A story of discovery
Our story originates from two of the oldest chemical companies in the world and combines the minds of two extraordinary individuals, Johann Haltermann and Eugene Carless.
We have a long history in refining which dates back to 1859 when Eugene Carless established the company Carless, Capel & Leonard and later developed a new volatile substance which sold under the name “petrol”. Petrochem UK acquired Carless in 2000 forming the company Petrochem Carless, which was later acquired by HCS Group in 2013.
Meanwhile in Germany, the later on called Johann Haltermann Mineralöl AG was founded in 1898 in the harbour of Hamburg and subsequently went on to produce gasoline and pioneer the rapid development of hydrocarbon specialties. Dow Chemical acquired the Haltermann company in 2003, which was then later acquired by HIG Capital in 2011 laying the foundations of the new Holding company, HCS Group.
Download: Company Presentation (May 2018)
To find out more about the history of Carless (marked in red), Haltermann (marked in green) and Haltermann Carless (marked in blue), please view the timeline below.
2000 – present
2015
Demand for pentanes and tailor-made pentane formulations continued to rise due to the move away from materials that contain CFCs or HFCs; Haltermann became the only European manufacturer that provided the three pentane isomers in a refinery
2014
Haltermann in collaboration with Clariant’s sunliquid and Mercedes-Benz cars successfully road tested a 2nd generation biofuel. Strong growth was developed in the field of environmentally friendly propellants (pentanes) in America; A new chemicals and logistics park with a wide range of services was commissioned in Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg.
2014
50th anniversary of Harwich refinery; The increase in production volume from an initial 14,000 tons to over 150,000 tons illustrated the strong growth of the refinery.
2013
On 15th April Haltermann Holding GmbH took over the total shares of the British competitor Petrochem Carless Holdings Limited (PCL), both companies continued to operate under the umbrella of the newly founded HCS Group as independent brands.
2013
Acquired by Haltermann Holding GmbH on 15 April, both companies operated as independent brands under the umbrella of the newly founded HCS Group.
2012
Investment was made in advanced process engineering equipment for the modernisation of existing facilities; The capacity of production for hydrocarbon-based solvents was increased.
2012
The process furnaces were converted from liquid fuel to gas fuel, which required a new gas heating network for the entire refinery and new air vent compressors.
2011
Haltermann was acquired on 16th July by HIG Europe, an affiliate of HIG Capital and operated from November as an independent company, Haltermann Holding GmbH.
2007
Further diversification of the feedstocks and continuous process optimisation gave the flexibility to produce specific condensates; New facilities bought from companies or newly constructed gradually expanded PCL (e.g. thin-film evaporator).
2005
A management buyout left the company name unchanged; A return to profitability and growth was achieved through bottleneck expansion and the opening of new development opportunities in Harwich.
2001
Haltermann was acquired by the global US chemical company Dow Chemical Company on 1st June from Ascot plc.
2000
Repsol sold Carless to Petrochem, a European oil trader; together they formed Petrolchem Carless Ltd. (PCL) which had a focus on petrochemicals and special hydrocarbons.
1999
Analytical laboratories became equipped with the latest computer technology for quality assurance and product development; Modern logistics facilities ensured the highest service to provide different hydrocarbons and solvents, as well as customer-specific product adjustments.
1998
The Haltermann family exited from ownership and sold to the British investment company Ascot plc.
1996
Changing raw material qualities due to the development of new gas fields required the optimisation of continuous distillation processes for processing of condensates with a higher proportion of light hydrocarbons.
1995
The portfolio of products which was produced from renewable raw materials was expanded (eg ester oils)
1995
A new plant for mixing special fuels for the production of reference, calibration and racing fuels was constructed.
1993
Research activities in the technical centre at Wilhelmsburg focused on new separation processes using membrane technology, special extraction and adsorption processes, as well reactive methods such as esterification, hydrolysis, hydrogenation, isomerisation or alkylation
1991
A further distillation unit with a broad range of fractions (30 ° C to 350 ° C) went into operation; Processing of different raw materials (condensates, gas oils, dewaxed vacuum gas oil) became possible.
