Investments
Biofuels
According to EU Directive 2003/30/EC, Česká rafinérská had - in late 2005 - launched
the implementation of four projects based in Kralupy nad Vltavou and Litvínov,
i.e. the two localities the Company operates in. The above entails a pair of the following investment projects:
1. Addition of MEŘO (i.e. rape methylester oil) to diesel oil at a ratio not exceeding 5% of the volume of assumed maximum diesel oil production.
2. Addition of bioethanol to automotive gasoline at a ratio not exceeding 10% of the volume of assumed maximum gasoline production.
The construction part of the four projects was completed by 30 November 2006.
What then followed was comprehensive testing of feedstocks or rather an alternative medium,
and approval for trial operation. Česká rafinérská is now in the position of accepting the biocomponent
(i.e. bioethanol for automotive gasolines, and MEŘO for diesel oil), store it, and subsequently blend -
at the given standard - with automotive fuels of fossil (i.e. oleaginous) origin.
For the provision of the four projects, Česká rafinérská spent CZK 262,6 millions.
Clean fuels
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Česká rafinérská is currently involved in the implementation of the Clean Fuels project aimed
at a continuous improvement of motor fuel quality. The scheme makes it possible for the Company
to meet the tightened environmental requirements through reducing the contents of sulphur
and benzene in motor fuels, i.e. a measure to become effective in EU states in 2005.
Further investment schemes building on the above seek to cope - as quickly as possible -
with the production of motor fuels in EU 2009 quality. The total value of the Clean Fuels
project equals CZK 1.5 billion, and includes a revamp of the current gas oil hydrogenation facility,
of the virgin naphtha unit, and an upgrade of the catalytic hydrocracker refinery unit.
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Inauguration of the 3C splitter launched in Kralupy. (5 February 2005, with M. Pecina, Deputy Industry Minister, and CEO Ivan Souček)
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The new hydro-refining reactor for desuplhurization of middle-distillate fraction in Litvínov
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Inauguration of Unit of selective desulphurization of cracked naphtha, Kralupy. (14 December 2007, with Petr Bendl, county governor, Hynek Jičínský, CEO of CB&I Lummus, and CEO Ivan Souček)
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Visbreaker unit
Since the emergence of Česká rafinérská in 1996, an amount approximating CZK 20
billions has been invested in Company development. As part of a huge investment program,
two cutting-edge technology units have been built as a way of boosting the competitiveness
of Czech refineries in dealing with facilities run abroad. These include the visbreaker unit,
i.e. thermic fission of heavy crude fractions - a unit built in the Litvínov refinery.
Being put into operation in late 1999 with a daily processing capacity of 2,500t,
the facility is seen as an apt replenishment of the Litvínov refinery configuration,
providing for a reduction in the production of ecologically hard-to-exploit heavy crude residues.
The new production facility employs the technology of the Dutch Shell International Oil Products company.
Videoclip: Visbreaker,
size 71 MB, format MPEG
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Visbreaker unit Litvínov
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Fluid Catalytic Cracking unit
The Company’s major investment was the implementation of the Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit (FCC).
Being launched in the Kralupy refinery in April 2001, this state-of-the-art technology unit,
with its deep crude refining capacity, provides for a substantial increase in production of light products,
particularly of motor fuels and of diesel, from the previous 1, 3 million tons to 2 million tons per annum.
The production of fuel oil hit by a sliding demand would conversely be falling from 1 million tons to 300,000 tons p.a.
In that way, production has adjusted to the changing structure of demand. Moreover, the FCC will provide
for the Company to meet future EU fuel standards. The new production facility with a processing capacity
of 3,800 Mt/day employs the technology of the American Universal Oil Products company.
Videoclip: FCC 1999-2001,
size 143 MB, format MPEG
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Fluid Catalytic Cracking unit Kralupy
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Control room
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The two technology units are controlled from newly built
Central Control Rooms (CCR) outfitted with cutting-edge technology.
On a systematic basis, the control of all technological units
has been re-routed to the central control rooms. As a result,
control of all refinery units is now carried out from just one spot.
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New control room of refinery Kralupy
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New control room of refinery Litvínov
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Revamp
Aside from the construction of novel units, additional projects of significance
have been implemented as part of stay-in-business investments aimed largely
at the recovery/revamp of existing facilities, improved operation safety,
handling of technology units automation, and implementation of special environmental protection schemes
to match the requirements of environmental legislation and regulations. These include, e.g.
the revamp of facilities such as the hydro-cracker units, road & rail terminals,
the tank farm, the blending facility, the fire-protection system, laboratories,
the newly launched hydrocarbon vapour recuperation units, the double sealing installed
on the roofs of storage tanks, the sulphur production unit upgrade, etc.
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