USD 80 millions to increase the environment protection degree

By 2012 Rompetrol Group shall assign approximately USD 80 millions to increase the environment protection degree on the Petromidia Platform. The total value of Rompetrol’s investments in technology and environment during the last 6 years amounts to about USD 600 millions.

"The Group shall continue to support the development of the activities carried out by the companies on the Petromidia Platform (Rompetrol Rafinare, Rompetrol Petrochemicals, Rompetrol Logistics, Ecomaster, Rompetrol Quality Control, Rominserv), under maximum technological efficiency and environment protection conditions. It is a moral duty of Rompetrol companies and employees to protect the Black Sea and the Sutghiol Lake, the biosphere of the Danube Delta and the ecosystem of the Midia channel, as well as the towns of Navodari, Corbu and Constanta", Dinu Patriciu stated, Rompetrol CEO.

The 2 main companies of the Group on the Petromidia Platform, Rompetrol Rafinare and Rompetrol Petrochemicals, hold since 2006 an integrated environmental authorization, in compliance with the international regulations in force (IPPC - The European Directive concerning the integrated pollution prevention and control). Apart from the legal obligations, the companies adopted and certified voluntarily during the same period the integrated management system for quality, health and labour protection, according to the international standards ISO 9001/2000, ISO 14001/2004 and to the technical specification OHSAS 18001/1999.

Ever since the privatisation of the Petromidia refinery (Rompetrol Rafinare Constanta, RRC) in 2001, the Group allotted approximately USD 225 millions for technological and environmental investments, out of which approximately USD 40 millions were direct investments for environment protection. By 2010, the total value of investments shall increase by approximately USD 250 millions, the main objectives being to achieve excellence within the oil refining field and to extend the refining capacity to 5 millions tonnes/ year.

Among the environment projects accomplished by Rompetrol Rafinare we mention the rehabilitation of the interior drainage system for the protection of the ground water and of Sutghiol Lake and Black Sea, as well as the implementation of an integrated monitoring system for environment indicators (water, air, soil).

Furthermore, the Ecomaster Ecological Services Company successfully completed ever since 2006 the modernization project for the waste water treatment plant from Rompetrol Rafinare, by which the removal efficiency of waste water pollutants was increased, from an average of maximum 70%, before modernization, to more than 96% in the present. The plant collects and treats impure industrial and house water flows corresponding to Petromidia Platform and the city of Navodari.

In order to monitor the environment indicators, as well as to ensure industrial analyses, the Group established in 2004 the Rompetrol Quality Control company, which ensures in real time the monitoring of the pollution sources and of environmental factors, the impact assessment of industrial activities on the environment (water, air, soil) and specialized assistance in case of ecological events.

Another measure adopted by Rompetrol for the protection of the Black Sea is the establishment of a partnership between Rompetrol Logistics and the Romanian Naval Authority to ensure the strict observance of the standards and of the legislation in force concerning the oil products flow through berths 4 and 9 of Midia Port, to and from the refinery.

During this year, the Group shall complete a new sea terminal at large of the Black Sea, the investment value of the project being estimated to more than EUR 90 millions.  The technical project related to the construction required various geotechnical and geophysical studies for the area where the pipe shall be located, as well as all the environmental data available regarding the wind, waves, water temperature and earthquake conditions.