Romania’s OMV Petrom has completed a €115 million modernisation of the electrical infrastructure at its Petrobrazi refinery, preparing the site for sustainable fuel and green hydrogen projects.
The investment included a new high-voltage connection to a Transelectrica substation, a modern electrical substation and a separate distribution facility.
The upgraded system will supply existing refinery operations and new low-carbon installations. Petrobrazi already generates almost all the electricity it consumes, while a 7-MW solar plant is under construction at the site.
OMV Petrom plans to invest around €750 million in sustainable aviation fuel, hydrotreated vegetable oil and two green hydrogen plants at Petrobrazi.
The largest component is a €560 million SAF and HVO plant, which entered construction in February 2025. The facility is scheduled to begin operating in 2028 and will produce as much as 250,000 tonnes of sustainable fuels annually.
The company signed a supply agreement with Bulgaria’s Astra Bioplant in 2025 for pre-treated used cooking oil. More than 80% of the feedstock required during the plant’s first eight years has been contracted.
The electrical upgrade is therefore more than a refinery-maintenance investment. It is the infrastructure connecting OMV Petrom’s conventional operations with its planned hydrogen and renewable-fuels business.
