Rompetrol seeks partner ready to develop 75MW water hydroliser

Romania's largest refinery, Rompetrol Rafinare (BVB: RRC), announced that it seeks a partner to finance, design, construct, and operate a water hydrolisis plant (hydroliser) near or on its premises on the Black Sea coast, thus conveniently supplying it with green hydrogen needed for decarbonisation.

Rompetrol is ready to offer a long-term off-take agreement.

Based on a similar project developed by OMV Petrom, the cost of the electrolyser plant needed by Rompetrol would be around EUR 190 million.

The (green) power supply shall be secured by the investor as well, but Rompetrol says it is considering the option of developing a 40MW solar park to partially support the project with renewable energy. Green power availability in the region (eastern part of Romania) is high anyway.

The plant's capacity is estimated to be at least 11,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year, requiring a renewable electrical power supply of approximately 75MW, Rompetrol estimates.

OMV Petrom is developing a similar project at its Petrobrazi refinery. With a capacity of 55MW distributed in two units of 20MW and 35MW, the project is estimated to cost EUR 140 million, out of which EUR 50 million comes from a grant under the National Resilience Plan (PNRR).

The two units at Petrobrazi refinery will generate some 8,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year.

The yield measured in toned of green H2 per year, per MW, is roughly equal among the two projects, and approximating that the project's price is proportional to its capacity, it means that the investor at Rompetrol should invest some EUR 190 million.

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