Koole Tankstorage Botlek (KTB) sees and creates opportunities to develop an additional distillation tower at the end of next year. Besides integrated storage and multimodal logistics solutions, our Botlek terminal has offered unique distillation services for more than 50 years and has been producing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) since 2020. The new distillation tower will increase Koole’s SAF production capacity. With the construction of SAF, Koole is making a major contribution in the transition to greener fuels.
From left to right: Pieter Fontein, Sales Manager and Jeroen Kensmil, Team Leader PID at Koole Terminals.Jeroen Kensmil, Team Leader PID, and Pieter Fontein, Sales Manager at Koole Terminals, explain. Their main focus is the Operation and Business Development of the PID (Petrochemical Industrial Distillation). The PID installation distills (separates) products based on temperature and pressure.
An additional distillation unit called Unit 4 should be added by the end of next year. With these PID Units, Koole is fully engaged in the energy transition and contributing positively to the major climate challenges. Through distillation, SAF can be produced from hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) from customers. Uniquely, Koole has its own research facilities. Kensmil: “Customers can send in their samples and we can accurately determine how much SAF can be produced from their product. This is how we add value to our customers’ products.”
“Koole will be able to facilitate part of the rising global demand for SAF”
Koole is very well aware that the world needs to become more sustainable at a rapid pace, and that is certainly a challenge for the aviation industry. With the development of Unit 4, Koole will be able to facilitate part of the rising global demand for SAF. Within Europe, there is a proposal to achieve a compulsory SAF proportion of 2% in jet fuel for all flights within and departing from Europe. “This is the opportunity for Koole to be there on time and anticipate this development,” agrees Fontein. “Demand will only increase.”
“With this project we will increase our production capacity”
KTB is looking forward to this summer. Kensmil: “With this project we will increase our production capacity from 130 thousand tons to almost half a million tons of SAF feedstock per year. All of that simply here in the Botlek.” Kensmil adds: “That does something to you. When an aircraft flies over, there’s a great chance that it’s partly powered by sustainable fuel produced at our terminal.”