Romanian energy company OMV Petrom has signed an agreement with oilseed processing company Expur to supply fully refined vegetable oil for renewable fuel production.
OMV Petrom said the vegetable oil would be used as a feedstock to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) at the company’s Petrobrazi refinery in the southern Romanian city of Ploiesti.
Signed for a period of six years – with the possibility of extension for a further two years – deliveries were expected to begin in 2028 with at least 50% of the refined vegetable oil supplied by Expur produced in Romania, OMV Petrom said on 27 June.
As part of the agreement, Expur was contracted to supply up to 0.7M tonnes of vegetable oil with an estimated value of more than €750M (US$816M), subject to the ordered quantity.
“Through the contract with Expur, we are securing part of the raw material to produce diesel from renewable sources … progressing towards our ambition to become the first major producer of renewable fuels in the region,” OMV Petrom executive board member responsible for refining and marketing Radu Căprău said.
In June, the company announced plans to invest €750M (US$816M) in the construction of a SAF/HVO facility and two green hydrogen facilities within the Petrobrazi refinery.
Last year, OMV Petrom acquired a 50% stake in Romanian used cooking oil collection company Respiră Verde to ensure a source of raw materials to produce biofuels.
According to its website, OMV Petrom is the largest integrated energy producer in southeastern Europe. The group has a refining capacity of 4.5M tonnes/year and operates an 860MW gas-fired power plant. It is active in the oil products retail market in Romania and neighbouring countries through approximately 780 petrol stations under two brands – OMV and Petrom.
Expur is part of the Avril Group, one of the largest agri-food groups in France. industrial