1989
Carless was taken over by the Spanish oil company Repsol YPF, S.A. and became as ‘Carless Refining and Marketing’ a wholly owned subsidiary of Repsol.
1987
A new method of production using the esterification reaction is used for the first time in Houston, and later in Antwerp, for the processes of separation, distillation, extraction and crystallisation
1987
The market situation became difficult despite falling oil prices; Harwich refinery began working at full capacity; Flexible process distillation units allowed the optimal use of raw materials to be delivered, which significantly reduced storage costs.
1985
To grow as a corporation, Carless acquired a number of companies and entered into oil production; The company developed relationships among the market leaders BP, Britoil, Petrofina, Shell and Esso.
1983
The product range was enhanced by the addition of high-viscosity naphthenic oils for use in the manufacture of printing inks and synthetic resins
1983
Carless boasted three batch distillation plants and a continuous production 3-column distillation plant, which could flexibly process a variety of raw material qualities and quantities; Carless concluded an agreement with Johann Haltermann GmbH for the joint marketing of their products in America.
1982
The plant for tar distillation in Wilhelmsburg was decommissed; White spirit production was installed at Speyer.
1982
A contract to build an aromatics extraction unit was made. This was used for extracting aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, methyl or ethyl benzene, which would be used for fuels, high molecular weight aromatic solvents and other new products.
1981
The latest measurement and control technology (computer and microprocessor technology) for controlling the equipment was installed in a central control room.
1974
A process for liquid / liquid extraction was developed for the production aromatic-free solvents and printing ink oils and a large-scale production plant was constructed
1974
Haltermann manufactured non-toxic and odourless paraffinic solvents; Haltermann became a manufacturer of reference fuels (ERFs) in Europe
1973
The subsidiaries Carless Solvents and Carless Petroleum which marketed its finished products were founded; Carless took a stake in the oil / gas fields in Humbly Grove and Wytch Farm.
1972
A contract was made for a third distillation unit with separate steam generation; A fourth distillation unit was constructed from parts of the dismantled Hackney Wick plant.
1971
Haltermann separated from the asphalt business areas, shipping companies as well as the service stations in northern Germany, in order to concentrate on its core business; A third production site in Antwerp was opened which continued to grow despite oil crisis
1969
Haltermann was certified by ASTM as the sole producer of high purity n-heptane and iso-octanes (reference fuels for determining the octane number); The pilot plant in Wilhelmsburg was commissioned, with modern computer simulated distillation processes
1968
Cooperation with resin manufacturers brought about breakthroughs in the area of printing ink oils
1968
The boom of natural gas production in the North Sea lead to entry into the processing of gas condensates; The second distillation unit was commissioned.
1966 – 1967
Production capacity and handling facilities in Speyer were expanded due to new emerging markets, such as Switzerland and France
1965
Production facilities in Speyer were officially commissioned on 25 July; Modern technologies such as valve trays and air-cooled condensation were used as well as a biological treatment plant
1964
The refinery was completed and first batch produced hydrocarbon-based solvents were manufactured; The transfer of the entire production from Hackney Wick to Harwich was started, which would take 9 years to complete.
