Environment

Our environmental approach

We are committed to advancing environmental stewardship to protect the air, water, and land in our areas of operations and we consistently invest in innovative and cost-effective solutions that are guaranteed to drive further responsible development.

Within Rompetrol there are over 300 authorized working points, operating in Romania and the Republic of Moldova, the only countries of operations that legally mandate environmental authorization.

We acknowledge that we have a responsibility to remain compliant with applicable environmental regulations in the locations where we operate, and to diminish the impacts we produce. Thus, we strive every day to improve our performance and we continually prepare to respond to future challenges and opportunities, while minimizing our impact.

Our environmental strategy and objectives cover regulatory compliance processes and procedures, responsibility assignment, training, emergency preparedness, alignment with the best techniques available in the industry (BAT/ BREF), monitoring and measurement, and environmental investments, as well as regular auditing of our performance. 

Our approach to environmental stewardship focuses on the relevant material topics identified in our stakeholder engagement & materiality assessment processes and it refers to issues like environmental compliance, climate change, and decarbonization, waste management, protection of water resources, air emission management, energy consumption.

We have various programs in place to assess environmental aspects for each location, manage potential environmental risks and mitigate impacts. They reflect upon the specific of the company’s activity and include the following:

  • Environmental Management program
  • Waste Management program
  • Investment program approved at the company level (projects carried out mainly in the operational activity and which aim to reduce the impact on the environment and communities).
Climate-related risks and opportunities are integrated into our Risk Management process aimed at identifying, assessing, and managing business-related risks. Climate-related risks are identified using the standardized methodology of the Enterprise Risk management process. Risks are identified on a daily basis in a bottom-up approach by all employees and in a top-down approach by all Group unit managers, by monitoring regulatory, market, and reputational risks in line with the latest national and international developments.

Scenarios consistent with the goal of limiting the global temperature increase to no more than 2° C by reducing GHG emissions are of utmost importance for our strategic considerations as they imply fundamental changes to the current energy market. We are aware of the potential risk if we cannot fully operate due to exceeding the global carbon budget. During the strategy development and planning processes, we have considered scenarios reflecting various aspects of potential economic, technological, and social developments, along with their implications for the energy market and, consequently, for business.

Rompetrol has a complex metric system for managing environmental aspects and their evolution within company operations. The metrics include water and energy consumption, emissions, and waste management. Daily/monthly/yearly targets are set for water & energy consumption, along with greenhouse gas emissions. All metrics are incorporated in the Integrated Management System and reported to management annually.

To find out more about our environmental impact you can visit the websites of the affiliated companies:
 

Biodiversity is the pillar that allows ecosystems to function and humans to thrive.
 
Being aware of our responsibility when it comes to preserving biodiversity, Rompetrol gives special attention to the Black Sea region (where Petromidia Refinery and Rompetrol Energy are situated) and cares about the very active wildlife populating the area. 

We place the UN Sustainable Development Goals in all its dimensions, focusing on direct contributions through its responsible business approach: SDG 14 Life below water and SDG 15 Life on land.
Rompetrol Rafinare – Petromidia (Navodari) is located in the vicinity of Natura 2000 Sites, at approximately 300 m from the Special Protection Area ROSPA 0060 Tașaul- Corbu Lakes and 1.35 km from ROSPA0076 Black Sea. Also, the last stage of the Wastewater Treatment Plant (the biological ponds) are located on the territory of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. 
Rompetrol Energy is located outside the natural protected area with biodiversity sites. However, it is situated in the vicinity of several Natura 2000 Sites:
 
  • approx. 300 m from the Special Protection Area ROSPA 0060 Tașaul-Corbu Lakes;
  • 1.35 km to ROSPA0076 Black Sea;
  • 5 km to Danube Delta.
To avoid a potential negative impact on biodiversity, for each new project we conduct an environmental impact assessment, prior to implementation. This assessment identifies, describes, and evaluates, as appropriate in each case, the significant direct and indirect effects of a project considering the following factors:
 
  • population and human health;
  • biodiversity, paying special attention to protected species;
  • land, soil, water, air and climate;
  • material assets, cultural heritage and landscape.
In July 2021, the European Commission released its “Fit for 55” legislation package, supporting its commitment to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030. The package presents a policy action plan on how to reach Europe’s climate targets, in line with its ambition to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.

As all industry players, Rompetrol is looking towards the decarbonization direction, to adapt to the current global context and trends. In Romania, Rompetrol experts are involved in different Task Forces/Committees/Working Groups set up at associations’ level for debating Fit for 55 package legislation and contribute to preparation of documents which support the authorities in their negotiation with European Commission.

The main source of emissions for Rompetrol are the refining processes.

Every year, the company drafts its budget for the upcoming 5 years and the price of EU Allowances for GHG are included in this process, thus influencing investment decisions. The Financial Risk Management Department provides the estimations for the EUAs prices after analyzing forecasts from the main carbon agencies in the market. Considering EU’s ambitious target, prices for EU Allowances are expected to increase in the following years, putting pressure on Rompetrol Rafinare’s financial results. This financial risk has been mitigated by using a hedge program for the necessary volumes of EUAs in the first stage of Phase 4 (2021-2025). Rompetrol Rafinare has access to financial derivative instruments to accomplish its hedge program and lock-in the price for the next 5 years.

