The Shell refinery in Rotterdam, the largest in Europe, was shutting down its factories on Sunday after a fire broke out on Saturday night, the company said.
The fire took place last night in a high-voltage power station at the Shell Pernis refinery in Rotterdam, which, with about 60 plants, is Europe's largest refinery and one of the largest in the world. The fire could be caused by a short circuit, according to the Dutch public radio NOS. Shell's unconfirmed information, which "waits to learn more about the circumstances of the incident," according to the spokesman.
"Shell is cutting all the plants on the site, which are interconnected, as many of them are out of use because of the power failure caused by the fire," said a spokesman for the giant Anglo-Dutch oil company.
Shell plans to complete the temporary shutdown of its Rotterdam site by Sunday night.
This may indeed take hours or even days, "said Shell Pernis spokesman. "It's not coffee makers that turn on or off with a finger."
The fire was controlled by the firefighters in the early morning, shortly before 6 am, but gigantic flames were still visible from far above the refinery.
Fire too much for authorities
"For security reasons, we are torching the remaining gases inside," the spokesman said, adding that the process was "totally controlled" and that the company "is trying to limit this burning to avoid Too much disturbing the inhabitants of the surroundings. "
According to the Regional Security Officer, there is no trace of release of toxic products into the smoke, but there may be soot in the air.
"Every incident is one too many, and our priority is to secure the site," said the company's spokesman, aware of the concern in the region about a "huge and impressive fireball" Above the refinery.
No impact on fuel prices for the moment
Shell was not yet able to determine the damage on Sunday, nor when the refinery, which produces 404,000 barrels of oil a day, would again fully function. The temporary closure of the site should not affect fuel prices, even in this period of vacationing:
"It is unlikely that drivers notice a difference at the pump," he said.
source: latribune.fr
Comments
Post a Comment