out to provide early front-end engineering and design (pre-FEED), FEED, detailed design and integration services for the REFHYNE II project.
This will see the installation of a 100 MW electrolyzer, expected to produce up to 44,000 kilogram of renewable hydrogen every day, which Shell will use to decarbonize its operations. The electrolyzer will be based on the 10-megawatt electrolyzer, REFHYNE I, which started up in 2021 and uses the same technology.
The REFHYNE II project recently achieved a final investment decision in July 2024 and in the longer term, renewable hydrogen from the project could be directly supplied to help reduce industrial emissions in the region as customer demand evolves.
André van Drunen, Managing Director Germany at Worley said, “These projects build on our long-term collaboration with Shell at its Energy and Chemicals Park Rheinland. Our deep domain knowledge of Shell’s asset, local delivery capabilities and sector expertise enables us to support Shell’s transformation efforts and investments. We look forward to continuing to strengthen our long-standing partnership with Shell in Germany.”
Marijn Bezuijen, Project Director Rheinland, said, “The Energy and Chemicals Park Rheinland is on a transformation journey to help Shell become a net-zero emissions company by 2050. In the coming years, we will be working on key projects to achieve this. I am delighted that we are once again drawing on Worley’s expertise to help us make them a success.”
The base oil production plant and renewable hydrogen facility are expected to start operations in the second half of the decade.