Greenhouse gas emissions are regularly monitored and controlled through operational KPIs. According to its GHG emissions management strategy, Rompetrol Rafinare carries out specific activities, grouped under two strategic directions, aimed at mitigating emissions and reducing the CO2 impact.

Air monitoring indicators are reported daily/monthly/annually to the environmental authorities, demonstrating compliance with the requirements of applicable legislation.

The GHG emissions level is on a decreasing trend, due to the investments from the past years in technology, development, maintenance, and environmental projects. 

The major source of CO2 emissions is from stationary and mobile equipment. You may see more on our emissions level from the sustainability report.

Water is essential for life, and for the economy and plays a fundamental role in climate change management. The main focus of Rompetrol water management is to reduce freshwater use and ensure there are no emissions to water above the limit values specified by the Water Permit/ legal framework.

Rompetrol Rafinare has dedicated internal procedures in place documenting water management. They address water quality monitoring, verification, and maintenance of wastewater transport facilities, sealing and isolation of structures/basins, monitoring of technological processes, checking the quality of process water from the intake to discharge. 

All specific pollutants (mentioned in the permits) are monitored in the discharged water, with different frequencies (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly).

The Accidental Pollution Prevention and Control Plan contains rules and procedures for the management of a possible incident and establishes immediate intervention and control measures to limit the impact and secure the technological installations. Discharges to water are managed by reporting on water emissions in an open and transparent manner and using targets to track company progress regarding water management. Communities and authorities are regularly informed about activities that may have a greater impact on the loading of pollutants into the discharged water (turnarounds, overhauls, technical incidents).

For Petromidia Refinery freshwater withdrawal represented 96.6% of total water withdrawn.

The freshwater supply is provided through a single source. Consumption is monitored via a certified debit-meter and consumption data is collected internally on a daily basis and by the public provider with a monthly frequency. The filtered water from Rompetrol Rafinare comes from the Wastewater Treatment Plant and goes into the Chemical Plant, where it is chemically transformed into demi-water, which has three different destinations:

  • Rompetrol Rafinare for process water
  • Boilers for steam production
  • Local community as hot water (for approx. 1,500 residential buildings).
At Group level - the generated waste is managed in accordance with the legal provisions on waste management which are embedded in internal procedures and instructions. These are communicated to all service providers / subcontractors / tenants, who carry out their activity on company sites and they are included in the related contractual documents / clauses (e.g.: HSE Convention).

All categories of generated waste are recovered or disposed by certified companies.

Waste sources and streams are identified and monitored from generation to recovery/final disposal. Each member company identifies the categories of waste generated by own activity and documents them accordingly. Depending on the waste category, they are temporarily stored in dedicated locations for recovery/disposal. The entire flow, from generation to recovery/elimination is documented in internal procedures and plans (“Waste management” procedure, waste management yearly plan) and verified during the internal audit process and through internal and external inspections. The waste management flow considers the application of waste hierarchy (prevention - preparation for reuse - recycling – other recovery operations, e.g.: energy recovery - disposal).

98.5% of the total waste that left the platform Petromida in 2021 was sent for recovery.

Vega Refinery landfill (14 lagoons) is located on the northern side of the refinery platform and covers an area of approximately 82,450 m2. The lagoons are waterproofed with layers of compacted soil and bentonite. There is an ongoing project to green the lagoons where the existing waste is treated and stored in waterproofed cells according to GED 757/2004. Total quantity treated and stored so far is 86,290 tons.

You may read more about waste management from the sustainability report.

Rompetrol Rafinare has a complex set of plans and procedures in place to prevent accidental releases of hydrocarbons or other materials into the environment. Each unit has a dedicated operations manual, comprehensive emergency response plans and crisis management procedures.
 

Both Petromidia and Vega refineries are SEVESO sites and fall under the scope of legislation on the control of major accident hazards involving dangerous substances. In compliance with the required regulations, Rompetrol Rafinare ensures the development, implementation and continuous improvement of a Safety Management System (SMS) in order to prevent the occurrence and to eliminate/minimize the effects of major accidents.

In 2021, no spills were recorded by either Petromidia or Vega refineries.

However, we registered one spill of petroleum products at Midia Marine Terminal, timely managed according to internal procedures and legislation and without negative impact on soil or marine environment.

More related info:

Operations

Refining and Petrochemicals

Rompetrol owns two out of four refineries in Romania, the excellence centers Petromidia refinery (Navodari city) and Vega refinery (Ploiesti city) as well as the Petrochemicals division, the sole producer of polymers in Romania.

Sustainability

Sustainability principles & goals

Rompetrol is committed to leave its mark, by harmonizing the 2030 Agenda principles with its long-term sustainable development strategy.
Sustainability

People and safety

The safety of our employees and contractors is an essential part in the way we do business.