Neste’s Rotterdam refinery restarts operations following December fire
- Ron Kotrba
- Jan 31, 2023
- 1 min read
Neste Corp. announced Jan. 30 that its Rotterdam refinery has resumed safe production after an unplanned shutdown in December due to a fire in a refinery unit.
Biobased Diesel Daily reported in late December that renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) producer Neste Corp. announced Dec. 23 that its refinery in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, was shut down due to a fire in a refinery unit that occurred Dec. 22.
The company stated that the fire did not cause injuries and was extinguished by the time Neste issued its release the following day.
“We are investigating the incident and repair work has started,” the company stated Dec. 23. “At this stage, we estimate the refinery startup to take place in the first half of January.”
Neste stated that it was mitigating the possible impact on its customers.
“The incident has no effect on the ongoing Rotterdam refinery-expansion project,” the company stated Dec. 23.
In June, Neste made a final investment decision to significantly expand biobased diesel production capacity in Rotterdam.
The company will spend 1.9 billion euros (USD$2 billion) to almost double capacity from nearly 475 million gallons per year (mgy) to close to 915 mgy.
Roughly 44 percent of its total, expanded renewable production capacity in Rotterdam, or approximately 406 mgy, will be capable of refining SAF.
Neste plans for the expanded production capacity to come online in the first half of 2026.
Biobased Diesel Daily requested additional information from Neste Dec. 28 regarding the fire and its impact on refinery operations and equipment, but no responses from the company had been received.
