OMV Petrom opens new Polyfuel unit at Petrobrazi, producing gasoline and diesel

OMV Petrom has opened the new Polyfuel unit within Petrobrazi refinery, using an innovative technology to convert LPG and low-grade light gasoline into high-value petroleum products – gasoline and diesel. This unit is the third of its kind worldwide and the first to convert low-grade light gasoline, as well, not just LPG.

”The new Polyfuel unit brings the state-of-the-art technologies used in the petrochemical and refining industry to the Petrobrazi refinery. Due to sustained investments, Petrobrazi continues to rank among the most important refineries in Romania, operating at the highest standards – energy efficiency and environmental standards included – and contributing to the economic development of the area”, said Radu Caprau, member of OMV Petrom Executive Board, responsible for Downstream Oil.

Based on the PolyFuel innovative technology developed by the French company Axens, the new unit at Petrobrazi increases the value of the production mix due to a higher share of gasoline and diesel in total refinery output. LPG and low-grade light gasoline conversion results in approximately 50,000 tons of gasoline and diesel every year, the equivalent of 1 million vehicle refuels.

The total capacity of the Petrobrazi refinery of 4.5 million tons per year will remain unchanged. Works at the Polyfuel unit started in 2017 and required an approximately EUR 65 million investment. The project involved building a new unit the size bigger than a football field. The works at the Polyfuel unit involved over 850,000 man-hours free of incidents, with more than 550 OMV Petrom specialists as well as specialized sub-contractors. The new unit has started production in March 2019, as planned.

With a refining capacity of 4.5 million tons per year, Petrobrazi ranks among the most important units of its kind in the country. Between 2005 and 2018, approximately EUR 1.6 billion were put into in modernization projects, new facilities construction and environmental projects at the Petrobrazi refinery. The Petrobrazi refinery currently operates at the highest performance and environmental standards.