Romania's OMV Petrom expands green hydrogen capacity at Petrobrazi refinery to 55MW

en.Wedoany.com Reported - OMV Petrom has completed the delivery of all 7 modules for the second 35MW green hydrogen electrolyzer at the Petrobrazi refinery. Combined with the previously delivered 20MW electrolyzer, the Petrobrazi refinery's green hydrogen capacity has reached 55MW, with the two units expected to produce approximately 8,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually, to be used in the refining process as well as in the sustainable aviation fuel and hydrotreated vegetable oil units currently under construction.

The second 35MW electrolyzer is supplied by Germany's Neuman & Esser, configured with seven 5MW electrolysis modules. The modules arrived at the Petrobrazi refinery over the past two months and entered the on-site installation phase after passing factory acceptance tests. According to the OMV Petrom project page, these modules and electrolysis stacks were installed in their final positions by August 31. Site construction, logistics, component manufacturing, and module assembly are managed by Kraftanlagen Romania, carried out in collaboration with local Romanian suppliers.

The 35MW project has secured approximately €29 million in non-repayable financing from Romania's National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Once operational, the project is expected to produce around 4,700 tonnes of green hydrogen annually, with the required electricity sourced from renewable energy. Combined with the previously built 20MW project, the Petrobrazi refinery's annual green hydrogen production capacity is expected to reach approximately 8,000 tonnes.

This green hydrogen will feed directly into the Petrobrazi refining system, with one of its primary uses being to support the 250,000 tonnes/year SAF/HVO unit currently under construction. This unit will produce sustainable aviation fuel and hydrotreated vegetable oil, using vegetable oils and waste oils as feedstocks. OMV Petrom states that these fuels can reduce lifecycle CO2 emissions by at least 65% compared to conventional fuels, while remaining compatible with existing fuel infrastructure.

The 20MW electrolyzer project had entered the equipment delivery phase in March, when OMV Petrom received the first electrolysis module on site and initiated equipment installation and grid connection work. With all modules for the 35MW project now in place, the Petrobrazi refinery has established 55MW of electrolytic hydrogen production capacity, and the project focus has shifted from equipment manufacturing and transportation to installation, grid connection, commissioning, and subsequent start-up.

The Petrobrazi project is not building green hydrogen capacity in isolation, but is advancing in tandem with the refinery's sustainable fuel transformation. The 55MW electrolyzer will serve as a key hydrogen source for the 250,000 tonnes/year SAF/HVO unit, forming an integrated production chain of "renewable power—green hydrogen—refining—SAF/HVO." Through this initiative, OMV Petrom plans to expand Petrobrazi's production scale in the sustainable fuel market of Southeast Europe.