Rompetrol Rafinare invests in increasing the efficiency of strategic equipment

Rompetrol Rafinare, a member company of the KMG International group, continues to invest in equipment that supports the efficiency of the operational flow in the Petromidia refinery.   With an investment of approximately four million dollars, the company completed a project to convert the CO Boiler of the catalytic cracking unit (FCC) from natural water circulation to forced multiple circulation.   “It is very important for us that every piece of equipment on the Petromidia platform contributes to the efficiency of the operational flows. The investments made this year aimed at the long-term development, and Rompetrol Rafinare is making significant progress in terms of efficiency and reliability. The implementation of this project reaffirms our commitment to the optimal operation of the refinery, in the best conditions of safety and environmental protection”, said Florian Pop, General Manager of Rompetrol Rafinare.   The major transformation consisted in installing a boiler water recirculation system, which makes it possible to operate at a minimum capacity of 35 tons per hour (compared to the original minimum capacity of 50 tons per hour), flow rate which can increase up to a maximum of 90 tons per hour, depending on the needs of the refinery. Operation at a lower than the original minimum flow rate is induced by the future integration into the operational flow of new utility supply capacities.   The temperature of the flue gas has dropped to 185°C, and by installing a new economizer, it is possible to recover the released heat, with a positive impact on the final consumption, but also on the reduction of the amount of carbon dioxide generated.   The transformation of the boiler required a lot of experience and taking extra safety measures, considering that the works were carried out on existing equipment, in a difficult access area, with the Catalytic Cracking unit in operation.   The works were coordinated by specialists from Rompetrol and Rominserv, the general contractor of the KMG International Group (Rompetrol), and five companies with expertise in the field were involved in the implementation.   This year, Rompetrol Rafinare implemented several projects aimed at the modernization and development of operational assets during the general turnaround of the Petromidia refinery.   The most important such projects were the replacement of the reactors in the Vacuum Distillate Hydrotreatment Unit (HDV), the replacement of the main equipment of the reformer furnace in the Hydrogen Unit (HPP) and the replacement of the drilling/cutting system in the Delayed Coking Unit (Cx).   This year, the Petromidia refinery marks 45 years of operation, during which it processed about 150 million tons of raw materials, the refinery in Navodari being a pillar of stability for the national energy sector. The significant shareholders of Rompetrol Rafinare SA are KMG International (54.63% - directly and indirectly) and the Romanian State, through the Ministry of Energy (44.7%). (Photo: Corporate Communication and Public Relations KMG International)