Perspectives

Emilio Marin

Managing Director bp Refinery Rotterdam 

1. Refineries supply us with useful everyday resources like fuel and other finished and semi-finished products such as plastics. At the same time, their processes have a negative impact on the environment. How does H-vision help you to realise your goal of minimising your environmental footprint?

bp has clearly stated its ambition to become carbon-neutral before 2050 – and of course, this also applies to our refinery activities at Europoort. We see ourselves as part of the solution, since we team up with other parties to explore new opportunities to reduce power consumption and develop alternative fuels, among other initiatives. H-vision is part of a palette of solutions that will help us to be zero-carbon by 2050. Using clean blue hydrogen as a substitute for traditional refinery gas in our furnaces will enable us to cut back our emissions by over 50 percent.

2. Why do you have confidence in the H-vision project in Rotterdam?

Rotterdam is known for its ‘rolling up its sleeves’ and getting the job done attitudes, even when others are still wavering. We need every party in the chain to make this project a success: the government, the Port of Rotterdam Authority and numerous other key players in the industrial area. Ultimately, H-vision will strengthen Rotterdam’s competitive edge – and ours too!

3. Isn’t green energy at odds with a fossil-based industry like refining?

Oh no, by no means. Over the past few years, our sector has shown its willingness to realise projects that help reduce consumption as well as cut back emissions. More than ever, our focus – in addition to safety – will lie on transforming our energy system in the interest of people and planet. But other participating parties are also very enthusiastic and see why we need to take this path. A carbon-neutral refinery… imagine how great that would be!

Emilio Marin