Heide/Hemmingstedt. The transformation of aviation towards sustainability is an important building block for making transport climate-neutral in the future. This is especially true if the volume of air traffic increases again after the Corona crisis. On the future of air transport, the Second National Aviation Conference was held at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport on 18 June 2021. There, the Chancellor called for the production of green paraffin to be expanded.

The Heide refinery in Hemmingstedt, until now a major producer of paraffin from crude oil, initiated the switch to green paraffin production early on. A consortium around Raffinerie Heide GmbH has set out to develop the refinery of the future. In a few years, it is to produce once petroleum-based products sustainably and contribute to the secure supply of environmentally friendly energy. The basis for the production of green paraffin is green methanol. Carbon dioxide and hydrogen are needed for its production.

For the raw materials of methanol and green paraffin, respectively, it is planned to separate CO2 from industrial waste gases. The hydrogen that is also needed is to be produced in Hemmingstedt from 2025 onwards with the help of wind energy as part of the HySCALE100 project. In 2025, production at the Heide refinery is to start with an initial 20,000 tonnes of green paraffin and then be further expanded. Where petroleum products were once produced, an important location for green hydrogen and sustainably produced fuels is developing.

This makes the hydrogen constantly available for green methanol/kerosene or energy production. The consortium for the HySCALE100 project includes the Heide refinery, two international energy companies and Holcim Germany.