A key trend, which has affected RAFO’s historic profitability and its plans for the future is Europe’s turning to diesel and a decrease in gasoline consumption, given the higher efficiency of diesel engines compared to those running on gasoline. This is the reason why we have decided to stop producing gasoline and focus our strategy in the field of Petrochemicals and Euro V Diesel.
Petrochemicals have enjoyed good profitability in recent years. The demand for propylene, benzene and PX has grown significantly. From RAFO’s point of view, by eliminating gasoline production we now no longer have to face the production/marketing challenge faced by many European refiners.
Consequently, the key aspects of the transformation programme are the following:
• To relocate a delayed coker from nearby Darmanesti (located 40 kilometres from Onesti). This will eliminate the production of low value fuel oil and allow the conversion of all residues produced at Onesti into light products and petroleum coke for the Romanian domestic market.
• To improve the quality of diesel by means of conforming with Euro V standards (10 ppm sulphur).
• To revamp the FCC in order to maximise the output of aromatics and propylene. This project is important for the process of replacing the gasoline production by paraxylene, benzene, propylene and raw material for steam cracking.
• To build a new state of the art aromatics complex, minimising investment costs by making maximum use of the existing equipment.
• To relocate a delayed coker from nearby Darmanesti (located 40 kilometres from Onesti). This will eliminate the production of low value fuel oil and allow the conversion of all residues produced at Onesti into light products and petroleum coke for the Romanian domestic market.
• To improve the quality of diesel by means of conforming with Euro V standards (10 ppm sulphur).
• To revamp the FCC in order to maximise the output of aromatics and propylene. This project is important for the process of replacing the gasoline production by paraxylene, benzene, propylene and raw material for steam cracking.
• To build a new state of the art aromatics complex, minimising investment costs by making maximum use of the existing equipment.