Doru Avramescu, CEO of Roserv Green Energy, talks about the Onesti Complex—how an industrial giant is being reborn and becoming an energy hub for Eastern Europe: from a strategic refinery to an integrated energy ecosystem.
Doru Avramescu (Gheorghe Teodor Avramescu) is a professional with over two decades of solid experience in the oil and gas industry, possessing extensive expertise in refining, logistics, energy infrastructure, and strategic projects in the fields of natural gas and green energy. He currently serves as CEO of ROSERV Green Energy (RAFO Onesti), where he oversees executive management activities in areas such as biorefining, green hydrogen and modern energy infrastructure.
Previously, he held senior positions with OMV Petrom, including Senior Manager – Logistics & Projects – Gas Transport, where he was involved in strategic gas transport projects, including the development of infrastructure for the Neptun Deep project and the monitoring of regional gas flows. He also coordinated complex logistics, terminal, and storage activities across extensive regions (Romania, Bulgaria, and the Republic of Moldova), as well as operational integration processes within OMV and Petrol Ofisi Turkey.
Throughout his career, he has led major reorganization and modernization projects at the Petrobrazi refinery, managing the production, storage, and distribution of petroleum products, as well as the implementation of new concepts for automating and streamlining logistics flows. His experience also includes roles in developing the petroleum products portfolio, managing refining processes, and coordinating energy infrastructure.
A graduate of the Petroleum-Gas University of Ploiesti, specializing in Crude Oil Processing Technology, Doru Avramescu possesses advanced technical expertise in the petroleum industry, complemented by training programs in management, negotiation, conflict management, and operational safety. He is recognized for his leadership skills, his ability to build and coordinate high-performing teams, and his strategic focus on complex energy projects.
The RAFO Onesti industrial complex, once one of Romania’s largest refineries, is now undergoing a major transformation. Under the leadership of Roserv Green Energy, this icon of the oil industry is being brought back to life—not as a traditional oil refinery, but as an integrated energy complex dedicated to the green transition, biofuels and renewable energy.
From the oil age to the green energy era
RAFO Onesti was established in the 1960s and became, during the communist period, one of Romania’s four largest refineries, with an installed capacity of 3.5 million tons/year and a plan to expand to 5 million tons/year. The refinery was built under a UOP (Universal Oil Products) license, identical to the one used at Petromidia Navodari (now owned by Rompetrol – KazMunayGas), which made it, at the time, one of the most modern in Eastern Europe.
After 1990, difficulties in the oil market and a lack of investment led to the successive closure of the unit. However, the complex’s infrastructure—a massive, fully interconnected system with a Nelson index of 8.69—has been professionally maintained, with the equipment kept under nitrogen pressure and ready for restart.
Dear Mr. Doru Avramescu, how did the idea of converting the RAFO Onesti platform into a green energy hub come about?
Doru Avramescu: The reconversion of the RAFO Onesti platform began with a simple yet strategic idea: to repurpose one of Romania’s most important industrial infrastructures within a completely new energy context. Europe is undergoing a period of rapid transformation in the energy sector, and Romania has the opportunity to play a significant role in this transition. For decades, RAFO has been one of Romania’s strategic refineries. The industrial infrastructure built here—extremely complex and very well-maintained—provides a unique foundation for the development of modern energy projects. Instead of letting this infrastructure fall into disrepair, we decided to transform it into an industrial platform dedicated to sustainable fuels, renewable energy and green hydrogen.
The turning point came in 2021, when Roserv Green Energy, part of the GRAMPET group, initiated the process of industrially converting the RAFO platform into an integrated energy hub for Eastern Europe.
What does it actually mean to transform an oil refinery into an energy complex dedicated to green transition?
Doru Avramescu: In concrete terms, we are talking about a complete shift in the industrial paradigm. Whereas in the past refineries processed crude oil to produce fossil fuels, today the industrial infrastructure can be adapted to produce sustainable fuels and integrate renewable energy.
In Onesti, we are essentially building an integrated biorefinery, where multiple energy technologies are connected within an industrial ecosystem. The platform will include the production of sustainable fuels for transportation (HVO) and aviation (SAF), bioethanol production, solar energy, energy storage systems and green hydrogen production. We are talking about a project that combines the industrial past with the future of energy, where the existing infrastructure—vast, interconnected, and functional—serves today as the foundation for an efficient industrial transformation.
Roserv Green Energy is tasked with coordinating this industrial transformation, alongside leading international technology partners such as Honeywell UOP, Technip, Desmet, Praj Industries, Deloitte and others. We are dealing with mature, internationally validated projects, and the RAFO transformation is no longer a promise but an advanced process, supported by concrete projects and solid external validations.
What advantages does the existing infrastructure of the RAFO refinery offer for the development of new projects?
Doru Avramescu: The RAFO platform offers a tremendous competitive advantage. We are talking about a complex industrial infrastructure built over decades, covering an area of approximately 272 hectares, with a strategic geographical location in northeastern Romania, at the crossroads of energy and logistics routes connecting the European Union with the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.
