Rhein-Main-Rohrleitungstransportgesellschaft

Rhein-Main-Rohrleitungstransportgesellschaft (RMR) is a German pipeline operator that has transported liquid hydrocarbon products along the Rhine corridor for more than 60 years. Founded in 1965 by Deutsche Shell AG, the company was created to secure a reliable supply of mineral oil products to the growing consumer and industrial centres of the Rhine-Main region. Its pipeline system, which began operation in 1967, now stretches 525 kilometres from the German-Dutch border near Venlo to the industrial centres of western and southern Germany, including Frankfurt am Main and Ludwigshafen am Rhein. RMR's network supplies nine tank farms and five large petrochemical plants along its main route. The company transports approximately 12 million tonnes — equivalent to about 15 million cubic metres — of liquid energy products and precursors each year. Its customers include refineries, chemical parks and airports in western and southern Germany. The pipeline carries fuels such as super and regular petrol and diesel, light heating oil, kerosene (Jet A1) and naphtha. RMR is owned by a consortium of major oil companies: the Shell Group holds 63%, the BP Group 35% and the ExxonMobil Group 2%. The company is headquartered in Cologne-Godorf, where its control centre was modernised in 2025. Around 95 employees manage the continuous flow of energy through the system. RMR is investing more than 100 million euros in its facilities and IT infrastructure to prepare for the energy transition, aiming to transport not only conventional fuels but also biogenic and synthetic energy carriers such as renewable diesel (HVO) and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). As a critical infrastructure operator, RMR emphasises safety, efficiency and environmental responsibility. Its pipeline network includes nine pump stations, six branch stations, 13 injection and withdrawal stations, and 37 line block valves. The company positions itself as the "lifeline of the economy," connecting refineries and chemical works with consumers and industry along the Rhine.

Rhein-Main-Rohrleitungstransportgesellschaft (RMR) was founded in 1965 by Deutsche Shell AG. The goal was to build a safe transport route from the Cologne-Godorf refinery to meet the expected demand for mineral oil products in the consumer centres of Frankfurt am Main (mainly Frankfurt Airport, Hoechst, and Ticona, today Industriepark Höchst) and Ludwigshafen am Rhein (BASF). In the founding year itself, the number of tank farms and petrochemical plants to be supplied doubled through the participation of Deutsche BP AG in RMR. In 1967, the pipeline was extended north to the Ruhr refinery of Deutsche BP AG in Hünxe. In 1968, the company extended the pipeline to Rotterdam. For a connection to the RRP pipeline (Rotterdam-Rijn Pijpleiding Maatschappij) in the Netherlands, RMR built a 50 km connecting line from Dinslaken. The pipeline began operation in 1967. The company operates a single pipeline that, in its current state of expansion, runs from Venlo to Frankfurt am Main and Ludwigshafen am Rhein. The route from Venlo splits at the pump station in Udenheim. Approximately 15 million cubic metres of mineral oil products are transported annually. Along the 525 km pipeline there are nine pump stations for pressure boosting, six branch stations, 13 injection and withdrawal stations for refineries, chemical plants and tank farms, and 37 line block valves. Pump stations with a total installed capacity of 32,000 kW are located in Herongen, Dinslaken, Ratingen, Geyen, Köln-Godorf, Wesseling, Ramersbach, Schwall and Udenheim. Tank farms connected to the pipeline are in Homberg, Dinslaken, Köln-Niehl, Gustavsburg, Flörsheim, Raunheim and Ludwigshafen. Petrochemical plants and refineries connected to the pipeline are in Bottrop, Dormagen, Köln-Godorf (Rheinland Raffinerie Werk Godorf), Wesseling (Rheinland Raffinerie Werk Wesseling) and Oppau. In 2006, the pipeline's remote control system was fundamentally modernised. In April and May 2022, climate activists from the Last Generation shut valves along the pipeline to stop the transport of fossil products, causing multi-hour stoppages on several days. On 5 May 1991, at 7:20 a.m., the pipeline failed due to mining subsidence. About 280 m³ of petrol were released near the Dinslaken-Nord motorway junction and partly seeped into the soil. Some reached the Rotbach stream and caused a fish kill in Hiesfeld. About 5,000 m³ of contaminated soil had to be removed and 300–400 trees felled. In 2025, RMR modernised its control centre in Cologne-Godorf. With an investment programme of more than 100 million euros in its facilities and IT infrastructure, the company is preparing for the energy transition, aiming to transport biogenic and synthetic energy carriers such as renewable diesel (HVO) and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the future.

• 2025

  Control centre in Cologne-Godorf modernised; investment programme of over 100 million euros for energy transition.

• 2022

  Climate activists from the Last Generation shut valves along the pipeline, causing multi-hour stoppages.

• 2006

  Remote control system of the pipeline fundamentally modernised.

• 1991

  Pipeline failure due to mining subsidence near Dinslaken-Nord; about 280 m³ of petrol released.

• 1968

  Pipeline extended to Rotterdam; 50 km connecting line built from Dinslaken to connect to the RRP pipeline.

• 1967

  Pipeline began operation; extended north to the Ruhr refinery of Deutsche BP AG in Hünxe.

• 1965

  Founded by Deutsche Shell AG.

Critical infrastructure operator ensuring safe, efficient and environmentally friendly transport of liquid hydrocarbons along the Rhine corridor.

• Pipeline transport of mineral oil products

• Fuels (Superbenzin, Normalbenzin, Dieselkraftstoff)

• Light heating oil

• Kerosene (Jet A1)

• Naphtha

1. 1RMR GmbH – Pipeline & Energieversorgung seit 1965rmr-gmbh.de
2. 2Über uns – RMR GmbH, Pipelineunternehmen seit 1965rmr-gmbh.de
3. 3Rhein-Main-Rohrleitungstransportgesellschaft – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
4. 4Rhein-Main-Rohrleitungstransportgesellschaft – Wikidatawikidata.org