Doru Avramescu, CEO of Roserv Green Energy: RAFO Onesti Reconversion into a Biofuels Producer and a Regional Energy Hub

April 10, 2026

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by Daniel Lazar (Energy Industry Review) 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.

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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.

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Doru Avramescu: ...

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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. READ MORE

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