Petrobrazi refinery night view | Credit: Storage Terminals Magazine (May 30, 2025)
Petrobrazi Refinery is one of Romania's most strategically important petroleum refineries, operated by OMV Petrom S.A., the largest integrated energy producer in Southeastern Europe. Located in Ploiești, the refinery has an annual crude oil processing capacity of 4.5 million tons and serves as a critical facility for supplying petroleum products across Romania and the wider regional market.
Operations and Product Portfolio
At Petrobrazi, crude oil is processed and transformed into a comprehensive range of high-value petroleum products including gasoline, diesel, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), aviation fuel (kerosene), and aromatic products. The refinery currently operates at high environmental and performance standards compliant with Best Available Technology (BAT) requirements and has the capacity to process OMV Petrom's entire equity crude oil production.
The refinery features advanced processing units including coking facilities and an aromatics production unit with capacity of approximately 100 kt/year following recent expansion.
Historical Development
The history of Petrobrazi began in 1934 with the establishment of the Creditul Minier refinery, which had an initial processing capacity of 300,000 tons per year. Almost entirely destroyed during World War II, the facility was subsequently rebuilt and continuously reconfigured over the decades to reflect evolving market conditions and shareholder strategies.
Following OMV's acquisition of majority control of Petrom in 2004, Petrobrazi has benefited from substantial capital investment exceeding EUR 1.8 billion in modernization projects since 2005, with approximately one-third of this investment dedicated specifically to reducing environmental impact.
Recent and Ongoing Projects
Completed Projects:
- 2023: General turnaround
- 2021-2023: Replacement of coker drums
- 2020: Increase of bio-blending capacity
- 2019: Completion of new polyfuels unit and coker closed blowdown system
- 2016 & 2018: General turnaround
- 2012-2014: Major modernization program
Current and Future Projects:
- 2023-2025: Replacement of aromatics products unit with new EUR 130 million facility, doubling capacity from 50 kt/year to 100 kt/year at BAT standards
- 2025-2028: Construction of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and Renewable Diesel (HVO) production unit with capacity of 250,000 tons per year, representing a EUR 750 million investment
- 2025-2028: Development of two green hydrogen production facilities (EUR 190 million investment) to support sustainable fuels production
Strategic Transformation
Under OMV Petrom's Strategy 2030, Petrobrazi is undergoing a major transformation to become a producer of sustainable fuels, positioning OMV Petrom as the first major sustainable fuels producer in Southeast Europe. The new SAF/HVO unit, scheduled to commence operations in 2028, will feature flexible feedstock processing capabilities for used cooking oil and animal fats, with adjustable product mix output including SAF, HVO, bio-naphtha, and bio-LPG depending on market requirements. This transformation aligns with the company's commitment to energy transition and reducing carbon emissions in hard-to-electrify transportation sectors, particularly aviation.
