The oil and gas company will suspend production at its Rijeka refinery from the first week of December until next spring for planned maintenance and upgrade works with an overall value of over 100 million euros.
The overhaul had been planned earlier for this winter, and it is necessary for several reasons, the company said in an emailed statement to SeeNews. One of the reasons is that INA has to meet legally defined operating requirements, as the last planned maintenance was carried out in 2019. During the current stoppage, 800 pieces of equipment will be cleaned and checked, and 40 will be replaced.
Another reason is the need to do work that will enable the refinery to operate nonstop in the future, which will contribute to the safety of fuel supply to the market. The shutdown will also be used for investment projects aimed to boost the refinery’s energy efficiency and reduce its impact on the environment. Overall, eight investment projects worth more than 60 million euros will be carried out to ensure the stable and efficient operation of the refinery in the future. These projects will be finished by the end of the stoppage.
Production will be resumed gradually after the end of the overhaul. For the whole period of suspended production operations, INA has secured a full-range supply of oil derivatives, which will be delivered by sea from the Mediterranean market.
