Wood secures significant contract with OMV Petrom for SAF production in Europe

The Petrobrazi refinery in Romania. (Photo: OMV Petrom)

John Wood Group PLC announced Dec. 19 that it has been awarded a significant contract by OMV Petrom for a major project to boost the production of sustainable fuel in Southeast Europe.

Under the scope of this project, the Petrobrazi refinery in Romania will become the first major production facility for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the region.

Following successful delivery of the front-end engineering and design (FEED) for this important project, Wood will now deliver engineering, procurement and construction management to install a new biobased hydrotreater unit and relevant storage facilities at the refinery.

This project will enable the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) utilizing Honeywell UOP Ecofining™ process technology.

SAF results in significantly lower CO2 emissions compared to traditional fossil kerosene.

The Petrobrazi refinery upgrades and its new SAF production will support the European Commission’s goals to reach 6 percent SAF at EU airports by 2030 and 70 percent by 2050, ultimately helping to decarbonize the aviation industry.

“This significant contract award builds on our longstanding relationship with OMV Petrom,” said Wood CEO Ken Gilmartin. “We are proud to continue partnering with them to futureproof their infrastructure and enable the production of low-carbon fuels. We have deep knowledge of our clients’ assets through decades of proven project delivery. This, combined with our world-class engineering and execution expertise, positions Wood to successfully complete this project and establish Petrobrazi as the first major producer of sustainable fuels in Southeast Europe.”