Antwerp, a Complex Transforming Itself

00:05 Voice Over

We’re in Antwerp, home to Total's biggest refining and petrochemical complex in Europe, also the third biggest on the continent. Total is investing €1 billion in the facility to adapt production to the tough new market. Challenges include structurally declining demand for petroleum products and increasingly stringent environmental specifications for products. But there’s more.

00:25 Hilde Luystermans

There is fierce competition, not only in Europe, but also from the States, from Asia, and for the petrochemicals, from the Middle East; new plants based on ethane, and that production process is much cheaper than our classical production process from naphtha.

00:45 Voice Over

For that, Total is carrying out two major projects at the same time. One is to adjust to trends by producing less heavy fuel oil and more ultra low sulfur diesel and heating oil meeting the most stringent standards.

01:19 Thomas Behrends

The project is going to build a new conversion complex consisting of two new units. The conversion complex is converting the more heavy and less profitable products into lighter and more valuable products, which we can bring easier to the market and so we stick easier to the market demands.

01:49 Voice Over

The other is to enhance the competitiveness of petrochemicals units by using cost-advantaged feedstock.

01:59 Jean-Luc Berthou

First of all, the new ROG unit will recover valuable hydrocarbons coming from the different units of the refineries that are used now in the fuel gas network and burned as fuel gas. This fuel gas will be recovered, recycled and used as feedstock for the new petrochemical units. They will replace naphtha, which is distilled from petroleum and therefore quite expensive. So this is going to be the first such unit in Europe to recover these gases coming from different parts of the refinery.

02:31 Voice Over

These projects will improve the refinery’s ability to match market demand and its competitiveness.

02:40 Hilde Luystermans

Total is a big player in refining and petrochemicals in Europe, and not only wants to keep that position, but also wants even to be a benchmark in integrated and refining petrochemical business in Europe.

03:03 END