€15 million mechanical completion at Rijeka refinery
Croatian oil company INA has completed mechanical work on a €15 million steam-turbine upgrade at its Rijeka refinery. The project is moving toward commissioning following the completion of the mechanical phase. INA said the upgrade supports an energy-efficiency improvement as part of the refinery’s broader modernisation programme.
Back-pressure turbines with generators planned for trials in September
The new configuration uses back-pressure steam turbines equipped with generators. INA said the system is designed to recover more energy from steam already used in the refinery’s industrial processes. Mechanical completion was reached at the end of August, about five weeks ahead of the contractual schedule.
Trial operation and commissioning using process medium were scheduled to begin in September. The turbines are intended to be brought online following these commissioning activities.
Expected impacts on steam use, electricity generation and emissions
Once operational, the turbines are expected to reduce steam consumption and lower internal energy costs. INA also expects the equipment to generate additional electricity for use at the refinery. The company further expects a corresponding decline in carbon dioxide emissions.
Modernisation programme and compliance with Croatia’s Energy Efficiency Act
The steam-turbine upgrade forms part of wider modernisation efforts at Rijeka. INA said the project supports compliance with Croatia’s Energy Efficiency Act. The work was implemented by INA teams together with external contractors, including Siemens Energy.
INA described the investment as relatively small compared with the refinery’s broader modernisation programme. The focus is on improving efficiency by recovering electricity from an existing steam system without increasing dependence on external energy supplies.