The existing infrastructure is one of the company’s greatest competitive advantages. There is a modernized (automated) industrial rail network of approximately 36 kilometers, with its own station and marshalling yard (the largest in the Moldavia region) and storage capacity of approximately 560,000 cubic meters for petroleum products, of which 300,000 cubic meters are designated for white products (gasoline, diesel), a fully functional three-stage wastewater treatment plant, an industrial water system, its own electrical grid, a fire-fighting system, offices and production facilities. RAFO has direct connections to the national energy infrastructure (Transelectrica and Transgaz), with its own 200 MVA power station, as well as direct connections for odorized and non-odorized natural gas. In addition, the platform is connected to the strategic Constanta–Onesti crude oil pipeline, which is 400 km long and has an annual transport capacity of 4 million tons.
All these elements make RAFO a unique industrial asset in the region and enable the development of major energy projects at much lower costs than those of a project built from scratch.
How does Onesti’s strategic location support the development of Roserv Green Energy’s projects?
Doru Avramescu: Geographical location is one of the key elements of this project. Onesti is situated at a logistically crucial point for Eastern Europe, at the crossroads of energy and trade corridors connecting the European Union with the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.
In the context of geopolitical and energy transformations in the region, this location could transform RAFO into an industrial and logistics hub for sustainable fuels and energy products destined for markets in Central and Eastern Europe.
One of the most important projects is the HVO/SAF unit. What impact will it have on the sustainable fuels industry?
Doru Avramescu: The HVO/SAF unit is one of the central pillars of the industrial conversion project. The estimated capacity is approximately 450,000 tons per year, and the technology used is Ecofining, developed by Honeywell UOP, one of the world’s most advanced technologies for the production of sustainable fuels and already used for the conversion of similar refineries in Europe and the U.S. This technological compatibility significantly reduces the complexity of the transformation and positions the Onesti platform within a select group of industrial assets that can be rapidly adapted to the requirements of the new energy economy.
This facility will produce both renewable diesel (HVO) and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), two products that will become essential for the decarbonization of transportation and the aviation industry.
By implementing this project, RAFO Onesti has the potential to become one of the most important production centers for sustainable fuels in Central and Eastern Europe.
Production capacity is 450,000 tons per year, with an estimated investment of approximately 22% of the cost of a greenfield project and an implementation timeframe reduced to 18 months.
The project involves upgrading an existing hydrotreater (HDV) unit for the production of HVO and SAF, integrated with existing hydrogen facilities. About half of the raw materials will be sourced locally, reducing supply costs by up to 8%.
The residues from the raw material processing (rapeseed meal and gums) will be converted into biomethane through anaerobic digestion, which will then be used to generate renewable hydrogen at a much lower cost (approximately 20% of the cost of conventional hydrogen).
This project positions Onesti at the forefront of the transition to alternative fuels for transportation and aviation—a strategic sector at the European level.
At present, an increasing number of European capitals and cities are considering or adopting the use of HVO in public transportation as a practical alternative to full electrification. This solution enables a rapid reduction in emissions without major investments in infrastructure or the need to replace existing fleets. A key advantage of HVO is its impact on emissions: depending on the feedstock used, it can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 90% compared to conventional diesel.
To what extent can the renewable diesel project help reduce Romania’s dependence on imports?
Doru Avramescu: Romania is currently a net importer of diesel fuel, and this dependence creates economic and energy vulnerabilities. The project to modernize existing facilities will enable the development of a production capacity of approximately 380,000 tons of renewable diesel fuel per year.
This production can significantly contribute to balancing the domestic market, reducing dependence on imports while simultaneously strengthening Romania’s role as a regional supplier of biofuels and energy products.
In addition to this HVO/SAF unit, Roserv Green Energy may modernize two other existing hydrotreatment facilities in the future to increase HVO/SAF production. The total planned capacity could thus increase to 800,000 tons per year. This development will allow Romania to reduce its dependence on imports and meet new European targets for reducing CO₂ emissions from transportation.
We also have the BIOETHANOL Project, which aims to utilize non-food agricultural resources in the area. Roserv Green Energy has completed the feasibility study (conducted by Deloitte) for a bioethanol plant, in partnership with the Indian company PRAJ Industries, a global leader in bioethanol technology, with the following specifications: capacity: 50,000 tons/year (two modules of 25 ktpa). We are talking about an investment amounting to approximately one-third of the cost of a greenfield project, and the technology is 1G (first generation) with plans to expand to 2G (from lignocellulosic biomass). The facility will integrate RAFO’s existing infrastructure, converting agricultural waste and non-food grains into bioethanol—a fuel blended with gasoline to reduce emissions and diversify energy sources.
How do solar energy and green hydrogen fit into this energy ecosystem? What about polymerized bitumen?
