OMV Petrom Expands Petrobrazi Green Hydrogen Capacity to 55 MW
OMV Petrom is expanding green hydrogen capacity at Romania’s Petrobrazi refinery to 55 MW following the delivery of seven modules for a new 35 MW electrolyzer. The hydrogen will support a 250,000-tonne-per-year sustainable aviation fuel and hydrotreated vegetable oil plant now under construction.
New electrolyzer lifts refinery capacity
OMV Petrom is expanding green hydrogen production at its Petrobrazi refinery in Romania, strengthening the site’s role in the group’s lower-carbon fuel strategy. Seven modules for a new 35-megawatt electrolyzer have been delivered to the refinery, according to German financial publication kapitalmarktexperten.de.
The installation will raise Petrobrazi’s total green hydrogen capacity to 55 MW. Once operating, the expanded system is expected to supply about 4,700 tonnes of green hydrogen annually. The project is supported by approximately €29 million in European funding, the publication reported.
The additional hydrogen is intended primarily for the production of sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, and hydrotreated vegetable oil, commonly known as HVO. Both products can help reduce the lifecycle emissions associated with transport fuels, although their performance depends on factors including the feedstock, electricity source and production process.
Hydrogen linked to 250,000-tonne fuel project
A facility capable of producing 250,000 tonnes of SAF and HVO per year is currently under construction at Petrobrazi. Integrating green hydrogen supply with that project could give OMV Petrom greater control over a key production input while reducing its reliance on hydrogen derived from fossil fuels.
Hydrogen is used in refinery processes to remove impurities and upgrade feedstocks into finished fuels. Supplying that requirement through electrolysis powered by renewable electricity is an important element of refinery decarbonization, particularly as European fuel producers prepare for rising demand for lower-emission aviation and road transport products.
For Romania, the investment adds industrial-scale hydrogen capacity alongside a sizeable renewable-fuels project. The combination may also improve Petrobrazi’s position as regional airlines, fuel distributors and transport companies seek alternatives to conventional petroleum products. Kapitalmarktexperten.de did not provide a commissioning date for the electrolyzer or the SAF and HVO plant.
OMV balances transition projects with gas supply
The Petrobrazi expansion forms one side of a broader OMV strategy that combines lower-carbon investments in southeastern Europe with continued natural gas development in Austria. Kapitalmarktexperten.de highlighted the Wittau gas discovery near Gänserndorf, found in 2023, as Austria’s most significant gas discovery in 40 years.
OMV operates roughly 1,000 wells in the surrounding area. Drilling at a depth of 5,000 meters is expected to support an initial supply volume of 11 terawatt-hours, while the field’s full potential is estimated at as much as 48 terawatt-hours. The company currently accounts for about 7% of Austrian gas consumption and could potentially double that contribution through the development, according to the publication.
OMV invests approximately €150 million annually in its Austrian production sites and employs 444 people in the affected region. These upstream investments underline the group’s effort to preserve domestic gas output while funding technologies intended to reduce the emissions intensity of its wider operations.
Modernization targets operational emissions
Alongside new production capacity, OMV is converting compressors to electric power. The modernization program is expected to cut annual carbon dioxide emissions by around 70,000 tonnes by 2028, according to kapitalmarktexperten.de.
A photovoltaic facility already supplies 14.8 gigawatt-hours of carbon-neutral electricity for the company’s own production operations. Together with the Petrobrazi electrolyzer, these measures show OMV pursuing emissions reductions through electrification, renewable power and alternative-fuel production without withdrawing from conventional gas supply.
The central execution issue at Petrobrazi will be whether hydrogen production, renewable electricity procurement and the new fuel plant can be brought online in a coordinated way. Reliable feedstock supplies and sustained demand for SAF and HVO will also determine how fully the planned 250,000-tonne annual capacity is used.
