The ecological rehabilitation of the historical lagoons at the Vega Refinery — a firm commitment by Rompetrol Rafinare to the community and the environment

Through the significant investment in this project, estimated at around 20 million dollars in 2025 alone, Rompetrol Rafinare demonstrates its concern for the environment and public health by neutralizing a potential source of emissions, protecting groundwater and surface water, and rehabilitating local ecosystems — all having a positive impact on the local community.

“We are seeing clear progress in the lagoons where our partners have acted, and we are convinced that, in collaboration with them and with the relevant authorities, we will successfully bring this story to an end — a story that neither we nor the people of Ploieşti wanted. It is a legacy that we have committed to manage, in the spirit of European environmental legislation, but also for the community, the environment, and our employees,” said Sorin Graure, General Manager of Rompetrol Rafinare.

The activities are carried out at an optimal pace, in accordance with the agreed schedule and in compliance with all regulatory documents issued by the competent authorities, as well as the entire applicable legislative framework.

This year, ecological rehabilitation work resumed with the treatment of ponds 19 and 20, located at the limit of the Vega Refinery, which, together with the lots previously treated, account for approximately 50% of the total acidic tars deposited before the refinery was taken over by the Rompetrol Group (now KMG International) in 1999.

It is important to note that, under the privatization contract signed with the representatives of the Romanian state, the estimated amount of waste was about 60,000 tons, a much lower figure than the reality on site.

The adopted technological treatment solution is efficient for processing and neutralizing acidic tars — in-situ treatment of the substances and their transformation into a solid, inert waste using calcium oxide (quicklime).

By hydrating the tar and lime mixture, an exothermic reaction can occur with steam release. After the reaction is completed, the pH value is checked, and if it is above 7, the neutral or basic character of the mixture is certified.

After the neutralization process, which lasts 3–4 days, the neutralized tar is mixed with cement, water, and hardening additives. Samples are taken from the resulting paste, and the analysis results are available in about a week. If the final mixture indicators are met, the batches from which the samples were taken are finally deposited in impermeable and monitored ecological landfills.

It is important to note that throughout the contract between Rompetrol Rafinare (the beneficiary of the works) and the contractors, the company carefully monitors environmental factors during execution of the works.

According to the contract in force, the contractors are required to comply with a series of preventive measures to avoid the spread of emissions during treatment. Thus, they must ensure that dust dispersion is limited through the use of water curtains and high-capacity water cannons, and that the works are carried out in accordance with specific weather conditions.

All responsibility for any deviation from the agreed work schedules and procedures lies with the subcontracting companies, which, through the efforts of Rompetrol Rafinare, hold all the necessary permits and authorizations. At the same time, we mention that the dispersions observed by the population in the vicinity of the refinery are steam carrying specific odors, and there are no records so far certifying toxic gas emissions that could pose risks to the population, employees, partners, or the environment.

We reiterate that the entities within the KMG International Group are not responsible for generating the waste, as these are historical deposits, with the first certified information about the waste dating back to the 1940s. The filling of the ponds was carried out systematically during the communist regime, when no clear environmental regulations existed, which explains the substantial amount of acidic tar waste.

Rompetrol Rafinare monitors levels of H₂S, VOCs, benzene, SO₂, PM10, as well as meteorological conditions, through its two air quality monitoring stations. At the same time, demonstrating total transparency, the Vega Refinery reports the full set of indicators daily to the competent local authorities in order to identify potential exceedances of atmospheric limit values.

The Vega Refinery in Ploieşti celebrates this year 120 years of operation, a period during which it has undergone many operational transformations. Since 2004, the refinery has no longer processed crude oil, but only semi-finished products supplied exclusively by the Petromidia Năvodari Refinery.

The significant shareholders of Rompetrol Rafinare SA are KMG International (54.63% — direct and indirect) and the Romanian State, through the Ministry of Energy (44.7%).