Brazil's Petrobras Begins Maintenance at Capuava Refinery

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Written by Amir Richani for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Brazilian energy company Petrobras (NYSE:PBR) (Rio de Janeiro) began a scheduled turnaround on April 20 of its 63,000 barrel-per-day (BBL/d) Capuava refinery in Maua, Sao Paulo state. The maintenance represents an investment of 160 million reals (US$30.8 million), and is aimed at increasing the efficiency of current processes. The turnaround will take about 25 days.

According to a company statement, during the scheduled shutdown, Petrobras will carry out maintenance and exchange parts of the hydrotreatment units. The units produce low-sulfur fuels such as diesel S10 and gasoline S50, which are key for Petrobras' strategic and long-term fuel sulfur reduction plans. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Petroleum Refinery Plant Database can click here for the plant profile.

Márcia Cristina Andrade, the refinery's manager, said that "the main objective is to guarantee the safety of people and the reliability of assets, as well as to make production more efficient, including environmental gains, in line with Petrobras' Strategic Plan."

As a pivotal part of Petrobras' 2024-2028 strategic plan, the company anticipates a substantial increase in its processing capacity by 225,000 BBL/d. This growth will primarily be achieved through the modernization of existing facilities and the revamp of Train 1 and construction of Train 2 at the Abreu e Lima refinery (RNEST). By 2028, the downstream asset will double its processing capacity from 130,000 BBL/d.

Additionally, the strategic plan foresees an increase in S-10 diesel production capacity of 290,000 BBL/d, thanks to the expansion at RNEST and new units coming online in other assets. Also, Petrobras expects to produce 34,000 BBL/d of 100% renewable diesel (Diesel R100) in the next few years.

Brazil and Petrobras have been steadfast in their pursuit of producing cleaner fuels. This commitment is evident in their initiatives to reduce sulfur content, increase the ethanol blend in gasoline and diesel, and develop sustainable and renewable fuels.

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