Wedoany.com Report on Mar 17th, INA, the Croatian oil and gas company, has completed the modernization project of its refinery in Rijeka. With the construction of the delayed coking unit and related facilities, the refinery's annual crude oil processing capacity has been increased to 4 million tons, enabling it to handle a wider range of crude oil types, including heavy oil. This upgrade allows for the production of more high-value products from the same volume of crude oil, with the share of diesel in total output expected to increase by approximately 30%. This is of strategic significance for market supply during Croatia's peak tourist season.

Production will no longer rely on imported vacuum gas oil (VGO), enhancing Croatia's energy security and reducing dependence on imported raw materials. At the completion ceremony, representatives from the Croatian and Hungarian governments, ambassadors from several countries, members of regional and local communities, as well as management from INA and the MOL Group were in attendance.

József Molnár, CEO of the MOL Group, stated: "Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in INA's refining activities. We have completed the construction phase of the largest industrial investment project in the history of INA and Croatia. But the work is just beginning. The global energy market remains fragile, so we must ensure high productivity to make Rijeka one of Europe's efficient refineries. Our interests are clear: we want a strong INA, which means a stronger Croatia, more reliable regional energy supply, and a stronger MOL Group."

Prior to the ceremony, a grant agreement was signed with the Ministry of Economy, under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, for the construction of a green hydrogen production plant at the Rijeka refinery. INA is investing over 60 million euros in green hydrogen production and distribution facilities, including a 10 MW electrolyzer and an 11 MW solar power plant. The green hydrogen produced will primarily be used for transportation and the refinery's own processes. Construction is planned to be completed by the end of 2026, with the first green hydrogen expected in 2027. The grant agreement, worth up to 15 million euros, was signed by INA Management Board Chairperson Zsuzsanna Ortutay and member Hrvoje Šimovic, together with Minister of Economy Ante Šušnjar and Director of the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, Luka Balen.