Romanian energy company OMV Petrom is set to invest €750M (US$805M) in its Petrobrazi refinery in a bid to become the first major producer of sustainable fuels in southeast Europe.
The plans included a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)/hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) facility and two facilities for green hydrogen for use in biofuels production, the company said on 11 June.
Starting in 2028, the company said its aim was to supply around 250,000 tonnes of sustainable fuels.
“In addition to our new renewable power projects, … we have taken a decisive step towards decarbonising transport in Romania. In total, by 2030, we’re committing €11bn (US$11.81bn) to transform the company for a lower carbon future, both in Romania and the region,” OMV Petrom CEO Christina Verchere said.
The SAF/HVO production facility would have a production capacity of 250,000 tonnes/year and would also produce by-products like bio-naphtha and bio-LPG, for use in the chemical industry.
The two new green hydrogen production units would supply most of the SAF/HVO facility’s hydrogen needs, the company said.
Located in the southern city of Ploiesti, Petrobrazi is the first refinery in the country certified to produce SAF and HVO through the co-processing of biological raw materials, according to the company.
To ensure raw material supply to produce biofuels, OMV Petrom said it had acquired a 50% stake in Romanian used cooking oil (UCO) collector Respiră Verde, which collected up to 10,000 tonnes/year of used edible oil from the hospitality industry and retail sectors.
“Thanks to the investments … we will be able to replace imports with biofuels produced here in Romania,” OMV Petrom executive board member responsible for refining and marketing Radu Căprău said.
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.