1962
A plant for crystallisation was constructed; Haltermann started the production of special solvents for printing inks, which were previously imported
1961
A plant for the production of road gravel using tar based binders in Wilhelmsburg was constructed
1960
The industry change from coal carbonisation to petroleum feedstock refining had the following consequences for Carless: by-products from the carbonisation of coal could no longer used as raw materials for further processing; Carless decided to build its own refinery, so that it was not dependent on deliveries of raw materials; Harwich was chosen as the new location as the premises […]
1959
Industrial growth in southern Germany required the construction of tank and drum stores along the Rhine
1958
Environmental costs emerged as a cost for the first time in the company’s balance sheet; A mechanical / biological treatment plant in Wilhelmsburg was constructed
1957
Production capacity was increased and production costs were reduced by a switch in production from special boiling points to continuous distillation; Aliphatic propellant gas was developed for foaming of plastics
1955
The tanker fleet was expanded as a result of rising exports of American petrochemical industry to Europe
1955
A stronger focus was given to the production of speciality chemicals, due to the decline in fuel sales of Shell-Mex and BP as well as the reduced production of aromatic hydrocarbons from coal tar.
1954
Distillation units for benzene and tar acids were expanded, Equipment for the continuous refining of petroleum distillates were constructed
1953
Company management focused on expanding the special products because the fuel market was dominated by large multinational companies
1952
Production of naphthalene resumed and there were investments in equipment for the extraction of phenol, cresol and xylenol from tar acids
1945 – 1949
Under British occupation, the plants were gradually reconstructed and production resumed. Additionally, the plant was able to process tar residues from the carbonisation of coal to produce fuels, solvents or fuel oils
1945
The world economy started to recover. Carless became a producer of xylene, required for the manufacture of synthetic alkyd resin for the paint industry. The focus shifted to the provision of products with specific requirements for density, boiling point, volatility etc.
1939 -1945
Production was hardly interrupted during the war despite repeated air strikes, however towards the end of the war the production plant was largely destroyed by bombing at the port of Hamburg.
1939
The company became a major producer of test and industrial fuels as well as nitrotoluene; Solvents for printing inks were developed and manufactured; Plants and laboratories were destroyed by bombing.
1937
Haltermann took over the company’s shares belonging to Rütgerswerke and became Hanseatischen Teer- und Erdölindustrie Haltermann & Co. GmbH; Additional local tanks and barrels were constructed for effective storage of specialised high-boiling solvents and white spirit
1934
Haltermann intensified exports of naphthalene, tar acids, anthracene and asphalt, as well as increasing sales of aliphatic and aromatic solvents.
1927
A low-smoke fuel called Coalite, produced by low temperature carbonisation, was used by Carless to produce motor fuels suitable for aircrafts.
1926
Haltermann signed a contract with EBANO (later sold to ESSO) to process crude benzene derived from bituminous crude oil, which was the entry into the provision of customised product formulations
1924
The plant for the production of aliphatic solvents and white spirit was constructed; Production of aromatic solvents was increased, which had begun before the First World War
1921
The Johann Haltermann tank shipping company was founded which was used for the transportation of raw materials and finished products and the first tankers were purchased; The Haltermann Logo was formed: an H in a hexagon, which symbolised the abstract symbol for benzene
1912
Distillation and refining plants were constructed for the production of technical benzenes from coal tar; The product range was expanded to gasoline and other petroleum products, such as Petroleum (oil lamp); The separation of toluene and xylene distillates were supplied into the paint, varnish and adhesive industries.
1912
The company expanded through the acquisition of W.C. Barnes & Co., who specialised in the distillation coal tar products and petroleum ether, which had increased demand due to the outbreak of World War 1.
1898
Johann Haltermann founded in Hamburg Wilhelmsburg a “Tar Distillery”, refining crude tar from the gas works in Hamburg.
1896
Product sales were increasingly tied to the automotive industry; A new fuel was delivered for the new motoring event “Emancipation Run” (emancipation of the car as a new means of transport).
1893
Diesel fuel for the launch of Daimler was called ‘Petrol’; The name ‘Petrol’ as a brand could not be protected.
1870
The Blagdon partnership ended; George Bligh Capel became a new partner; Carless begun selling a highly flammable petroleum distillate, called ‘Petrol’; Carless became one of the first processors in England of the newly imported American crude oil; Progress was made in the refining of coal tar and shale material supplying the market with benzoline, paraffin oil, burning naphtha and Carburine […]