OMV to develop SAF/HVO plant at Petrobrazi, Romania

Energy producer OMV announced that it is planning to invest €750m at Petrobrazi to setup country’s largest sustainable fuels production complex including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), renewable diesel (HVO) and hydrogen production units.

“We are moving forward with our transformation, in addition to our new renewable power projects, today we have taken a decisive step towards decarbonizing transport in Romania. In total, by 2030, we are committing €11bn to transform the company for a lower carbon future, both in Romania and the region,” said Christina Verchere, CEO, OMV Petrom.

The company said the plant will have a production capacity of 250 kt/year of SAF and HVO, as well as by-products like bio-naphtha and bio-LPG. Of the total €750m investment, around €560m will go towards the sustainable fuels site.

It added that the plant will have high technological flexibility allowing adjustments in the production mix according to market demand and the available feedstock mix. The company expects to begin supplying SAF and HVO from 2028 onwards.

Moreover, the company estimates hydrogen demand for the production of these sustainable fuels to be at around 11kt. To meet this, the company also announced plans to develop two hydrogen plants. The two units will have a total capacity of 55MW, with a total annual production of green hydrogen estimated at around 8kt. The company expects integration of green hydrogen into sustainable fuels will result in at least a 70% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to conventional fuels.

The investment for the two green hydrogen units is estimated at about €190m, of which up to €50m is from European funds, through the National Plan for Recovery and Resilience (NPRR).

OMV Petrom and the Ministry of Energy signed the financing contracts at the beginning of this year.

Petrobrazi is the first refinery in the country certified to produce SAF and HVO through the co-processing of biological raw materials.