Romanian energy company OMV Petrom has completed the replacement of four coke drums at the Petrobrazi refinery (23 August).
The drums play an essential role in the refining process, ensuring the transformation of the heavy components into superior products. The new equipment is designed to operate at full capacity for at least two decades, the company said.
“By replacing the coke drums, we improve the efficiency and safety of our operations. The Petrobrazi refinery is now ready to continue to provide quality fuels on the Romanian and regional market. I congratulate the team that managed this challenging project, and I am glad that the drums are manufactured here, in Romania,” said Radu Căprău, a member of the OMV Petrom Executive Board.
Each coke drum weighs almost 200 tons, is approximately six metres in diameter and 30 metres high, the equivalent of a ten-storey block. The project to replace the coke drums started in 2021 and their installation in the refinery took two months, during this year’s planned shutdown. The total cost of the project is valued at around 70 million euros, OMV Petrom noted in a press release.
The Petrobrazi refinery has a total crude oil processing capacity of 4.5 million tons per year. Since 2005, OMV Petrom has invested over two billion euros in the refinery, with a third of this investment contributing to reducing the impact on the environment, the company said.
