ABSTRACT
The transition from coal to oil fundamentally changed the West German economy, paving the way for the unprecedented growth of petrochemicals, which was one of the foundations of the West German post-war economic miracle. Unlike the well-developed and integrated oil cluster of Hamburg, these facilities were German-owned, fairly isolated, and limited in their operations. Van Drimmelen tried to estimate the best location for the new refinery, with the aim being to supply the lower and middle Rhine basin with oil products. Union Kraftstoff hoped the cracker would give the company the opportunity to enter the petrochemical Post, as this enjoyed higher margins than oil refining. The growth of both the oil and petrochemical industries in the Rhine-Ruhr area was facilitated by economies of scale. The transition from coal to oil gave rise to an increased demand for crude oil transportation and transhipment services, which in turn necessitated the construction of a new infrastructure of crude oil pipelines.
