Rompetrol Refining is commencing the construction of a new hydrogen factory

Rompetrol Rafinare Constanţa, member of The Rompetrol Group, will assign until 2010  approximately 65 million euros for the construction of a new hydrogen plant on the Petromidia platform – investment which will determine the increase of the refinery’s hydrofining capacity, allowing the obtaining of solely Euro 5 products, in the conditions of increasing the processing capacity to 5 million tons per year.
 
“The new plant is part of the vast investment program undertaken by the refinery until 2010, which aims at a positioning among the first 25 refineries in Europe, as well as the reaching of a refining capacity of 5 million tons. At the same time, it will have an important role in passing the refinery’s fuel production from the Euro 4 and Euro 5 standards, exclusively to the Euro 5 ones” declares the general manager of Rompetrol Rafinare, Cosmin Turcu.

With a capacity of 40,000 cubic meters/hour, the new plant has an completion term of 30 months and will ensure 99.98% purity hydrogen to the technological process. At the same time, it will deliver for the platform internal use approximately 40 tons/hour high pressure steam.

Rominserv, general contractor of Rompetrol Group and of this project, has recently concluded a contract with Technip Netherlands Company for the supply of technology, know-how, engineering, equipment and technological machinery for the new hydrogen plant. Technip will also provide technical assistance in mounting, in testing and commissioning the plant (including performance tests).

Since taking over the refinery, in 2001, the Rompetrol Group assigned approximately 225 million dollars for making technological and environmental investments. Until 2010, the investments of Rompetrol Rafinare will amount to approximately 250 million dollars, these are going to be performed under conditions of maximum technological efficiency and environmental protection, according to the current international regulations.

Rompetrol Rafinare recorded last year a turnover of 3.2 billion USD*, increased with 24% compared to 2006, while the operational profit (EBITDA) increased with 16%, reaching 141 million USD. Also, the refinery’s actual processing capacity reached in 2007 to 3.8 million tons of raw material, compared to 1.15 million tons in 2000, before its takeover by the Rompetrol Group.

* The results presented are preliminary, not audited and consolidated, and the reporting was made according to the International Accounting Standards (IFRS).