OMV Petrom has expanded its planned green hydrogen production capacity at Romania's Petrobrazi refinery to 55 megawatts following the delivery of a second 35-MW electrolyzer.
The new system consists of seven 5-MW electrolysis modules supplied by Germany's Neuman & Esser and is being integrated into the refinery. Combined with a previously delivered 20-MW electrolyzer, the two projects are expected to produce around 8,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually using renewable electricity.
The hydrogen will primarily support OMV Petrom's new sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) plant, currently under construction at Petrobrazi. The 35-MW electrolyzer alone is expected to produce around 4,700 tonnes of hydrogen annually and has received approximately €29 million in financing through Romania's National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
The hydrogen projects form part of a broader €750 million investment in sustainable fuels at Petrobrazi. OMV Petrom is spending €560 million on the SAF/HVO plant and €190 million on the two green hydrogen facilities. The new plant will have capacity to produce 250,000 tonnes of sustainable fuels annually, with production scheduled to begin in 2028.
OMV Petrom has already secured buyers for part of that output. A five-year agreement with parent company OMV covers up to 360,000 tonnes of SAF and HVO beginning in 2028 and has an estimated value exceeding €800 million at recent market prices. More than 80% of the plant's feedstock requirements for its first eight years have also been secured.
Petrobrazi currently supplies roughly 35% of Romania's fuel demand and has an annual refining capacity of 4.5 million tonnes.
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