Project Profile
Value: US$200 million
Location: Near Ploiesti in Prahova County, Romania
Capacity: 4.5 million tons per annum (mtpa)
Start-up Year: 2014
The Petrobrazi crude oil refinery in Romania is situated near Ploiesti in Prahova County. It is owned by OMV Petrom. The capacity of the refinery is 4.5 million tons per annum (mtpa) which is being increased to 4.2mtpa as part of a modernisation program. The modernisation will be completed by 2014. The refinery produces gasoline, diesel, aviation fuel Jet A-1, automotive liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), heavy fuel oil, LPG-aragaz and light fuel oil. It also produces benzene, toluene, propylene and special products including sulphur and petroleum coke. OMV Petrom planned the 2010-2015 modernisation program at a cost of more than €1bn to increase the capacity of refinery to 6mtpa. The program was, however, downsized due to poor market conditions. The extension was reduced to 4.2mtpa from the planned 6mtpa. The investment was, as a result, reduced to €750m and the program scheduled for completion by 2014. The project scope will include modernisation of the vacuum and atmospheric distillation unit, increase of VGO conversion capacity, coker unit revamp, DGRS modernisation, reducing SOx and NOx emissions, and building a new hydrocracker unit.
The extended refinery will feature an 860MW gas-fired combined cycle power plant (CCPP) to generate electricity using natural gas. The natural gas will be supplied through an underground pipeline to be built at Butimanu, Dambovita County. It is envisaged that about 20% of the power will be consumed by the refinery and the remaining will be transmitted to the National Grid. Construction of the power plant began in December 2008. The plant is expected to be commissioned in the second half of 2011 at an investment €500m. Haldor Topsoe signed a contract with Petrom in December 2007 to install a 34,000 BPSD grassroots hydrocracker unit along with the hydrogen plant at the Petrobrazi refinery. Petrom selected the Haldor Topsoe\'s hydrocracking technology as the optimised solution for raising production in the refinery. Falck will provide fire fighting services at the refinery.
Operators:
OMV Petrom S.A.: Operator with 100% interest
Contractors:
Foster Wheeler: FEED and EPC contract
Haldor Topsoe: Install a 34,000 BPSD grassroots hydrocracker unit
Falck: Fire fighting services