REFINING SUSTAINABLE GROWTH The INA Group is a significant European oil and gas producer with a leading position in Croatia and neighbouring countries. Philip Yorke examines the benefits to the region of the company’s major investments in new plant, which have been designed to improve production efficiency and the sustainability of its refining processes.
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he Rijeka oil refinery in Croatia began its operations in 1883 with an annual refining capacity of 60,000 tonnes. The same year the company constructed a deep water petroleum harbour, which was able to meet one third of all the oil products demanded by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Over the years, continuous construction and upgrading resulted in a technological peak being reached in the mid 1980s when the refining capacity rose to 6.7 million tonnes. Today INA d.d. is a joint stock company owned by the Hungarian Oil Company MOL (47.26 per cent, the republic of Croatia (44.84 per cent) and private and institutional shareholders (7.9 per cent). Since 2006 INA shares have been listed on the London and Zagreb stock exchanges. Over 16,000
people are employed by the INA Group with a further 10,000 employed by INA d.d., which was established on 1 January 1964 when the Naftaplin Oil & Gas Exploration and Production Company, merged with the oil refineries in Rijeka and Sisak in Croatia.
Meeting highest EU standards
INA has two refineries in Croatia, located in Rijeka and Sisak. The refinery in Rijeka is located onshore, allowing access to the port for deep drawing vessels and the pipeline system of JANAF. The refinery’s advantageous location makes it suitable for market supply not only to Croatia but also to southern parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Montenegro and other Mediterranean countries. The Rijeka refinery
processes around 3 million tonnes of oil annually and manufactures a number of key petroleum products for its domestic and foreign markets. INA’s commitment to its modernisation programme has meant that the upgraded plants not only meet the highest EU standards but also protect the environment and significantly improve the sustainability of the company’s refining business. The current production programme of INA’s refineries includes liquefied gas, virgin naptha, motor gasoline, kerosene, aviation turbine fuels, fuel oil, bunkers and liquid sulphur. The refinery at Sisak is 50 kilometres from Zagreb, which has the highest consumption of petroleum products in the country. This refinery’s location makes it convenient for
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