Hydrierwerk-Scholven A.G.
Scholven-Buer
Location
This plant is situated south of Niederscholven, near Recklinghausen. It is in the area administered by the 113 Military Government Detachment with offices in Gelsenkirchen.
Description
High volatile bituminous coal and a relatively small amount of tar were hydrogenated to petrol. The D.H.D. process was used for production of aviation base stock and plants for dehydrogenaiton of butanes, polymerization and alkylation were used for production of aviation blending stocks. There were 6 coal stalls two saturation stalls and two splitting stalls all operating at 300 atmosphere pressure and employing the established I.G. procedure and catalysts. The maximum output of the plant was about 200,000 tons per year of aviatiorr petrol together with by-products such as hydrocarbons for rubber manufacture, treibgas and pitch making up a total of 273,000 tons per year.
A detailed report on this plant has been prepared by: C.Cockram, CIOS Target No 30/4.09. This report is on file at this office of the Ministry of Fuel and Power.
Status
On September 12th the writer visited the plant and interrogated the following personnel:
Herr Brunning, Business Director
Dipl. Ing. Starker, Chief Engineer
Dr. Urban, Chief Chemist
Dr. Schmidt, Chemist.
This plant had been very badly damaged by a daylight raid on March 10th, 1945, and at present there are about 1,000 workers employed in making repairs. It was stated to be possible to start one of the stalls on oils on one week’s notice. Next a coal stall could be started in 3 months. Eventually the plant could produce 50 per cent of its former output but without the D.H.D. or iso-octane plants. This would require the operation of 2 coal stalls and 2 vapour phase stalls which would need 1,000 men for operation and another 1,000 for maintenance after the plant was in operation. To restore the plant to 100 per cent capacity would require new instruments, machinery, etc.
A report on the proposed schedule for resuming operations had been submitted to the Military Government.