To mark the 70th anniversary of its refinery in Lingen, Germany, operator bp has unveiled its plans for transforming the site. By 2030, the group wants to transform the refinery into an "integrated energy center" that produces green hydrogen as well as biofuels. Over 500 MW of capacity is planned in the long term. For the conversion, bp expects to spend a medium to high three-digit million euro sum.
Scope 1 emissions from the refinery are to be reduced by up to 60% in the course of the conversion. In addition to producing up to 100,000 barrels of biofuels per year by 2030, green hydrogen in particular plays a key role in the transformation plan.
Green instead of gray
Gray hydrogen is still used in many on-site industrial processes. This is to be gradually replaced by green hydrogen. bp has launched initial projects to this end: Under the name "Lingen Green Hydrogen", for example, the company intends to install a 100 MW electrolyzer on the refinery site, which could be expanded to more than 500 MW. This would make it possible to produce several tons of green hydrogen per hour.
In addition, bp intends to sell the green hydrogen produced in Lingen to customers throughout Europe. The project is at an advanced planning stage, he said. If the requested IPCEI funding is approved by the European Commission this year, the electrolyzer could start operation in early 2026.
A Refinery reinvents itself
In perspective, bp could obtain the necessary green electricity from its own offshore wind farms: In July of this year, the group was awarded a contract for two offshore wind farms in the German North Sea. The company is also looking into further hydrogen projects, including an import terminal in Wilhelmshaven.
Patrick Wendeler, CEO of BP Europa SE, underlined the importance of the site for the "economic stability of Lower Saxony and Germany." Since its inception, he said, the refinery has "reinvented itself again and again," so the transformation now planned is a logical step: "In doing so, we are setting the course for the future of the site and strengthening its role in the transformation from bp to an integrated energy company."
