Rompetrol to Restart Petrochemical Unit at Petromidia Refinery

Romania's Rompetrol Rafinare said it will restart the low-density polyethylene (LDPE) unit at its Petromidia refinery in early May. "Final technical tests are being carried out to restart the unit, which was shut down at the end of 2023 due to unfavorable market conditions," Rompetrol Rafinare said in a statement on the 25th.

Rompetrol will invest $1.5 million (1.3 million euros) to reintegrate its low-density polyethylene (LDPE) unit, aiming to consolidate its position as the only Romanian polymer producer, the statement said. Functional and safety tests before the unit's restart were coordinated by Rominserv, the local maintenance and engineering unit of KazMunayGas International Group.

“The growing demand for petrochemicals has prompted us to restart the LDPE unit, which will bring significant progress to the petrochemical sector, which has only relied on the polypropylene (PP) unit until now,” said Yedil Utekov, Chief Production and Industrial Services Officer at KMG International.

The LDPE unit has an annual production capacity of 75,000 tons. From May, the unit will supply Romanian industries, including heat shrink film, agricultural film, thick bags and packaging film.

In 2024, Rompetrol Rafinare's petrochemical sector processed 83,000 tons of propylene through the operation of the polypropylene unit, with a total polymer production of about 60,000 tons. The company aims to produce more than 145,000 tons of polymers by 2025.