OMV Petrom has completed a €115 million modernisation of the electrical infrastructure at its Petrobrazi refinery in Romania. The project is designed to prepare the site for sustainable fuel and green hydrogen developments. The works include upgrades intended to support both existing operations and future low-carbon installations.
The investment covers a new high-voltage connection to a Transelectrica substation. It also includes a modern electrical substation and a separate distribution facility. The upgraded system is set to supply electricity for current refinery operations as well as new low-carbon installations.
Petrobrazi already generates almost all of the electricity it consumes. A 7-MW solar plant is under construction at the site. OMV Petrom’s planned developments at Petrobrazi therefore rely on additional grid and distribution capacity alongside on-site generation.
Petrobrazi sustainable fuels and green hydrogen investment plan
OMV Petrom plans to invest around €750 million in sustainable aviation fuel, hydrotreated vegetable oil and two green hydrogen plants at Petrobrazi. The largest element of the programme is a €560 million SAF and HVO plant. Construction of the facility began in February 2025.
The SAF and HVO plant is scheduled to start operating in 2028. It is expected to produce as much as 250,000 tonnes of sustainable fuels annually. The project is linked to OMV Petrom’s broader renewable-fuels and hydrogen plans for the refinery site.
In 2025, OMV Petrom signed a supply agreement with Bulgaria’s Astra Bioplant for pre-treated used cooking oil. More than 80% of the feedstock required during the plant’s first eight years has been contracted. This procurement arrangement supports the feedstock needs associated with the sustainable fuels expansion.
Electrical upgrade as link between existing operations and new capacity
The electrical infrastructure modernisation is positioned as more than a refinery-maintenance measure. It provides the connection between OMV Petrom’s conventional operations and its planned hydrogen and renewable-fuels business at Petrobrazi. The completed works include both grid interface upgrades and internal distribution facilities.
The combination of a new high-voltage connection, updated substations and dedicated distribution capacity supports electricity supply to existing refinery loads and upcoming low-carbon installations. With on-site generation already covering almost all consumption and additional solar capacity under construction, the upgrade forms part of the power arrangements for future projects at the site.
