Petromidia Refinery General View | Ziarul Financiar, 13^th May 2024

The Petromidia Refinery, located in Navodari on the shores of the Black Sea, is the largest and one of the most modern refineries in Romania and South East Europe. It plays a central role in the development of Rompetrol’s business in Romania and the Black Sea region, serving as a pillar of the refining industry and a key link in Rompetrol’s trading, supply, and fuel distribution networks across Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria, and Georgia.

Strategic Positioning and Logistics

• Location: Navodari, 20 km north of the Port of Constanța.
• Logistics:
  • Own marine terminal (8.6 km at sea, can receive ships up to 160,000 TDW)
  • Facilities in Port of Midia (berths 1–4 for crude oil and products, berth 9 for oil product exports)
  • Own railway system
• Access to the Danube-Black Sea Canal
• Role: The refinery’s integrated logistics system positions Romania as a regional energy hub, connecting Asian natural resources with European demand for oil product processing and production

Refinery Complexity and Compliance

• Nelson Complexity Index: 9.54 (as of 2024).
• Crude Processing: Capable of processing crude oil with high sulphur content.
• Product Quality: Produces only Euro-5 oil products.
• Environmental Standards: Aligned with Best Available Technologies (BAT) and the first Romanian refinery to fully comply with European environmental regulations and fuel quality standards.
• Investment: Over $450 million invested to achieve current complexity and compliance.

Production Units

• Distillation: Atmospheric and vacuum distillation units.
• Hydrotreatment: Full range of hydrotreatment units:
  • One for gasoline
  • One for kerosene
  • Two for diesel
• Conversion Units:
  • Mild hydrocracking
  • Fluid catalytic cracking (FCC)
  • Delayed coker
• Support Units:
  • Sulphur recovery and tail gas treatment
  • Hydrogen, nitrogen, and flares plant
  • Two modern line mixers for gasoline and diesel

Environmental Initiatives

• LPG Recovery Unit: Modern system that substantially reduces sulphur dioxide emissions below European limits.
• Investment: $4.6 million for the LPG recovery unit, a unique project in Romania

Digital Transformation

• Advanced Process Control (APC): Implemented at the Atmospheric and Vacuum Distillation Unit (DAV) since 2017, with a $4 million investment.
• In-Line Blending Automation: $3 million investment for real-time analysis and monitoring of fuel quality and compliance.

Recent Investments

In 2024, nearly $150 million were allocated for modernization and development projects:

• Hydrogen Power Plant (HPP) Modernization: Almost $10 million for refurbishing the high-purity hydrogen plant (40,000 m³/h, ≥99.99% purity).​​​​​​​
• Delayed Coking Unit Modernization: $13 million for advanced automation and energy optimization.
• Middle Distillate Hydrotreating (HDV) Reactors: Installation of two modern reactors for Euro 5 diesel production.
• CO Boiler in the Catalytic Cracking Unit: $4 million for improved efficiency and flexibility

Operational Highlights (2024)

• Daily Crude Oil Processing: Record winter average of 15,000 tons per day
• Crude Oil Processed: 4.62 million tonnes of raw materials.
• White Product Yield: 86.88% (up 2.81% from previous year).
• Jet Fuel Yield: Record 8.7%, with about 400,000 tonnes produced.​​​​​​​