Italy’s Maire, through its subsidiary KT-Kinetics Technology (part of the NextChem group), has reportedly won the EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contract for a new HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil)/SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) unit at the HOLBORN refinery in Hamburg, Germany. The contract value is reported at approximately $400 million.
The new unit is a grassroots facility to be built within the existing 5 million t/y HOLBORN refinery complex, with combined HVO and SAF production capacity of 220,000 t/y. The specific process technology licensor has not been disclosed.
The contract value is approximately $400 million, with the new unit’s combined HVO/SAF capacity at 220,000 t/y. The existing refinery complex has a total processing capacity of 5 million t/y. The contract was reportedly signed in mid-June 2026.
Amid tightening renewable fuel blending mandates for Europe’s aviation and transport sectors, investment in adding SAF and HVO production units to existing refineries is reported to be continuing.
This case of integrating renewable fuel units into an existing fossil-fuel refinery complex illustrates a pattern among European refiners of pursuing regulatory compliance and new revenue sources simultaneously. The continued flow of EPC awards to Maire-affiliated units is also notable.
Confirmation of the process technology licensor, the actual construction and completion schedule, and the production split between HVO and SAF after start-up warrant continued monitoring once confirmed.