Rompetrol Energy, the operator of the cogeneration plant on the Petromidia platform, has successfully tested the plant’s capacity to operate in islanded mode and start up without energy from the National Energy System (SEN), in the hypothetical scenario of a blackout (large-scale power outage).
This capability was certified in several exercises carried out with industry partners, the most recent being carried out under the direct coordination of the national company Transelectrica and in collaboration with several partners, including the National Nuclearelectrica Company SA.
Extensive exercises were also recently carried out to test islanded operation with the storage facility in Gălbiori. Thus, the cogeneration plant can support industrial producers specialized in energy production, including renewable, in addition to the direct support it provides to the largest refinery in Romania.
“The recent exercises have reconfirmed the essential role that Rompetrol Energy plays in the energy stability of the Dobrogea area, a strategic region for the national infrastructure. Through our production capacities and the possibility of operating in an islanded mode, we can maintain uninterrupted power supply for critical industrial consumers, especially for the Petromidia refinery, a vital production unit in the national economy,” said Boris Bucur, CEO of Rompetrol Energy.
By participating in extensive exercises with industry partners, the company has contributed to strengthening the necessary framework for integrated testing of equipment, procedures and communication flows, the result being ensuring operational resilience in major disaster situations.
Without the current configuration, which includes the cogeneration plant as the main electricity supplier, the refinery would have to be powered directly from the SEN, which could generate a regional energy deficit in Dobrogea and affect the stability of the system in disaster conditions.
The cogeneration plant on the Petromidia Năvodari platform represents one of the most important energy projects developed in the last 15 years in the Dobrogea region.
The installed capacity is approximately 80 MWh of electricity, and the plant can supply up to 180 tons of steam per hour, fully covering the energy needs of the Petromidia refinery.
The plant is fully integrated with both the refinery and the National Energy System, with the possibility of directing the surplus energy to the network depending on the operating regime.
