OMV Petrom has moved into the installation phase of a 35 MW renewable hydrogen project at its Petrobrazi refinery as the Romanian producer expands investment in lower-carbon refining and sustainable fuels.
The electrolyser consists of seven 5 MW modules supplied by Germany’s Neuman & Esser, with equipment delivered during the past two months.
Kraftanlagen Romania is carrying out construction, logistics, component manufacturing and installation work, alongside Romanian suppliers.
The plant is expected to produce about 4,700 tonnes of renewable hydrogen a year using renewable electricity.
OMV Petrom is separately developing another 20 MW electrolyser at Petrobrazi. Together, the two projects would give the refinery 55 MW of electrolysis capacity and annual renewable hydrogen production of around 8,000 tonnes.
Much of the hydrogen is intended for a new sustainable aviation fuel and hydrotreated vegetable oil plant designed to produce around 250,000 tonnes of sustainable fuels annually.
The 35 MW electrolyser has received about €29 million in non-reimbursable financing under Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
The investment positions Petrobrazi as one of the larger emerging industrial hydrogen hubs in southeast Europe and illustrates how refinery operators are increasingly linking renewable electricity procurement, hydrogen production and lower-carbon transport fuels.
