OMV Petrom to invests ~EUR 190 million in 55 MW green hydrogen units

OMV Petrom builds a plant for the production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and renewable diesel (HVO) and two plants for the production of green hydrogen Starting in 2028, the company can supply around 250 kt/year of sustainable fuels.

OMV Petrom, the largest integrated energy producer in Southeast Europe, will invest approximately EUR 750 mn at Petrobrazi to transform the refinery into the first major producer of sustainable fuels in the region. The company has made the final investment decision to build a SAF/HVO facility along with two facilities for green hydrogen which will be used in the production of biofuels.

The investments for this unit amount to EUR 560 million.  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, which are used in the chemical industry. The plant will have an annual consumption of ~11 kt of hydrogen, most of which will be provided by the two new green hydrogen production units.

The investment for the two green hydrogen units is estimated at ~EUR 190 mn, of which up to EUR 50 mn 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.

The two units will have a total capacity of 55 MW, with a total annual production of green hydrogen estimated at around 8 kt. Integrating green hydrogen into sustainable fuels, such as sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel, will result in at least a 70% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to conventional fuels.

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