Reinvention in Rheinland
How the transformation of a Shell refinery in Germany is helping to reduce emissions and meet customers’ needs through the energy transition.
On Oct 1, 2025
For 40 years, the hum of the hydrocracker has been the soundtrack to the Wesseling site at Shell Germany’s refinery in Rheinland, Germany, which processes crude oil for products such as diesel and jet fuel.
But not anymore. As work gets underway to dismantle the unit – with its shiny silver pipes snaking around the main building, a new chapter is underway. Wesseling at Shell’s Energy and Chemicals Park in Rheinland is transforming to produce what are known as group III base oils, used to make high-quality lubricants such as engine and transmission oils, as well as electric vehicle fluids and cooling fluids, markets which are expected to grow.
"I see this as an exciting and necessary step,” says Amu Arenja, a senior project manager at Wesseling, squinting into the bright sunshine as he looks skywards to the hydrocracker. “This transition not only honours Wesseling’s long-standing legacy in refining but also reflects its evolution toward producing lower-emission products.”
The transformation of the Wesseling site is one of the latest examples of Shell’s strategy to create more value with less emissions, as it works towards its target to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050.
Felix Faber, Germany Country Chair and SVP Lubricants EU, Middle East & Africa.“The significant investment in the Energy and Chemicals Park Rheinland underlines our willingness to actively drive the energy transition forward."
Photo gallery
Electric ideas
The new base oils plant involves a high degree of electrification which reduces emissions at the site compared with the hydrocracking process for crude oil. This electrification, along with the shutdown of the crude oil distillation unit, is expected to help reduce Shell’s scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions (that come directly from its operations and from the energy Shell buys to run its operations) by around 620,000 tonnes a year.
No other Shell energy and chemicals park has undergone such a transformation. As part of the complex undertaking, Amu and his team are responsible for installing the new base oil unit, and new operators need to be trained before a millilitre can be produced. They are put through their paces in simulators under the watchful eye of Sylvia Wagner, who started as an apprentice at Wesseling more than 30 years ago.
"We make sure the operators have everything they need to do a safe and flawless start-up. We can also find flaws in advance, which will reduce the startup and commissioning time," Sylvia says.
The new base oil plant will be the largest in Germany, and in the top 10 in Europe when it is finished in 2028. It will have a production capacity of around 300,000 tonnes a year, equivalent to about 9% of current EU demand and 40% of Germany’s demand for base oils.
An industrial-sized jigsaw puzzle
On site, Nicole Alles, Head of Projects at Rheinland, (below) and her team are in charge of reconfiguring thousands of pipes across the Wesseling site, while maintaining production.
"We take care of bringing everything together. After shutting down the units, we still need to keep the rest of the site running, she says.
The transformation of Wesseling is expected to be completed by the end of 2028.
The Energy and Chemicals Park Rheinland is also home to the REFHYNE II hydrogen project to build a 100-megawatt proton-exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser. One of the largest renewable hydrogen projects in Europe, it’s expected to produce up to 44,000 kilograms (44 tonnes) of renewable hydrogen a day from 2027.
In 2024, 78.2% of Shell's global investments included oil & gas, 11.37% included low-carbon energy solutions and 10.43% non-energy products. Shell's target is to become a net-zero emissions (NZE) business by 2050. Disclaimers, including NZE target: shell.com/disclaimer
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