Site

Borealis Burghausen Site Aerial View | 26^th May 2025, BOREALIS DEUTSCHLAND

Overview

The Borealis site in Burghausen, Germany, is a major hub for polypropylene (PP) production and innovation, featuring some of the most advanced polyolefin technologies in Europe. The site is closely integrated with the neighboring OMV refinery, ensuring a reliable feedstock supply and operational efficiency.

Site History^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

• In 1988, OMV AG took over Deutsche Marathon Petroleum Gesellschaft mbH, which was renamed DMP and later OMV Deutschland. As a result, POB Polyolefine Burghausen GmbH was founded as a 100% subsidiary of OMV AG (Austria).
• In 1989, the polypropylene plant (PP4) was commissioned.
• 1995: POB took over plastics production from OMV Deutschland, and the company was transferred from OMV AG to the Austrian polyolefin manufacturer PCD Polymere.
• 1998: following the sale of PCD Polymere GmbH to Borealis A/S, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark, POB was renamed Borealis Polymere GmbH.
• 2003: an increase in production was achieved by optimizing the PP plant, reaching an annual output of 390,000 tonnes of polyolefins.
• 2006: the expansion of polypropylene capacities began. This expansion, using the company’s proprietary Borstar technology, increased total capacity by 330,000 tonnes to 745,000 tonnes per year.
• 2008: Borealis expanded its polypropylene production by integrating an additional Borstar polypropylene plant (PP6) on its Burghausen premises. Development began in 2006, and the plant started up in early 2008.
• 2014: the site previously included a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plant with a capacity of 175,000 tonnes/year, but this was closed at the end of 2014 to focus on PP production.

Production Capacities^[1][2]

Today, the site operates two polypropylene production plants with a capacity of 240,000 t/y (PP4) and 330,000 t/y (PP6) respectively, for a combined capacity of 570,000 tonnes per year:

• The PP4 plant, commisionned in 1989, with a production capacity of 240,000 t/y. 
• The PP6 plant, commissioned in 2008, is a 330,000 tonnes per year polypropylene facility utilizing Borealis’ proprietary Borstar^® PP 2G (second generation) multi-modal technology,

Integration and Feedstock Supply

• The Borealis plants are directly connected to the OMV Burghausen refinery, which supplies highly pure propylene and ethylene feedstocks. OMV’s investments in metathesis and cracker technology have increased propylene production to 560,000 tonnes/year, fully meeting Borealis’ needs.
• The integration allows seamless conversion of petrochemical base chemicals into advanced plastics, supporting both operational efficiency and innovation.

References

1. Borealis Group > Deutschland > Standorte > Burghausen. (accessed 29^th May 2025)
2. Borealis Group, 10^th Sep 2008, OMV and Borealis: Significant expansion of Burghausen site for leading position in petrochemical industry.
3. OGJ editors, 11^th Oct 2008, OMV, Borealis to expand Burghausen refinery, OIL & GAS JOURNAL.
4. Pörner Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH, Selected References 2010, Petrochemistry, PCD Polymere, Burghausen.