The bp-Husky Toledo refinery has been a cornerstone of the Ohio economy for more than 100 years, supplying fuels to the Midwest, supporting thousands of jobs and investing in the community.
In recent years, the refinery — located in Oregon, Ohio — has experienced a number of major improvements to make it fit for the future. In 2019, the refinery team completed a significant maintenance project — called a turnaround — to improve reliability and help the facility maintain safe and reliable operations for years to come.
The turnaround project importantly repaired the refinery’s isocracker, a key unit for upgrading crude products into high-value transport fuels. Additional turnarounds were completed in 2021, with another one scheduled for 2022.
During a large turnaround project, the refinery brings in an extra 2,000 or more qualified contractors to work alongside its regular personnel.
Recently, the Toledo refinery has also commissioned two projects to help improve the environmental performance of its operations:
Established in 1919 by Standard Oil of Ohio, the Toledo refinery is operated by bp as part of a joint venture with Cenovus Energy Inc. It has been a significant factor in the strength of the northern Ohio economy since the day it processed its first barrel of oil.
The refinery has provided jobs and economic security for thousands of people; in some cases, two or three generations of families have made their careers at the facility. The entire refinery team is focused on safe operations.
“Our number one goal on our safety journey is that everyone goes home safely every day,” says refinery manager Des Gillen. “We achieve this by staying mindful of what is going on around us and asking everyone on site to act as a safety leader every day.”
Construction of Arche Solar, bp solar’s first farm, located in Fulton County, OH, began in late 2022. The 134 MW project will produce locally-generated, solar-powered electricity into the Ohio bulk power transmission system, furthering Ohio’s energy security and reducing carbon emissions. This project is expected to create around 200 jobs across the supply chain during construction and provide more than $30 million in revenue to benefit local schools and other public services over the life of the project.
bp has secured a power-purchase agreement (PPA) with Meta for the project, bringing together two major corporations to address greenhouse-gas emissions and support renewable-energy growth in the US. Once completed, Arche will generate enough clean energy annually to power the equivalent of more than 20,000 homes, and at full capacity Arche’s renewable power could avoid more than 155,900 metric tons of greenhouse-gas emissions annually – equivalent to 34,000 fuel-burning cars. Commercial operation is expected in early 2024.