**Holborn Taps Topsoe Technology for German Renewable Fuels Complex**
In a significant stride towards the energy transition, HOLBORN Europa Raffinerie GMBH has contracted Topsoe AS to deliver advanced technology for a proposed renewable fuels production complex at its existing 5-million tonne/year refinery in Hamburg, Germany.
As part of the mid-August agreement, Topsoe will license its proprietary Hydroflex technology to enable the processing of waste and residue feedstocks into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel. This technology is crucial for converting various organic fats, oils, and greases into drop-in renewable jet and diesel that meet all global specifications, aligning with the stringent requirements of the complex, according to Lars Bergmann, managing director of HOLBORN’s Hamburg refinery.
The proposed plant is a key component of HOLBORN’s broader initiative to reduce emissions and increase the production of sustainable fuels such as renewable diesel and SAF. This move is in line with both HOLBORN’s commitment to the energy transition and the European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED III). The complex’s intended operation is part of an overall strategy to replace crude oil with alternative raw materials, focusing on renewable and circular solutions.
HOLBORN previously confirmed that the planned hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) complex will produce 220,000 tonnes per year of high-quality HVO—or green diesel—and SAF. The feedstocks will be sourced from biomass-based waste and residue materials from the agribusiness industry.
Following this latest contract, HOLBORN has awarded Maire SPA’s Rome-based subsidiaries, KT-Kinetics Technology SPA and NextChem SPA, with engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services for the complex. This includes the development of a pretreatment unit for renewable feedstocks and the necessary infrastructure to connect the new HVO plant with existing refining operations.
The HVO complex,