Ashdod Oil Refinery ( he, פז בית זיקוק אשדוד) situated in the coastal city of
Ashdod is the second largest oil refinery in Israel (behind
Haifa's oil refinery). It is located in the industrial zone in the northern part of the city, nearby the
Port of Ashdod. As of 2014, it has an annual refining capacity of 5.4 million tons of oil, with a
Nelson complexity index of 9.8.
History
The refinery was once part of the formerly governmental company Oil Refineries Ltd. which owned both the Ashdod and Haifa refineries. As part of the effort to privatize the refining sector in country the Ashdod refinery was sold to the
Paz Oil Company
Paz Oil Company Ltd. ( he, פז חברת הנפט בע"מ) () is the largest Israeli fuels company. Paz distributes gasoline and other petroleum products through a network of gas stations, as well as LPG and natural gas for home use (cooking ...
in 2006.
The refinery commenced operations in 1973, after three years of construction, in order to meet the needs of the Israeli market which exceeded the production capacity of the
Haifa Refinery
BAZAN Group, (ORL or BAZAN, ), formerly Oil Refineries Ltd., is an oil refining and petrochemicals company located in Haifa Bay, Israel. It operates the largest oil refinery in the country. ORL has a total oil refining capacity of approximatel ...
.
The decision to construct a new refinery on the sand dunes north of Ashdod was based on the following considerations: available land, geographical dispersion of refining industries due to security risks, centrally located in the heart of the country’s area of consumption, occupational opportunities for Ashdod, proximity to the
Pi Glilot
The number (; spelled out as "pi") is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, approximately equal to 3.14159. The number appears in many formulas across mathematics and physics. It is an irra ...
fuel depot and the
Eshkol Power Station
The Eshkol Power Station is a power station supplying electrical power to the Shephelah region in Israel. It is located in north industrial zone of Ashdod near the mouth of the Lakhish River, close to the port of Ashdod and the Ashdod Oil Refine ...
.
Today, a pipeline connects the refinery to the national fuel pipeline, the crude oil
Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline
The Trans-Israel pipeline ( he, קו צינור אילת אשקלון), also Tipline, Eilat–Ashkelon Pipeline, or Europe–Asia Pipeline is an oil pipeline in Israel extending from the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. ...
and two
Israel Electric Company
Israel Electric Corporation ( he, חברת החשמל לישראל, abbreviation: IEC) is the largest supplier of electrical power in Israel and the Palestinian territories. The IEC builds, maintains, and operates power generation stations, s ...
sea lines in Ashdod.
The Ashdod Refinery is also connected to the national natural gas distribution grid. The use of natural gas significantly reduces the emission of contaminants to the environment, and is economical in energy costs.
An electric and steam plant was constructed on the site of the refinery, which will also be based on natural gas. It entered into operation in 2008.
Milestones
*1992 - Construction of catalytic crack and sulfur recovery unit completed
*2003 - HDS (hydro-desulfurization) unit and truck loading terminal for distillates were constructed; catalytic cracker upgraded.
*2002-2005 - Over USD 13 million invested in environmental protection: reduction of emissions of contaminants; treatment of sewage and prevention of
marine pollution; treatment of groundwater, soil and hazardous materials. Preparations are made to connect to the natural gas pipeline and use natural gas to reduce production costs.
*2006 – Paz Oil Company Ltd. was awarded the tender to purchase the Refinery from the State, and paid approximately NIS 3.25 billions for full ownership of Israel’s second largest oil refinery.
Figures
* Storage Capacity - 700,000 m3.
* Refinery site - 1100 dunams
* Number of employees - 230
References
{{Authority control
Oil and gas companies of Israel
Refineries
Refineries