Wichita-based Koch Supply & Trading has begun construction to increase the product offering at its 80,000 barrel-per-day Rotterdam refinery, which is capable of processing a diverse array of feedstock for the markets in Europe, US and Asia.
The refinery, built in 1994, is the largest merchant naphtha producer in Europe and would ultimately produce two new premium grades of naphtha, one customized as a feedstock for the growing chemical industry demand and one tailored for gasoline blending, according to the company.
Additionally, the refinery would also produce merchant-quality butane for use in petrochemical and gasoline production while maintaining the company’s commitment to the jet fuel, gas oil and high end residual fuel markets.
Located at the Vopak Oil Rotterdam’s Europort terminal, a key hub for refined petroleum products in Europe, the facility is competitively positioned to meet customer needs locally and to serve the world’s largest demand markets, the US gasoline market and the Asian petrochemical market.
Steve Mawer, president, said: We are committed to continuously improving our ability to meet customer’s needs. The expanded product mix greatly improves that ability. This latest investment enhances the plant’s light end capabilities and our ability to satisfy the growing global demand for high-quality naphtha.