Rompetrol Rafinare to build 4.8 MW solar power plant, energy storage system at Vega refinery

MOSCOW. Aug 25 (Interfax) - Rompetrol Rafinare, controlled by KMG International, the European subsidiary of Kazakhstan's KazMunayGas (KMG), will build a photovoltaic power plant with installed capacity of 4.8 MW and an energy storage system of approximately 9 MWh at the Vega Ploiesti refinery in Romania, the company said in a press release.

The total investment is estimated at almost 27 million lei or $6 million, of which approximately 7 million lei or $1.5 million is financed through the EU Modernization Fund, and approximately 20 million lei is Rompetrol Rafinare's contribution. The project is to be implemented by December 31, 2028.

The photovoltaic power plant is estimated to produce over 6,200 MWh of renewable energy annually, with the entire amount to be used for self-consumption. The estimated annual production is equivalent to approximately two-thirds of the annual electricity consumption of the Vega refinery, compared to the budgeted level for 2025. At the same time, the planned storage system will allow for more flexible management of the energy produced and optimization of its use, depending on the consumption profile and operational needs of the refinery. Rompetrol Rafinare estimates an annual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of over 3,800 tons of CO₂.

In the last 20 years, Vega, built in 1905, has fundamentally changed its operational profile, giving up crude oil processing in 2004 and specializing in obtaining value-added products, adapted to market needs. Vega is currently Romania's only bitumen producer. The Petromidia refinery supplies Vega with feedstock. In the first half of 2026, Vega processed 163,500 tonnes of feedstock and boosted bitumen production 40.5% year-on-year to a record 48,000 tonnes in the first half of 2026. The refinery processed 395,000 tonnes of feedstock in 2025.

Rompetrol Rafinare's largest shareholders are KMG International, with a 54.63% stake, and the Romanian state, represented by the Energy Ministry, with 44.7%.

KMG International, is registered in Romania and operates more than 1,300 filling stations in Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria and Georgia under the Rompetrol brand.