Doru Avramescu: The RAFO platform is designed as an integrated energy ecosystem. The project, which has already been approved—marking the transition from planning to implementation—includes the development of a solar park with an estimated capacity of approximately 126 MW, complemented by energy storage systems and an electrolysis plant for the production of green hydrogen.
The energy produced will power both the platform’s industrial consumption and hydrogen production. Hydrogen is an essential element in the production processes of advanced biofuels and contributes to reducing the carbon footprint of the entire industrial complex.
When it comes to the solar park and green hydrogen production, Roserv Green Energy is developing an integrated energy complex on a 140-hectare site within the platform, consisting of a 126 MWp solar park (42 MW – Phase I, 84 MW – phase II), a 56 MW energy storage system (12 MW – phase I, 44 MW – phase II), and an electrolysis plant for producing green hydrogen using the existing demineralized water.
The green hydrogen will be used internally in the biofuel production process (HVO/SAF), closing the energy sustainability loop.
This project positions Onesti among the first centers in Central Europe to combine solar energy production, storage and use of renewable hydrogen.
I cannot fail to mention another operational investment: the polymerized bitumen plant, which currently has a capacity of 120,000 tons per year, expandable to 480,000 tons per year. The fully automated plant ensures bitumen is produced to the specifications required by asphalt producers, supporting road infrastructure projects and regional exports.
What are the main economic benefits for the region?
Doru Avramescu: This project has a significant economic impact. We are talking about investments of hundreds of millions of euros, hundreds of direct and indirect jobs, and the revival of a traditional industrial area.
The redevelopment of the RAFO site will attract additional investments in infrastructure, logistics, and industrial services, and will transform the city of Onesti into a hub for energy development in the Moldavia region.
The project developed at RAFO Onesti exemplifies the principles of the circular economy through the efficient use of resources, the reintegration of energy flows, and the transformation of waste into raw materials for new industrial processes, thereby generating a sustainable model of development and innovation in the energy sector.
How do you see RAFO Onesti’s role in Europe’s energy landscape over the next 20 years?
Doru Avramescu: Over the next two decades, Europe will need new industrial centers capable of producing sustainable energy and fuels on a large scale. RAFO Onesti has all the ingredients to become one of these centers.
By integrating advanced biofuels, renewable energy and green hydrogen, the platform can become a regional energy hub for Eastern Europe and a model of smart industrial reconversion in the context of the energy transition.
To sum up, we can say that RAFO Onesti has a comprehensive logistics infrastructure. The platform has an authorized terminal for all types of transfers: customs warehouse, tax warehouse, and wholesale warehouse, operational since 2021. The current transfer capacity is 50,000 tons/month, with the possibility to expand up to 300,000 tons/month by tank wagons and road tankers.
This versatility makes RAFO not only a green energy producer but also a regional logistics hub for the transportation and distribution of sustainable energy products.
Without exaggerating, I can say that the transformation of the RAFO Onesti platform is one of the largest industrial energy conversion projects in Central and Eastern Europe. By integrating the production of biofuels, green hydrogen and photovoltaic energy, Roserv Green Energy creates a complete ecosystem capable of supporting both the Romanian market and exports to Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and EU countries.
The total value of these projects exceeds hundreds of millions of euros, and the direct benefits will include: the creation of hundreds of direct and indirect jobs; attracting investment in research and innovation; reducing CO₂ emissions and enhancing energy security; and establishing Onesti as a hub for renewable energy in Eastern Europe. In this way, Roserv Green Energy is not only reviving a historic refinery but also redefining the energy future of an entire region.
By converting RAFO Onesti into a multi-technology biorefinery, the company is providing a successful model for sustainable transition—an example of how existing industrial infrastructure can be intelligently repurposed to build the green economy of the future, within an integrated industry–agriculture–energy model.
The agricultural component provides a key strategic advantage. Roserv Green Energy has already signed agreements with some of the largest farmers in the region, and the first catch crops are scheduled to be planted this year, between June and September. These crops are intended exclusively for the production of raw materials for biofuels and do not affect the food supply chain. At the same time, they generate direct benefits for agriculture: farmers obtain a second annual harvest, and studies indicate improved soil quality and yield increases of up to 10% for subsequent main crops, such as corn or wheat.
A key element of this integrated ecosystem is securing a hydrogen supply. At RAFO Onesti, hydrogen is produced primarily from waste, particularly agricultural waste, through the development of an anaerobic digestion facility. This approach leverages local resources and supports the circular economy, while also offering a major competitive advantage: cost predictability. In a volatile international context, the ability to produce hydrogen at a stable price becomes a strategic differentiator, reducing exposure to fluctuations in energy markets.
In addition, the residues resulting from the anaerobic digestion process are transformed into organic fertilizers, reintegrated into agriculture, thus closing the resource recovery cycle and generating direct benefits for the soil and agricultural production in the area.
As such, with mature projects, top international partners and an integrated vision, Roserv Green Energy transforms Onesti’s industrial past into a symbol of European energy innovation.
