Heide Refinery’s production facilities
Heide Refinery’s production facilities represent cutting-edge technologies and advanced solutions for the future. Their infrastructure and equipment are designed for maximum efficiency and quality to meet the demands of the market.
The hydrocracker and the steamcracker
as a guarantee of success
Hydrocracking
Hydrocracking involves breaking the oil’s molecular chains by adding hydrogen under high pressure. This has the advantage that the desired yield can be shifted in certain directions. Above all, however, it means that our utilisation rate is significantly higher than that of traditional refineries.
9.7 on the Nelson Complexity Index
All crude oil processors are rated according to the Nelson Complexity Index. The higher this value, the higher the potential yield of products.
European investments achieve an average score of 6.5. We are extremely proud that Heide Refinery has achieved a score of 9.7 on the Nelson Complexity Index.
This makes us one of the most flexible and state-of-the-art refineries in Germany.
The hydrocracker and the steamcracker
as a guarantee of success
Hydrocracking
Hydrocracking involves breaking the oil’s molecular chains by adding hydrogen under high pressure. This has the advantage that the desired yield can be shifted in certain directions. Above all, however, it means that our utilisation rate is significantly higher than that of traditional refineries.
9.7 on the Nelson Complexity Index
All crude oil processors are rated according to the Nelson Complexity Index. The higher this value, the higher the potential yield of products.
European investments achieve an average score of 6.5. We are extremely proud that Heide Refinery has achieved a score of 9.7 on the Nelson Complexity Index.
This makes us one of the most flexible and state-of-the-art refineries in Germany.
Health and safety at
Heide Refinery
Heide Refinery’s culture is underpinned by safety. The term HSEQ encompasses all our activities to protect people and the environment.
Our HSEQ Days are an important part of our campaigns to promote a safety culture. At these events, we train and raise awareness amongst all employees with a view to continuously improving safety and environmental understanding.
As a large number of partner companies are involved in project work on the company’s premises, participation of their employees in the HSEQ Days is one of the contractual obligations governing our partnership.
Health & safety at Heide Refinery
Heide Refinery’s culture is underpinned by safety. The term HSEQ encompasses all our activities to protect people and the environment.
Our HSEQ Days are an important part of our campaigns to promote a safety culture. At these events, we train and raise awareness amongst all employees with a view to continuously improving safety and environmental understanding.
As a large number of partner companies are involved in project work on the company’s premises, participation of their employees in the HSEQ Days is one of the contractual obligations governing our partnership.
Health, occupational safety and plant safety
We respect people’s health. Our managers are committed to acting in a responsible and exemplary manner when it comes to health, safety and the environment and to serving as role models for all employees. This role model function also applies to our conduct towards local residents.
We train our employees regularly and systematically in all relevant safety measures; our plants undergo safety inspections at specified intervals.
We consistently apply the legal guidelines on occupational and production safety, as well as environmental protection, in all parts of the company, whereby we regard them as the minimum standard.
From Heide Refinery’s mission statement
Health, occupational safety and plant safety
We respect people’s health. Our managers are committed to acting in a responsible and exemplary manner when it comes to health, safety and the environment and to serving as role models for all employees. This role model function also applies to our conduct towards local residents.
We train our employees regularly and systematically in all relevant safety measures; our plants undergo safety inspections at specified intervals.
We consistently apply the legal guidelines on occupational and production safety, as well as environmental protection, in all parts of the company, whereby we regard them as the minimum standard.
From Heide Refinery’s mission statement
General shutdown
All Heide Refinery plants are regularly inspected and maintained based on strict safety strategies of the Klesch Group. During the so-called general shutdown every five years, more than 1,000 specialists work on the respective systems and put every single unit through its paces.
Every day, 30,000 measuring instruments installed at all relevant points in the system monitor operations to ensure that they are technically flawless. A sophisticated system detects any deviations immediately. All pipelines are also monitored electronically. If disruptions occur in the pipeline, the monitoring systems can pinpoint the leak within a very short time and to an accuracy of a few metres – even in the underground pipelines.
What to do in the event of a malfunction?
As a company with an increased risk, we have a special duty to provide information on what to do in the event of an accident. The safety of local residents is just as important as that of our employees.
In two detailed brochures, we have already informed all neighbours at the Hemmingstedt and Brunsbüttel locations about what to do in an emergency.
Here is a brief summary of the most
important points during an emergency
Notify your direct neighbours and call children into the house immediately.
Help elderly people or those with disabilities. Temporarily admit passers-by.
Close all windows and doors.
Close all windows and doors.
Listen to the loudspeaker announcements and switch on the radio.
Always follow the instructions of the emergency services.
Do not block the telephone lines of the fire brigade, police and accident site by asking questions.
Only make calls in a personal emergency. In this case, call 110 (police) or 112 (fire brigade, ambulance/disaster response services).
Stay away from the scene of the accident.
Keep roads and paths clear for the emergency services.
Another tip:
In addition, if you are a neighbour of Heide Refinery or work within the vicinity/area, you can receive short messages on your mobile phone via the public alert services listed beside:
Dates for inspections
Dates for inspections pursuant to Section 16 of the Hazardous Accidents Ordinance
Pursuant to the Hazardous Accidents Ordinance, we are obliged to publish the dates for inspections by the State Mining Office for Mining, Energy and Geology (LBEG) and the State Office for Environment (LfU).
The following inspections have taken place:
- 16.10.2025 LfU Raffinerie Heide
- 28.08.2025 LBEG Butane cavern Raffinerie Heide
- 10.07.2025 LfU Tank farm Brunsbüttel
- 07.11.2024 LfU Raffinerie Heide
- 05.11.2024 LfU Tank farm Brunsbüttel
- 11.09.2024 LBEG Butane cavern Raffinerie Heide
- 03.07.2024 LfU Document review for the 2023 inspection Raffinerie Heide
